The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-06

A BOTTOMLESS GULCH OF DE-
FICIT AND LOOT TO FILL.

~
November, 70 Say n the state Shall
Go On Canaiins at Double the Cost OF
Modern Transports on-Odell Machine
Gets the First Hack NJ the Graft.
Gov. Odell has promised to dispose OF
the Davis ,O0O-ton Barge Canal bill to-day.
That means that he will sign 1t. To bust
ness men whose counsel he used to take the
Governor has said that he can find no way
10 escape approving the bill. much as
he would like to. There has been. however,
no doubt as to the Governors action. The
temptation to put Si0i .e00,ooO OF public
money within the reach OF the officeseekers
and tho contract jobbers il truly irresistible.
The Governors signature leaves it to
the people to decide at the election next
November whether this great sum shall
be spent on a plan for the enlargement OF
the State canals. II the people vote FOR It,
the Odell administration will have the first
share In the expenditure OF the money.
Bonds are to be sold in issues OF $40 900
from time TO time as the work demands
The Superintendent Of Public Works. an
appointee Of the Governor; the canal board.
made up Of the State officers dominated
by the Governor, and an advisory hoard OF
five expert civil engineers, all chosen by the
Governor. will carry out the work. Tho
incoming of a new Governor and new State
officials in January. 1905, will mean a new
scheme. perhaps new apportionment OF
spoils.
The final figure put in the canal bill
si0l 600, OOO-is the highest guess that the
canal advocates dared to make. The esti-
mated cost has ranged from the SIS 900, 200
guess Of the Roosevelt Committee on Canals,
Of which Gen. Francis Ninton Greene was
chairman, to the sum now named In the
bill. State Engineer Bond, on whose report
the bill is based, is sure that The cost will
he SOL 900 600 And other engineers. who
know the range Of estimates on work OF this
kind, assert that no figure can he safely
named which will he within $4,000 QUO OF
the actual cost II the full plan be carried
out.
An engineering estimate Of SOL 900 900
is based on the theory Of the expenditure
of that money honestly for honest work.
No allowance is made for money wasted
or corruptly spent or for work badly done
and lavishly paid for and then done over
again. The experience OF the State with
the 5000 900 canal improvement, to 60 no
further into the history OF canal moneys,
might suggest that the engineers should
consider the percentage OF loot.
II the barge canal scheme, honestly exc
cuted, will cost Siol 100000, how much will
il cost the State to carry II out under at
e least three changing State administrations
OF practical politicians Of both parties?
Is there a spokesman. a placeseeker, a
greedy contractor or political boss who
will not vote for the l.ooo-ton barge canal
proposition?
II IL one OF the best-preserved legends Of
the State that the canals built up the COM
mercial prosperity OF the State and the city
OF New York With that tradition lives the
fairy-like belief that the canal is essential
TO the commerce and progress OF New York.
The honest friends Of the canal admit to-day
that its navigation is Improbable. But
they say that II the State will provide an i'm
proved waterway at cost to itself OF el0l.-
1900 the boatmen will be able to employ
larger boats, to navigate them cheaper. to
carry freights at a lower rate, and. thus en-
tsring more largely into competition with
the railroads. will build up the commerce
OF the State and be Of great value to the city
share Of the cost.
The truth is that the canal does not pay
and cannot be made to pay. The money
which the people are asked to expend will
Of political economy contends for a public
ownership that cannot be made self-sus-
tanning. In the past twenty years the canals
have paid not a dollar into the treasury.
I.
n.n ooo raised nv taYation for their s,,nnort
and maintenance. The cost of the canals
IN that ner;od has been three times the sum
~ thar yross earninos The loss to the
STATE ba. been greater than n II had under
,aIen 10 nav the Railroads. their rates On all
the tr.ffic ~ the canals
n viii hardly be commanded that the
nurr.osa ~ tboss who planned the Erie Canal
pss 70 nrovids q free Wstervay acres
The State for the chesner transnortation
~ The nroducts ~ The West 1ba Pr;a
Ssnsi vas desicn.d n he a so,,rce ~ re venne
70 TIE Ststa Sincs The Tolls Were aboI;shed
~ IsSa the canal has been n source ~ rsv-
s,ne ~ the ~ -cailed eIevator I'm % ~ R,,s-
s.Io and Nev yorL Ovners ~ csnsibosts
hsys earned a small interest ON their in
rsstments. Small dealers alone the canal
,,ns hsvn RANGED in orocerise and mule
Ssed Tbe rest Of the PEOPLE of tia STATE
49, nad miiiions OF dollar annmalIv 10
- ths picturesoI,e canal driver and his
reu,ss
To an oontentjons that the canaIs rreat
,,.efuinesa has passed the canal advocste
snevars that The canais have not bean
lent I'm. IA savs that IL thew had been
nsinta{ned "A the railroads have heen