The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-01-02

kenerai way, 10 this extfaordinafy
situation, but b steps we're taken to
,correctr.it. Id appointing the new
'ch@ Snfineer LAST May, thsSohiy ef-
ficer the governor names, liwas care
ful to secure the Qualities required to
blaze the way for the reforms so
badly needed. Under my direction
he promptly set to work and soon
filed with the board official reports
which are embodied in his annual re-
port recently filed; They showed
with specific detoil how these funds
are wasted and worse. and recon-
mended reductions In employees and
other economies of the simplest char
acter which would effect an immedi-
ate saving OF s30,575 per year, not
counting what is lost through various
forms of graft and looseness Of all
kinds in administration.
No attention whatever was paid by
the board to these recommendations
in the interest OF economy. The speci-
fications of use of public property for
private profit, grating, etc, became
the subject of an investigation by the
attorney general of which no report
has yet been made. But, whatever
the technical legal aspect OF these
matters may be said to be. abundant
facts have been proved and confessed
to justify the engineers report and
require close scrutiny of the entire
department as well as its thorough
reorganization.
The reports and records Of the
board do not show, as they should,
summaries of the details given, but
| have secured them by Independent
expert examination of my own and
give them for your information.
Ordinary receipts. 1910. .s113,15l 80
Ordinary expenditures, 1910. :, 1880 20
Deficit ..............,....,. 39,66S 73
This deficit was mostly made, UP
from land sales. which that year
amounted to S35,e55.50.
The, amount so spent W mt for the
following purposes:
Salaries OF officers and fore
men ,...................,S bS,4lO W
men ...................... l5'3bb SV
.ase. e.. -
Total salaries and EXPENSES 7l.764 81
Wages Of laborers ............ 4S,47S "a
Material, etc. .........,,...... S2.bU o2
Total ....,................. .S152.S20 23
These figures speak for themselves.
The entire amount OF tolls received
during the year was only $2,551.92
The remainder of the receipts were
almost entirely for use of water and
land rentals payable at long fixed in
tervals. which could be readily col
lected by mailing bills from the Of
fee. Yet ~ collectors are paid an
nual salaries and expenses. So are
46 lock tenders, though very few
locks are In use.
In numerous cases foremen at year
ly salaries ranging from $50 to $65
per month had one, two or three men
under them and sometimes none at
all, and collectors salaries and ex-
penses came to more than their col
lections. Some of these men have so
little to do that they take outside
employment. tnf
S1y,747.l6 was paid out on checks
Of the president of the board. The
remainder, s133074.07. was paid to
the six superintendents on their
requisitions and by them disbursed.
Agents who contract debts should not
be the ones to pay them. Such a sys-
tenn would not be tolerated In any
private business. And almost every
employe appears to be given the
right to buy, wherever he pleases,
whatever he thinks is needed, and
send the bill to the superintendent.
G. C. 43O should be repealed or
amended and all purchases and pay
ments be made as in other cases.
call special attention to the re-
ports of the chief engineer for details
which must be omitted here. l con-
cur in all his recommendations.
Canal Improvements.
The question remains what shall
be done with the partly completed
work of rebuilding the locks and
dams, dredging, etc, so as to make
the canals available as waterways
In my inaugural address stated
my belief in the great value and pos
slbilities for usefulness of our canals,
but | also expressed doubt which
shared with many others:
So n plan is In execution for rebuilding
locks and other structures along our ca
nails But the trafflc We hope soon 40
carry between lake and river will require
lorger boats, and II may be well to re-
consider the question whether II is wise
to go on rebuilding on the old dmen-
sions, as the plan provides.
However just this doubt may have
been. 1t is now too late to consider
II. The plan was adopted In 1904.
Yearly appropriations have been
made and spent in executing 1t, until
we have now invested 81 ,637 ,279. The
work is substantially completed, ex-
cept the dredging, from Toledo to
Defiance, Dayton to cincinnati and
Cleveland to Dresden. Good business
policy requires that the undertaking
commenced on these divisions be
completed. Certainly what has been
spent will otherwise be wasted, and
actual trial OF the canals as instru-
ments of industry and commerce will
be worth the comparatively small