New-York tribune., 1901-03-31
TO IMPROVE THE CANALS.
raprr BILLS MAY GO TO THE LEGls-
LATURE on TUESDAY.

Albany March 30 C6pecial.-Governor odell
a, re.oi,,tely pushing forward his plan OF con-
,t,u,nr the work Of canal Improvement iHfee
hills for the further Improvement OF the cAi4ais
q the State have been prepared at his susees
inn and possibly all Of them VIII be sunhll''eu
40 the legislature Tuesday next hach one
involves a proposition for the Improvement OF
she canals which may be submitted to the voters
% ,he nolls this fall These bills have been
drawn Nd by State Engineer Bond ana Colonei
John \. Partridge the Superintendent OF Public
works while Attorney-General Davies has at
tended 20 the wording and constitutional feat
,,res Of the measures Under one bill propo-
sjtion 10 expend sl9 797 s2s. or SO 1921 II In
terest be added, for canal Improvement &. sug-
gested This proposition would be submitted
10 voters at the fall election. II would provide
fer the completion OF the 100000 plan OF i'm
provement, which was begun. but not finished, in
1896 and 1897 the 100000 being exhausted.
The plan provided that the Erie and the oswego
canals should have a depth of nine feet. except
in the case OF aqueducts and culverts, where the
depth would be only eight feet.
The second bill provides for the deepening Of
the Erie and Oswego canals TO a uniform depth
of nine feet and the lengthening OF one tier Of
locks so 10 accommodate two boats Of 125 feet
sn length. and the other tier OF locks as to ac
canal boat men could thus run three boats to-
gether. two canal boats and a steamer. for in
stance. Under this plan of Improvement s25,-
100000 or So, 600 900 If the interest be added.
would be expended. This proposition may be
submitted the voters at the fall election il the
others fail 10 meet with the approval of the
legislature
The third bin is similar TO the second, except
that II adds to the improvements the abandon
ment OF the sixteen locks the Erie Canal at
Cohoes, and change Of the route OF the Erie
Canal from Rexford Flats eastward. Then only
three locks would be necessary. Under this plan
S2s 100000 or $50 100000 If interest be included,
would be needed. The bill provides for the sub
mission Of the proposition TO the voters.
The bill in relation TO the first plan under
which S25.0U0.0O0 would be expended, follows
generally the lines of the bill of 1895. which
provided for the submission of the proposition
10 expend S9O000OO for the Improvement Of the
canal system, and the supplementary bill OF
1896. which provided for the expenditure or
the money voted by the taxpayers at the cleo
tion in the fall OF 1895
In addition TO these provisions others have
been added for the protection of the State in the
matter Of reclassification OF eXcaVated material
and in every other way until il is believed that
the contract drawn under this act viii be too
comprehensive for any contractor TO get in any
extensive bill for extra pay. The improvement
called for by the bin follows closely the recon-
mendatiOns OF Governor Odell in his special
message on canals which were for q 3-foot
ditch on the Erie and 1-foot ditch on the
Champlain Canal, the whole improvement, with
interest charges and all. 10 cost about s2O'
100000
The three measures will be submitted to At
torney-General Davies on Monday. for him 10
make a final examination of them TO determine
their constitutiOnaiity. II is not probable that
more than one Of the propositions TO improve the
canals mentioned will come before the voters
this fall