New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-05
THE CANAL INVESTIGATION
FINDINGS OF COMMISSION.
.nsrpAcr OF THE REPORT PRESENTED
TO THE GOVERNOR.
RrsPoNsIDuIrYs DIVIDED BETWEEN
vxc,xrrR AND SUPERINTENDENT OF rp'i-''
wouks-A MILLION DOLLARS wAS'A
COMPLETION OF WORK
RECOMMENDED
RECOMMENDED.

.. ~. Cana, Investigation Comm''
.Hr heei,s nv describing rs organ'A"IN"
work which included inspection Oh -, ., Wit
n.nt work and an exhaustive
nesses. ...rr,ed TO report
the eohnni.sso o",ora,e,v ror to describe every
W. :. ,r,.orIar,ty and abuse olsco'eio"' "'
-, n certainty the amounts " "'"'N'
.n,...d hrt has reported genera"y W." 80" ~
n,ovemant ms Il whole. ire repo'' ', ~
o,cst,on az official rcsponSloii.S' -,
Sm,,~ conclusion: The State Engineer Is fesP'i'
iono"'ns SUMMARY surveys the plans. speci-
sa,,o,s and estimates OF quantities. Inc Candi
80 &, -as,orsiSle for ;heir approval; ana inc
c,nc-,n,enaent OF Public Works mas eo"'roi oNei
Them by means OF his power 10 'ei"'V " ~
contracts thereon. The superintendent IL resPo"-
.h,. for making the contracts. Including adver'is-
,rr ,be exercise OF his power to cancel bios. the
- -, contracts 10 be let. and the distrlhu-
zion NJ tbe work along the line OF the canal Inc
sunerintenlcnt Of Public Works is the executive
orcar responsible for the performance OF the
work bat re is compelled 20 rely upon the state
Engineer for the measurement Of quantities and
o,g,,aer,nr For this rhe State Engineer Is
oerors,ble. but This responsibility Is shared by
The superintendent Of Public Works. because such
,oessureuents are not effective unless followed by
nayment which he has the power to make OF with
hold The Superintendents power Is exercised
through his inspectors, and he Is responsible for
could nave been discovered by proper inspection
NATURE OF THE IMPROVEMENT.
TIE nature OF the improvement Is attaining a
depth Of nine feet OF water in the Erie and oswego
canals seven feet in the Champlaln Canal. ana
;engthening and improving locks.
For the purpose OF the improvement the canal
which is permanently divided into three divisions.
was subdivided into one hundred and twenty-slx
contracts. OF these seventy-three only have been
le; The total mileage of the work practically
completed is S5 7os the total mileage OF the work
let and uncompleted. 2H76. and the total mileage
OF the work for which contracts have not been
LEI Is lA.1I
The quality Of the work Of the contractors Is
found 70 be generally good and an Improvement
upon tina, heretofore done on the canal
The work on the Erie Canal has been let con-
tinuousy from Lake Erie TO Macedon Except the
Lockport ocks). 1855 miles: from the eastery line
OF Wayne County TO Little Falls. 1l625 miles; from
Mindenville 10 Fort Plain. 7.S miles; from Fort
Hunter TO lock %. 1924 miles: from bridge IS to
lock 49, at Schenectady, and about nine miles west
OF Cohoes s4 miles: on the Champlain Canal from
the Waterford side-cut Mechanicvie. 50s5 miles;
and from Fort Edward TO Whitehall AOS miles
Most Of the work on the Oswego Canal consists in
raising dams Annexed to the report is tabulated
statement OF the contracts let. giving the names OF
the contractors. prices. and other information
suflcient notice OF letting the contracts was
given and a number OF bids received on each, puI
the bids were not made public when opened, as
they should have been. There were delays In
awarding the contracts which are dsapproved
In letting the contracts the law was formally COM
piled with except that contracts were not executed
in triplicate.
The arrangement Of the quantity sheets was
such that the contracts although let to the lowest
bidders thereon, IN many cases not let TO
the lowest bidders had their prices been computed
upon the work actually done
The Commission reports that contract No 8, on
me Champlain Canal. should not have been
awarded as tire bid unbalanced on its face.