New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-08
ECATUPES or THE CANAL JOB.


The Canal Commission reports as follows
concerning one detail of the job which it has
Investigated:
ON January l. 1895. account Of a change
IN the administration of the city government or
Rochester many employees lost their places or
these ten or fifteen were appointed inspectors
on the canal work without Civil Service exam
ination. The evidence shows that 1t must nave
been known at the time Of their appointment
that some Of these temporary appointees were
not competent to properly discharge the duties
OF inspectors. and II follows that the money
paid for their services not properly expend-
ed The position of inspector on work of this
character carries with ii important RESPONSE
bilities. The character. and in certain cases the
ofdality. of the work done depends upon the
manner in which the inspectors discharge their
duties. The pay which they receive Is sufhclent
to secure the services of men well qualified to
perform their duties: yet the evidence Indicates
that competency not made the test IN Sc
lecting inspectors not appointed from the civil
Service list.
Such are the terms of judicial moderation in
which the Commission describes a rank abuse
of power The Commissions report has been
criticised as lacking in vigor Of expression but
II appears to us that other manner could
have more impressively depicted the conditions
uncovered or on the whole. been so we'll suit
ed TO the purpose of this grave inquiry. Epi-
thets were unnecessary and would have been
ont of place. and the lack Of ntensives only
adds strength 10 the verdict The evidence
shows that the incompetence of certain inspect
ors was known known TO whom: Not alone
tn some serviceable agent who sorry that
they had lost their Jobs in the city government
of Rochester but also TO the official who ap'
nointed Them What does their appointment
show as TO his conception of the great respon
slbilities with which he had been charged!
Simply this. of course that the interests OF the
people in connection with an immensely i'm
portant and costly undertaking were sec
opdary consideration in his mind lie was
aware that these inspectors were incompetent
TO perform duties which he knew to be serious
and exacting. Therefore IL must follow that
be was willing TO have the State swindled
politician who had lost his place was more &c
him than the taxpayers who were paying bis
own salary and dependent for their protection
against ignorance and rascality upon his faith
fulness.
This Is only one illustration OF the reckless
ness with which private interests were pre-
ferred TO the public welfare in the management
Of the canal improvement. Other examples are
visible in virtually every feature of the work
In advertising. in classification OF material &c
be excavated. in at least one fagrantly unbal
anccd bid in the free gift TO contractors OF valu
able material belonging to the State In allow
ances for extra work, in the extension OF the
time for the completion Of contracts, In the
operations for supplying power to industrial
plan,s at Lockport In the substitution Of Gin
ders for gravel in the lining of slope walls. ant
In \ multitude Of details Of similar character
The work throughout was done in manner il
which no private individual would dream
permitting his own work TO be done. That Il
the main default-a low conception OF duty Il
the State. constant willingness and fire
ouent desire to serve interests antagonistic t
the interests Of the people The experience j
no novelty. This Is the way in which larg
part Of the common business Is transacted.
this case the scale is unusually large, and 81
II Is distinguished. as the building OF the new
Capitol was, from the general run OF pubh
operations 1t is the prevalent indifference
the people which renders such abuses on an!
~--le feasible, and almost imparts ludicrou