Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-04-12
iAXPAYERSPROTEST
Proposed $26,OOO,OOO Canal
Expenditure Opposed.
ADVOCATES OF THE ELL ARR Aligned
Measure Brought Before the Legis-
Iature by Illegal and Unjust
Means-OppOnents De-
sire to lie Heard.

ALBANY, April "a protest against
the proposed expenditure of S26, 900, 900
for canal improvement work was submit
ted last night to the senate and assembly
1t was signed by Elliot b. Norris, master
of the New York state grange, Patrons
of Husbandry; James Ward, president of
the New York state farmers congress,
and John |. Plat, secretary of the New
York State Tax and Transportation Re
form association. The protest is as fol-
lows:
"The undersigned, representing impor
tant organizations of the farmers and
taxpayers of the state, respectfully re-
monstrate against the proposed bill for
the expenditure of S26GoO.OOO in the en-
largement of the canals without first af
fording an adequate and proper hearing
to those who believe that such action
will be unwise and detrimental to the in
terests of the state and especially to its
agricultural interests.
1--WE respectfully represent that during
the last three years the advocates of ca
nal enlargement have practically used the
official power of the state to create public
sentiment in favor of the expenditure
The commission appointed by Governor
| Roosevelt. after expanding several thou
| sand dollars. taken from the treasury,
| brought in report consisting exclusively
of arguments upon that side which, we
regret to be compelled to say, were based
upon statements and figures which after
| consideration were shown to be absolute
| " false The tables contained in that
report are so erroneous that they are en-
tirely unreliable, and the conclusion based
upon them is misleading and untrue. The
| last legislature appropriated 100000 for
a continuance of the same process. The
| advocates of canal enlargement have had
the ear of the state government, and the
representatives have been paid out of the
state treasury. On the other hand. there
is very large and respec-a BILE body of
citizens who believe that further money
spent upon the canals will be utterly
wasted and who have had no hearing at
all. We claim that these parties which
we in part represent are entitled to be
heard
I'VE further call your attention to the
unjust and, as we believe, illegal manner
in which this bill has been brought before
your honorable body The act OF last
year authorizing further surveys directed
the state engineer to report the result of
his action to the governor before Jan. l
The governor was directed to transmit
Jan. II. The purpose of these condition,
was evidently to afford all parties full
Knowledge of the conclusions reached and
an opportunity for full and fair discus
sion of the propositions based upon them
Instead of obeying this mandate the fna
report of the state engineer was not made
until Feb. 20 and was not transmitted
until March II. The bill itself was in
tioduced on Thursday last. 1t is printed
and on your file for the first time today.
I'VE therefore respectfully ask the hon
: orablc senate to make such order as shall
refer this bill to committee with direc
tons to grant sufficient hearing to al
parties interested in and affected by it
And we respectfully ask the honorable as
sembly to take such notice of the condi
tons hcrcinbcfore named as will assure
us an ample and unrestricted hearing be
fore the committee to which it has al
ready been referred"