New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-20
WELL WITHIN THE LIMIT.

strong indications are supplied by the bids on
tho six fest contracts that the l.0o0ton barge
canal ran he constructed for q sum well WITHIN
The SOL 600 900 appropriated to that object ny
the consent of the people. This confirmation OF
the care and good faith with when me esq
mates were made must he exceedingly gfau-
fyinc TO those who made them ana to the au'
visory board of eminent engineers by whom they
were verified. as it is to the taxpayers 1t will
be remembered that the total amount to when
the surveys and calculations originally pointed
as the nrohahle cost of the work WAS less by n
good many millions than the amount which the
people finally agreed to spend. SO strong. how
ever. was the determination that no mistake
should be made through which the state might
be involved i'm a far larger expenditure than 1t
meant to sanction thai the figures were gone
over again. with the result of bringing up the
estimated cost TO S101 100000. But that increase
was in a sense arbitrary. being concession to
the public and official demand for an outside
figure rather than a deliberate expression OF
expert opinion.
Nevertheless opponents of the 1,0eU-ton barge
canal earnestly contended throughout the cam
paign of last year that the estimate was I'M
trustworthy and that there was good reason to
suppose a far larger sum would be required.
Some of those who urged this objection were
doubtless perfectly sincere. while others per
haps considered the argument politically legiti-
mate whether it was intrinscally valid or not.
But the people were inclined 70 trust the evil
dence of honest surveys and the testimony of
men like Professor Burr and the late George S.
Morrison, who spoke in high praise of the skill,
the assduous care and the integrity with which
the work had been done There is now fair
prospect that their confidence will be fully
justified. The Albany dispatches reporting the
results of the bidding say that parts of the
work included in the six test contracts presented
features which led them to fear high estimates
by contractors. But, matter of fact, while
the total of the engineers estimates on these
six contracts was s5o1s.537 the total of the low
bids is only S4.242.6 $40 That handsome saving
Of 1916 per cent is justly regarded as a favor
able sign and seems to warrant an expectation
that the total cost of the canal enlargement will
come nearer to the original estimate than TO the
final allowance.
OF course. a cheerful augury of that sort is
based on the assumption that in the prosecution
of the work from the first stage to the last
high standard OF official capacity and honesty
and strict compliance with the stipulations of
every contract will be enforced. But there is
no present reason to doubt that this essential
condition of success will be fulfilled Compe-
tent and disinterested judges, who are familiar
with the opportunities which large enterprises
loosely managed offer to INSCRIPTIONS men have
repeatedly expressed the belief that this under
taking is remarkably we'll protected under the
terms of the act. When to that is added the as
surance of constant watchfulness on the part
of a faithful and capable administration at Al
hany. it seems safe TO assume that there will he
neither scandal nor disappointment at least for
two years to come The public is to be congratu-
lated on the fair beginning of a work which. if
it is carried on and completed I'm creditable
manner. will confer enormous benefits upon the
State Of New-York and contribute in a CORE
spending degree 10 the prosperity of many other
States