New-York tribune., 1903-01-08

should
that will hold the supremacy of which we are eau al
Justly proud. hope that the conclusion Feacnen
may be supported by data and hguses .nae
there shall be no dissent from the deductons
which are thus arrived at, and that the people
may be put in possession OF every oetal that
is necessary enable them to speedily pass upon
and express their approval or disappreVhl Oh tue
plans to be submitted.
In my last message / advocated the deepening
of the canals to a nine-foot level with locks ca
pable and large enough to proVide for one
thousand ton barge tonnage 10 this supse
9uenan na 4he bamnain canals should be
equally enlarged. This proposed measure ialiea
of passage, am convinced. because OF an hohss. a
belief upon the part of many members ol lis
legislature that the plan proposed was haoer
quate to meet the requirements OF commerce.
AT the time of the submission of the nine miiion
dollar pIan II was generally conceded by those
interested in canal traffic that a nine Ioot eamal
would be adequate to meet ali denlanos. Ine
failure of that to complete the llnproVe-
ments led to the appointment of commission
by my predecessor, which commission suphlLtea
a plan for the thousand ton barge canai, anu 70
that nroieet the commercial bodies of New york
and Buffalo stand committed In the peiiei that
no other remedy will produce the desired results,
while the interior cities and others VINO are AZ
fected are as earnest in their opposition tc the
larger plan, and as firmly convinced that
canal completed along the plan of the nine foot
level will be sufficient for all requirements
Therefore the friends of the canal, while uHiteo
in the greater cities, are at ODDS IN other sec
tions of the State the amount or eXpenol-
ture which the commonwealth should authorize
for the completion of this important work 90
1 had thought that the route known as the os-
wego Ontario and Olcott, at a much less cost
would be sufficient for all purposes aho wouiq
secure the result desired much more speedily
than the se-called interior route Those VINO
have given the Lake Ontario, OsWeso and oleott
plan study are firmly convinced however, mat
it is inpracticable, and that at the time when
the canal traffic would be at its heaviest II
would be impossible because of adverse ~lnds
and dangers of navigation. So we are fofced
to the conclusion that the only practical route
for canal traffic for thousand ton barge would
be along the more expensive line wlich can ohiy
be built at a cost under the State Engineers
estimate, and assuming that the bonds were loi
ty & Ssaas M and a ths ana ID interest hs
plan only contemplates the deepening or the
Champlain canal to seven feet but the adVo-
Gates of canal improvement now desire that IL
should also be deepened to twelve foot deNel
which would increase the cost to s-loVuuuoo
1t is well known that no great undertaking or
this character ever was completed within the
engineers estimate, but owing to increase IN the
cost of labor and material there should be a fae-
which would make probable ultimate cost for
construction of over 1855, 100000 in principal
and interest from which should be deducted the
interest of the sinking fund.
THE ALTERNATIVE CANAL PLAN.
Suggestions have been made, and it s but fair
that they should be presented to you, that II the
canal were enlarged to a nine foot Level ana ey
the use of the water powers of the state ana
by the Introduction of electric motors tnat hot
only the same object could be accomplished, out
that sufficient revenue could be derived from
the sale of power to almost maintain the canal
The cost of electric equipment and preVlding
water power would be much less than under
the thousand ton plan, and perhaps would ac-
connpIish the same results. If this be feasible
I am sure that all who are interested in the wei
fare of the canals would be glad to give II con
sideration. If this plan should be adopted the
canal could be constructed within two or three
years and the constant withdrawal Of commerce
could be checked much more rapidly than under
the thousand M ton pa barge pa ana II The
former would require an amendment III IL
should be deemed wise to select the thousand
ton barge plan IL could be submitted 10 tue
people this fall under the eighteen year bonding
clause of the constitution, and no work per-
formed until the adoption of a constitutional
amendment extending the time Of payment IN
the event of refusal by the people to SO amend
Section of Article VII under the same section.
the legislature can repeal or render imperative
the expenditures authorized and thus safeguard
against excessive taxation, which would be re-
quired fer the Improvement. In the event OF
the thousand ton barge plan being authorized l
would recommend the adoption OF q concurrent
resolution providing for the reimpositfon OF Inn
tied tolls. which would perhaps produce revenue
enough to provide for the maintenance OF the
canal, believing that the lowering of the freight
rates would be so great that foliage could DE
easily met without interfering with the results
which 1t is hoped to accomplish under this plan
The money for payment of principal and interest,"
of the debt could be met by a dividend tax upon
the capital stock of manufacturing corporations,
which would produce about S2,40O.oOO, and by
notifications of existing revenue laws by
slightly increasing the rates affecting others
than corpora tions. But as 1t is not necessary
to provide this revenue until the plan shaii De
approved by the people, there is no immediate
necessity for the consideration of this part of
the problem other than the adoption of reso-
luton for the reimpositton of tolls, which must
be by constitutional enactment.
CARE OF INSANE WARDS
Important changes We're made at the last ses-
sion of the legislature in the law relative TO the
institutions for the insane, wh1ch were, nrst
the substitution of boards of visitors for the old
boards of managers second, the centrallzatloh
0f all Commission
details of management as heretofore being left
with the superintendent.
The changes made in the government of the
charitable institution: of the State were the
creation of office known the fiscal
supervisor whose duty it should be to fnvesti-
gate and supervise all financial transactions of
this department, the management being left in
the boards of managers as heretofore: second,
the creation of commission consisting OF the
Governor the State Controller and the president
of the State Board of Charities, whose approval
should be necessary to all plans and speeifica-
tiens for new buildings or additions.
In the administration of this important part or
the State work above everything is to be con-
sidered the physical and medical treatment and
care of its wards. No change would nor should
meet with approval that sought to effect eeono-
mics al the expense of the health or the comfort
of the inmates of our institutions. Too much
sentiment however, Is as undesirable too
much economy. but there can be a happy me-
dunn which will be satisfactory to those inter-
ested in charitable work and who regard any
innovation with distFust and disfavor, as we'll
as to those who believe that the administration
of all of the State departments should be upon
strict business lines
Some features of the administration of the De-
pertment of Lunacy have always been unde-
sirable. and extrava sances existed which did
the patients good and which accomplished
nothing in the direction of cures Il was TO cor
rect this that the amendments TO the laws were
recommended The wisdom of these changes
has been shown by the results produced A
more liberal allowance in measuring accommo-
datiohs has been adopted than heretofore; an
extension Of the system of joint purchases has
d1Tir1 hi iln