Evening journal., 1898-10-10
MR.. ADAMS DEFENSE
State Engineer Answers Ca
nal Commissions Charges.
SAYS THERE HAS BEEN NO FRAUD.
Explanation of the Inadequate ESti-
mate of Money Required For the
work and the Million Alleged
10 Have Been improperly Used.

ALBANY. Oct 1o.-state Engineer
Adams has presented toGovernor Black
statement concerning the features Of
the report Of the canal Investigating
commission which seem to reflect on his
department lie says the report lis
cruelty unjust, unfair and unwarranted
under the circumstances"
The statement discusses the prelimi-
nary steps taken for the canal improve
ment work beginning with the agita-
tion Of the subject in the constitutional
convention of 1894, and calls attention
to the estimates given to the cOnven-
tion, showing that Of the state engineer
60 have been 81, ,573, 900 and that he told
the convention in his report that he
had no data TO work on. and that his
estimate should be treated only as a
rough approximation.
He also quotes the language OF part
of Ex-Superintendent of Public Works
Hannans report prepared by Ex-state
Engineer Schenck for the convention.
showing that the latter's estimate OF
S9,456,O00 was not intended TO cover the
rebuilding of any of the walls as IL was
believed that the deepening could be
done 80 as not to trip or disturb the
existing walls"
The commission says that the So
100000 finally appropriated was fixed
after consultation with the state en-
gineer, but the latter refutes this state
ment and claims that he was never con-
suited either as TO the amount of the
appropriation or the terms OF the law
charging him with such enormous re-
sponsibilites.
The statement recites the steps taken
for the organization Of the engineering
department for the work in hand. The
surveys were. started within As hours
after the funds were available, and
the entire 454 miles was put under
survey Immediately I'm the expectation
OF finishing all OF the field work during
the following spring Of 1897. 1t was ex-
pected that all the estimates would be
ready during the summer of 1897 so
that large part of the work could be
contracted for and started during the
winter of 1897. This, however, was
found to be impossible OF accomplish
ment because OF the severe winter
weather and the lack Of experience Of
some Of the men. Concerning this fea-
ture the statement says, "As the law
prevented the selection of engineers Of
known skill and ability and confined
civil service lists there was no alter
native but to proceed and do the work
that could be done under the clrcum-
stances" Barring the one feature Of
experience. and that does not apply to
all the men, they We're unquestionably
equal In personnel to any corps OF equal
size ever organized and In this the COM
mission agrees. That there would be
some weak spots In such q force was
reasonable TO expect and that they
would leave their impression on the
work was equally to be expected.
The law prescribes that such cases
can only be cured by the substitution OF
equally untried and unknown men and
bars the appointment of men OF known
attainments.
The state engineer planned to have
all the estimates available before con-
tracing for any OF the work, so that
each step thereafter could be taken in
telligently and with n knowledge Of
what the total cost ought TO be, but he
says: "The estimates for the compile
tlon OF the greater portion OF the work
were not available until late in the fall
OF 1896. and detailed estimates of the
cost OF each and every contract were
not available until November, 1897. at
which time the information was given
TO the public In a letter TO the so called
executive canal committee representing
the chambers OF commerce and boards
OF trade of the principal towns and
cities OF the state. This committee was
responsible for the preparation Of the
improvement law and the fixing OF the
appropriation therefor at S9, 1000. 900. In
that decision the canal officials had no
part whatever. The charge has repeat
edly been made that the information
afforded by the 1895 estimate was pur-
posely suppressed. That is not true.
Those estimates. which by the way were
not complete. indicated that the cost OF
the work would be in the neighborhood
OF S15.000000 IL was believed at the
time that great deal OF work was in
cluded in these estimates which, though
badly needed, could possibly be held for
future appropriations. The estimates
were therefore returned to the division
engineers. with instructions to elimi-
nate therefrom everything which could
in their judgment be so held or which
by any process could be avoided. 1t
was hoped that this process would re-
duce the total estimate TO So 900 600 or
less. The commissioners statement that
the state engineer directed the cutting
out OF arbitrary quantities toward this
end IS not according TO the facts. IL
was expected and requested simply and
only that the division. resident and as
sistant engineers would go over their
work again, examine it with great care,
consult the state engineer when neces-
sary and eliminate every unnecessary
item or quantity.
"This was done. and the effort wac a
conscientious one, and though il failed
Il has never yet been shown how the
state or any one suffered thereby ex-
cept in disappointment. Any business
man undertaking the same work indi-
vidually would have pursued exactly
the same course. When a man starts Il
build house. for instance. and finds
after completing his plans that the es.
timated cost is greater than he expecta<
or exceeds the sum he had available foi
the work, does he usually wait until
he has earned more money or does h,
modify his plans? Perhaps II woulC
have been better 20 have told the peo
pie through the newspapers that tn,
1896 estimate indicated that $4,000 o0l
would not suffice for the work II prob
ably would not have ACCOMPLISHED an,