The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-27
NO CANAL CRAFT FOR oDBLL'
DrTsH WORSHIPPERS SOUND A
\EW But FALSE ALARM.



Whe the Davis Barge Canal law has
been printed at State expense many times
in many newspapers that are supporting
I'm, canal referendum, the New York Board
Of Trade and Transportation seems not
10 10 informed Of its provisions for II has
ser out 100000 appeals to voters which
a studded with untruths. One expects
q he told in such an appeal that New York s
rrae peril is the defeat OF the project
somehow one is not prepared to be told by
a Board of Trade" that New York's pros
perlty is balanced on a ditch which brought
to the city of New York last year a mere
handful Of freight compared with the 100,-
CO,OpO tons which were landed here by tho
railroads that cross New York along routes
that would make them competitors with
the canal if the canal we're rival.
With steamship and railroad companies,
Individuals and corporations bidding for
the wharfs, piers and docks in and about
New York and making long term contracts
at gradually increasing rentals one fnds
il hard to grasp the argument that unless
the people order a deeper ditch with no
change in methods Of transportation.
"a great shrinkage Of our manufactures
and commerce will follow. resulting in
loss of employment to our people and
in the probable diminution or destruction
OF the values OF property in this "a well
a. in the other cities OF the State
These speculations on the hOpelessness
the Board Of Trade and Transportation
has adopted. They merge into declara-
tons like this:
There can be no graft in the cOnst ruction
OF this Improvement. The bin. being the
product Of business men. is 80 safeguardsd
that il Is not possible TO spend one dollar
without the closest scrutiny by and consent
especially provided for and independent
OIL, the state oniSials, The present state
,ure OF the money.
No such guaranty exists In the law.
No provision OF the act can be stretched
10 such a construction. Here. from the
language OF the act itself. is every syllable
that it contains about the board OF ad-
visory engineers:
The Governor may employ at a compen-
AltIOn 10 be fixed by him. five expert civil
engineers, to act as an advisory board OF
consulting engineers. whose duty 1t shall
be TO advise the State Engineer and the Sn-
perintendent OF Public Works. to follow the
progress OF the work and from time to time
10 report thereon to the Governor, the State
Engineer and ,ha the Superintendent Of Public
deem proper and advisable.
Now, that's the board which the Board
u Trade and Transportation says must
consent to the spending of every dollar
Bill Devery may closely scrutinize
the work, IL he wants to. He has under
that act Just as much to say about the
letting Of contracts as the advisory board
will have, II there Ia one, and II the State
Engineer and the Superintendent OF Public
Works choose to ignore it. They are the
officials who may throw out bids, enter on
and suspend contracts, issue orders for
extra and unspeoihed work, and make the
estimates on which the contractors are
paid, The contractor who has the State
Engineer with him may fairly tell the five
experts to 20 bury Themselves in the Monte
yuma muck
When the trainers Of the bill were setting
up their safeguards why did they reject all
the recommendations OF the Roosevelt
Committee on Canals2 That group OF
canal men thought the State should be-
protected by a statutory limitation against
the extra and unspeoifled work" form
Of plunde,ing which would have made
to get $500 600 in "extras" on a $500 600
contract. The Legislature threw aside
these suggestions.
Gov. Odel may be pleased with the
argument Of the pro-canal people that the
money will not be spent by the Odell adj
ministration-but he knows better. Who
Is to appoint the board Of advisory en-
gineers? The Governor. Will the Gov
ernor wait fourteen months after the power
il in his hands without appointing this
board? Will he leave 1t to his successor
to pass out these fat plums, good for fifteen
years at q compensation az large as the
Governor chooses to make It?
One Of the things which the politicians
put in the canal act was provision that
go, 900 900 should be available at once,
ready to be- checked out as soon after cleo
ton as the Comptroller could prepare and
sell the bonds. In order that there might
be warrant in law for tackling this &c.
10000 at once before the spring primaries,
the law was worded thus
Within three months after issuing the
bonds or some part thereof the Superin-
,endent OF Public Works and the State En-
gneer are hereby directed to proceed to
improve the Erie Canal. the OsWego Canal
and the Champlain Canal in the manner
herainbelow provided.
No chance for graft in spending siOl,.
MOO, 900? Tho Odell administration to hold
lis hands behind it's back for fourteen
months when $4,000, 900 is actually thrust
upon it by the law
The man who can believe these things
can believe that New York city will fall
into decay and ruin unless the nine-foot
ditch is made into o twelve-foot ditch.
The man who has eyes and ears will
vote NO"