New-York tribune., 1914-10-22
'BENSEL BLOCKED
CANAL, IS CHARGE
Stimson and Department
Files Say Engineer Halt
ed Erie Work.
CARMODY FAILS TO
CONTRADICT RECORDS
War Books Show Attempt to
Stop Improvement of the
Hudson at Troy.

The files Of the War Department and
Henry L. Stimson, former Secretary OF
War. the one mutely and the other vig-
orously. charge John A. Bensel, the
Tammany State Engineer, with having
held up the completion of the Eric
Canal and blocked the water com
.nerce OF the state for upward OF
year.
when il was learned yesterday that
Mr. Stimson had made this attack on
Mr.. Bensel, who Is again candidate
for reelection, former Attorney Gen,
oral Carmody, who was also accused
by Mr.. Stimson Of having visited HIM
in company with Mr. Bensel in WASH
ington. and OF having threatened SUIT
against Mr.. Stimson and the federal
government in an effort to stop tne
work. hastened to the defence Of Mr.
bcnsel.
While Mr.. Carmody made it point
TO assert that what Mr.. Stimson SAID
in his interview was in part misrep-
resentation. he also made it a point
not 10 deny the truth of the hles OF
the War Department.
The War Department files show that
Mr. Bcnsel tried to prevent the fedora
government from improving the Hud-
SON River at Troy to make a link IN
the big inland waterway from the
great lakes to the Atlantic Ocean
Mr.. Stimson's interview follows:
"As soon as Bensel got into Office, in
1910. steps were taken by him which
caused the government to suspend its
part of the work. He even went to
Washington, accompanied by Attorney
General Carmody, and sought to bluff
me as Secretary Of War. He and Car
mody threatened to sue me for dam
ages il ordered the government en-
gineers TO proceed with the Troy dam
project.
This man Bensel had the Canal
Board rescind formal action taken by
a previous board under the Hughes
administration, entering into cove
nant with the government. He had
Governor Dix confer with ME and seek
to defer action.
"The federal government had under
taken 10 expend S1,350,000 in Hudson
River improvements at Troy TO furnish
a deeper waterway for the canal sys-
TEN. Bensel and Dix actually proposed
TO reject the governments money and
to have the state make a needless ex-
penditurc Of a million dollars for the
same work.
"It was only when resolved TO dis
regard the action OF BenscPs Canal
Board and pay no further attention to
his protests and attempted holdup
the. the government work was able to
III ! under arbitrary orders.
year Of time had been lost. But even
with this handicap ! am informed that
the federal governments part of the
work will be completed before Mr..
Bcnsel is prepared to run canal boats
through the first OF his canals 10 be
finished"
The files Of the War Department show
that on March 10. 1910, the Legislature
pettioned Congress to undertake the
Improvement Of the Hudson River. to
conform with the new canal system.
The State Canal Board, which had been
appointed BY Governor Hughes, did all
IL could TO enable the federal govern
mcnt to make the improvement, for
which Congress had appropriated ST.
$50. 900, and the War Department, in
the last month of Governor Hughes's
administration, let contract for $780,
600.
In 1911 Dix, with Democratic ad-
ministraton and a Democratic Canal
Board, of which Mr.. Bensel was the
controlling genius, began its blockade
of the governments work on the Troy
dam project. and until January. 1912,
succeeded. On January II, 1912, Sec
retsry Stimson wrote a stiff letter 10
Governor Dix, telling him the govern
ment would proceed with the work.
Mr.. Carmody, in reply TO this letter.
made final protest against the work
going on, and spoke of the states water
bower involved. This water power
yielded the state but $3.50 a year,
against the s1,35o,0OO appropriated by
the government. The two companies
ENJOYING the water power at this little
cost have been growing rich for years
on the franchises. One Of them has
been clearing about $4,000 year, it
is said.