New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-12
WERE EASY on CONTRACTORS.
CANAL INVESTIGATION SHOWS MANI
PROPER CHARGES WERE OMITTED
BY THE STATE.

Aba,v Nav II (speclaD-Albert e. Helms. Q
former resident engineer Of the eastern DIVISION o.
the Erie Canal. gave interesting testimony petorS
the Canal Commission to-day He was resident en-
eineer from July 1894 10 October s. 1897. and then
resigned his place because. he stated. NJ
could not work In harmony with his superior Or
ncers OF the State Engineers Department. In
previous testimony given by him he had SAID ehat
he had differed with them about the classiAca'ioh
OF earth" as rock IN canal excavation. class-
acat,on which largely increased the cost OF canal
work 10 tho State. Mr. Helms is now an engineer
OF the United States Government. engaged In WORK
OF the Deep Waterways Commission He frankly
expressed his pleasure over his change OF duties
Mr. Helms testified that the specifications FOR the
canal Improvement work were not drawn up oil
after the estimates had been made This was q
bad practice. He remembered the contract OF
Gallo G. Niece at FultonTlle He received tho FOL-
lowing letter IN relation &c that contract
New-York State Engineers Department
you 70 allow Gallo 1900 cubic yards OF rock as far
machine has gone The errs psr
Of this he says is called sit GIT EARTH r. . ina,
you'd @ V cubic c Yards for this month Please
sign estimate in blank VIII see that IL IS ne-
Quoted from excavation Yours T. {. Il.
T C. Lautze was the First Assistant Engineer
When Mr. Helms had read this letter Mr..
Blackmar. the counsel OF the Canal Commission.
said 70 him:
What did you DO? DID you sign tho estimate
in blank?
Mr. Helms replied:
IT went into the office OF the State Engineer and
asked him 70 accept the estimate without my Sig
nature. because he had fixed the amount at 5000
cubic yards He said that he did not want TO ac-
cept the estimate without my signature. thought
that 1000 cubic yards liberal estimate
mating II with accurate measurements. Mr..
Adams said could not prove there were only
1000 yards. and said my Judgment was no better
than any one else's and he would like me TO
send the estimate left the room, and signed
the statement because of the State Engineers
We're you directed. in April; 1881. to {iye an
extra allowance for work at Drefsndorf Hill for
4oo) cubic yards OF earth excava,ed?"
81 was. but | declined TO do So
dredging S done sob by B Brunei f@nef Was %
subs yard b too much Dd It c % hsms
What II you hal not granted this demand for .
Il think" said Mr. Helms with smile. that I
should have had a lovely time with my superior
Mr Helms then referred to a contract. where ne
had been told to leave out OF his bills charges for
ceyn ns these nstructions he Wrote To- state En-
sineer Adams protesting against any such omission
Already he had charged the contractors with stone
they, had taken OF TIE value OF $500 and $1,000 ;,S
this material
the is se nto 10 Mr. part
do poor work II give them this stone belong
]
and the quality OF their work Will deteriorate. II
we once begin 10 depart from specifications the con-
tractors Will be guided by rs poorest kind OF work
We must have standard
State Engineer Adams sent for him on receiving
this letter and said he desired the stone belonging
to the State which might be taken by them
charged them.
MIR Helms made a careful examination OF the re-
ports OF the work done by l.. Quackenbush on con-
tract No = between Locks Nos AZ and a on the
Erie Canal and discovered that although Quacken:
bush was stated 70 have had 500 cubic yards OF
stone worth 1852 II not charged against him
IN the nnal estimates.