New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-22
pLRLL( 4NU PHLIlTE IORh.

Canal affairs in general and The uncomplcied
Improvement in particular are sure Ia engage
the attention II the Legislature al its next SOS
son. whatever the political composition of that
body NAV be: and it Will he strange if they do
not become the subject of a notable and far
reaching controversy covering their history.
their present condition and their probable part
i'm the tran spOriation business OF future years
There j. no present indication Of "A popular de-
sire to provide the millions of dollars declared
10 be necessary for the completion OF The JOB
which the ninc-millon dollar appropriation has
less than half finished. and II is doubtful II the
Legislature will seek 10 encourage such an out
lay next winter However reasonable the argu-
nicnl> in favor of going on with work which
can scarcely fail 20 suffer through delay. II viii
probably be- deemed wise 10 give the taxpayers
some time longer for delbcra,ion
There is. however. one important point rclat-
ing 10 canal administration which the Legislal-
ure ought TO take up promptly and should be-
able 10 settle 10 the advantage Of the state
through the initiation OF "A radical reform. We
refer 10 the dual system upon which both the
engineers, report 10 the Commission and the
Commissions report 10 the Governor dwell
with special emphasis The latter says:
where work is 20 be done is inherently vicious
The respo lsbty is thrown upon two depart
mentS those # the Superintendent or Public
Works and the State Engineer and Surveyor
These departments have separate functions to
perform. bat they are so interviewer that II is
extremely difficult to fix responsibility in case Of
negligence or wrong doing: and In addition the
system necessarily interferes with the proper
execution Of any work which Is TO be performed
upon the canals.
The Commission proceeds to recommend that
either The Superintendent of Public Works or
the State Engineer and Surveyor be invested
with full power and the necessary resources 10
direct and perform all of the canal work; the
latter alternative as the Commission puts the
case involving the abolition of the Department
of Public Works, and the former duplication Of
the engineering force 10 Il large extent and
much additional expense The Commission
does not explicitly express. but in the last sen
tcnce seems clearly to indicate. its preference
as between these two courses. This is suita-
BILE question for discussion, and 1t is not too
early for those who are expecting 10 influence
or 70 participate in next winters legislation to
onsider the matter
1t Is not probable that this system Of dual
responsibility which. as the engineers show.
frequently expands into multiple systcm-was
devised for the purpose Of complicating the adj
ministration Of the canals setting the two de-
partments at cross purposes, giving each favor
able opportunities to cultivate It's own interests.
relieving each from legal accountability and
putting the State at a continual disadvantage AZ
compared with private corporations and indl-
viduals having large enterprises on hand. But
such ara unquestionably its consequences. 1t Is
essentially absurd that the business Of the peo-
pie should be done In such a fashion. and be-
cause the evil Is easily durable. and would be
cured II private instead OF public interests were
at stake, IL Is not more absurd than II Is outra-
geous. As We have already remarked in con
nection with the subject OF public improvements
In this city. TIE operations Of the Metropolitan
Traction Company In Sixth-ave afford an i'm
pressive and at the same time a humiliating ex-
ample of the way in which great private inter
ests may be served since by contrast 1t illus
trates anew the manner in which the general
welfare is habtually neglected. There Is no
conceivable reason, excepting only the prevail
ing lack of public care among public servants,
why the business Of the State and Of every
community should not be done with the skili