New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-24
THE CANALS.

III is evident tnAt tllc CdIldiS VII nave IL NoH
sp,cuous place on the Legislative calendar at the
coming session. It might be an e1agCerat'on to
say that a startling effect Will be produced upon
the people Of this State by the announcement
that the Improvement Of the canals which was
authorized by popular vote In 1898 and begun
last year cannot be much more than half com
pleted with the S9000,OOO allotted TO that pur
pose Experience has taught the people to be
prepared for a discovery Of that sort In conn
ton with the execution OF public UNDERTAKINGS
and SO they are likely on this occasion 10 escape
a shock severe enough 10 produce heart failure
But, though they may undergo a mild surprise II
does not follow that they Will be grained or
even Indifferent. On the contrary. they are
pretty sure to be considerably annoyed. and TO
require plain answers to various searching ques-
tons.
In the first place, the taxpayers Will want to
know as nearly as possible the real amount to
which their laudable affection for the canals has
presumably involved them. The additional sum
required 10 complete the work OF improvement
was frs; reckoned at $3.000.000 little later 1t
was announced that about S.. OO0, 600 would prob
ably do the business Now the State Engineer
estimates that $7,OO0000 will not he too much,
and Il would not be absolutely astounding II the
figure should presently be raised to Sl00O00o0.
SO much for the tentative computations. But
how much do they really amount to? Chairman
Nixon Of the Assembly Committee on Ways and
Means pertinently cites our venerable New Cap
itol as An interesting illustration Of the way IN
which public work gives points to the daughter
OF the horse leech. Are the canals destined 10
rival that imposing example and the people to
wonder for the next ten or fifteen years whether
the process Of construction or the process Of de-
cay will finally come out ahead? The taxpayers
will want to know. also. whether the work paid
for with the original 100000 will be worth
having in itself or will be Of no particular value
until It has been supplemented by the additional
operations which are now expected TO cost
S7O00,OOO more. In word. is it a case Of fur
ther outlay or sheer waste?
We are not nslnuatlng anything. but looking
for information. Canal improvement at an ex-
pense Of $4,000. 900 authorized In 1895 by an
immense majority Of a remarkably large vote.
There is no doubt as to what the people wanted
at that time Bnt It Is extremely doubtful II
they would as cheerfuy have committed them
selves to an expenditure OF SlG,000,00O. II they
could have foreseen the present situation they
would certainly have said that the persons re-
sponslble either for an exceedingly faulty esti-
mate or worse Misrepresentation needed to ex-
plain themselves before the vote taken. II
was said at the time that the contemplated I'm
! provements might ultimately demonstrate the
| advantage Of reconstruction on a much larger
| scale, but It was understood that the work then
authorized was to be completed so far as 1t went
| What is the fact? Appearances indicate that
the only way to save what has been spent is to
spend great deal more. We hope that the re-
sponslble officials will be prepared early In the
! session to give a clear account OF the whole af
! fair from the beginning. and to show In thor
oughly convincing manner what the end is TO be