The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-05
amount OF cost Of embankment was improperly
paid for material overhnuled and wasted.

creased cost be agreed to by the SuperinUen-
dent and State Engineer and submitted 70 the
Canal Board. This has not always been done,
but where prices have been found In the qu9n-
tity sheets which could be used In paying Tor
such work II has been directed TO be done and
paid. for as under the main contract, without
written agreement or submission 10 tne lana n
the class, Of work found in the quantity sheet
was used, the additional work was returned as
IL under tho main contract.
A much larger proportion Of the work than
tho certificates show was not In the conte1np,a-
ton OF the parties nor within the terms Oh the
The schedule of prices fixed for extra work
n hGT TeEuiar eo SEmpase shows %1ss t Rr,tg tSS GH interests tiS NSE Of
the State are not protected In special agree
mGnnts where there c1n be no competitIon;
that IT was extra work. Usually this has bcen
such extra work at cost, with 10 per cent, allow
ance for profit.
MONEY IMPROPERLY EXPENDED.
The contract price. on contract 4 Middle d..
$5S1, S7SI05. This contract required special
study before letting. but 4 was treated as II IL
pc mitted to so prosecute the work as to involve
great increase OF cost, Within three months
The work was practically lost sight Of, and, car
ance OF claims Tor extras. until II ended in sur
rendering the work to the control 81 the super per
account agreement. This seems to, be, a case
whore the contract, having been practically null
nlpu, HnOulu DnNe DCtn UbTulnuIeu,
The commission fX the amount Of moneyim;
properly expended In the manner pointed out
at not less than $1,0O0,OoO.
WORK FOREIGN TO THE IMPROVEMENT.
On contract 3, Western division, elaborate
plans were made, involving an expense OF about
800, " for the benefit OF the milling industry
Of Loekport. In the city Of Syracuse the super,
expense Of about $23.SI0 Tor reclalming waste
land for u State shop. He also required 9 ditch
Neither of these had any relation to the I'M
provement.. The Superintendent has been &C
Vowed in the Improvement or not. For the
most part they were not provided iGr m the moe eav
which was devoted to another purpose.
PROPORTION OF WORE INCLUDED IN CONTRACTS.
There has been expended Upon the contracts
awarded the approximate amount OF Si.SSl,-
Q24.36 estimated TO complete the same, ST
done and to bo donel OF 81 ,409.52f.36. These
figures do not include administration ex-
The cost OF the work included In contracts
let Is 5S.5 per cent. of the whole. but as the
the cost Of work done to the total cost OF the
improvement is 36.6 per cent.
MONEY NEEDED TO COMPLETE IMPROVEMENT.
The commission find that the completion Of
The Improvement Td tspi MI Ills S9S 81 net n9St to exceed ns Sd S;
for engineering and administration This esti-
mate includes work not contemplated by the
bO.OuO,OOO uCl. VIZ. Il az IL
and Lockport, and radical changes at Newark
and Little Fails, and the restoration ot struc-
sepes WIZ" II ths sr observation-disclosures rsnGat9 dGsftiHlnu OF the st comm tHn
sion. that the pneumatic locks at Lockport and
Cohoes be omitted, be followed. the estimate
will be reduced by the cost Of the locks.
The estimate OF the commission is qualified
by the statement OF their belief, that with
proper preparatory survey work and the adop-
ton Of the suggestions made by the commits
siop and their ed Sc engineers the Y work r IL can aI be lone
to changing the location. ofthe canals at certain
e SSse1 Wilf Ps Be f farsher dimi Ry faS h1 qfhs ssti@s sRe
h now . INCL includes Sd.sSsr nothing 9TH bg5r for aaRF4poropriatins
iaf The s0F co opEa1i StaRs e Sfq eSFr3 the p opiinlon that
doing work which should have been performed
under ordinary repairs has consumed not less
than a million and a half dollars OF the money
The estimate Of the cost OF his Improvement.
tional Convention. was $I1. 1874 900. It was
little more than g guess, as 1t was based on no
IN the aet 1919 %foIlow hns t a@0 eons 81 ssio3S,ipS Sn enSa
s~ultation between the State Engineer and the
based on any definite estimate, but upon a hope
that. emitting 81 mia6g all ir work not not absolutely n ne tho
saTGe y %l imprS SgtnsSi ia as fEo ossfI S9st co oh sne
Newark. and Little Falls was not considered.
MATTERS OF GENERAL
The commission call attention to the follow
ing subjects and make the following recon-
first-That the duties OF the State Engineer
and Surveyor are too numerous and onerous
for the force allowed that department.
management Of canal Improvement, the Super
intendent Of Public Works and the State EnRl-
and functions so interviewer that it is
difficult to fix responsibility In case Of negli-
.terieres with the proper execution Of the work
and is productive OF conflicting directions from
the tive depaFrtments; The reSc9mmendatio9 is
either one department or the other.
Third-That the Improvement be continued
without interruption 10 completion. and that 1t
be accompanied by q moro accurate study Of
lions upon the lines pointed out by the engi-
neers OF the commission. Mr.. Cooley and Mr..
~Fourth-That individuals are permitted to
use canal water for power purposes without
compensation, They recommend that no water
be taken which. may be necessary for naYiRa-
tton, and that where there is u surplus 1t be not
taken without COMPENSATION,
Fifth-The lands owned by the Eblte alonRthe
canal are incroached upon by private lndIvid-
nals. who occupy the same without compensa-
tion t. the state: In such a way that their in
State in Improving the canal and ia supporting
the banks TO sustain their weight. and in occa-
sixth-ThGt many sewers emnty into the ca
nal nsao II e shes,lj ara ha I'M t eoGotm N that this
seventh-They call attention to the suGges-
tions m ade by the COMMISSIONS engineers
EiRhth-They recommend that the proposed
pneumatic locks at lOcknort und Cohoes be not
stalled at Newark. where the conditions favor
the experiment.
Sinth-ThAt the re%alignment OF the canal at
Newark. suggested by the State Engineer. be
authorized.
Tenth-That the plan suggested by the COM
mlssion's engineers Of abandoning the canal
near Crescent and building IA new canal To the
Waterford sidecut. there to enter the Hudson
River. thus dispensing with the sixteen locks
at Cohoes. and II advisable the presentcanal be-
Crescent, receive careful consideration af-
ter the work OF deepening the canal Is COM
pleted.
=. Eeventh-That tho plan OF dropping out q
lock at Little Falls suggested by the State En-
point only such deepening be done as can b0
advantageously, and the locks not improved for
the present. After the plan OF Improvement Ia
completion experience and further
study OF the question will show what Is best to
be done.
ADVANTAGES OF IMPROVEMENT.
The, commission earnestly call attention to
the advantages Of the Improvement, p6intin3
that the work already done has greatly
facilitated the movement OF canalboats. and
urge that the Improvement Of the canal, upon