New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-10-25
WHITMAN BARES
CONTRACT Is"
Stirs Big Buffalo Audience
with Bensel Deal on
Champlain Canal.
SHIFT COST STATE
ALMOST $4OO,OOO
Prosecutor Again Asks Glynn II
He Approves of State Engi-
neer and Sohmer.

ueer and Sohmer.
From star Correspondent OF 20 i''VN
Buffalo, Oct. 24.-District Attorne!
Whitman ended a record week OF cam
psigning upstate with big rally mere
tonight in the Broadway Auditorium
FULLY 5000 persons crowded the hall.
Laboring under the disadvantage OF
a husky voice. due TO the hard STRAIN
upon IL during the last week, he never
theless managed to reach the enthusl-
astic hearers in all parts Of the nan
and put over" the high points he hao
made throughout this upstate trip
Having let up on his attacks on
John A. Bensel, State Engineer, and
other Glynn appointees in the last two
OF three DAYS Of speech-making' ne
turned on Bensel tonight with inc
hottest shot Of all.
Diminishing generalities. Mr. Nhr-
,ns, took ND specific instance Of the
Vaccinations Of the Canal Board. head
ed by the State Engineer. relative to
Contract 70" on the Chsmplsin Canal
where he showed from the records OF
the Court of Appeals that the state had
lost almost 100000 because contract
ors had been allowed by the board 10
get out from under" and collect an
enormous profit on the work done.
at have been asking Governor Glynn
II he approves % 3ensel,' said MI
Whitman. 81 want to call your atten'
ton TO Contract 70 on the Chsmplsln
canal between Northumberland and
saltwater. dated May 26, 1910. Inc
contrsct price was S771.627. The con-
tract called for the excavation OF l.
100000 cubic yards Of earth and rock
nj a composite price Of 81 cents. After
< II Graves. the contractor, had eXca-
vated about 100000 yards of earth az
a cost Of II 10 IS cents cubic ysrd
the Canal Board, on motion or state
Engineer Bensel, by an alteration cut
out Of the contract the requirement 70
excsvate the rock, cancelled the amend,
cd contract on December 81 l9)l, ana
ordered Anal estimate.
"The final estimate. also presented
by the State Engineer, amounted 10
S5l7,222. II was passed by the Canal
Board. which directed the Controller
70 pay this amount TO Graves. Two OF
.he Controllers deputies mace an IN
vestigation and presented report
which report is printed in the proceed
ings of the Canal Board for lSI-' me
report says in part:
Awe were informed by men OF eX-
perience that il cost the contractor
from IL to 10 cents cubic yard 70
take out the material which has been
removed, and that fair price for the
removal of the rock which remains
would be 81 rs a yard. Our inquiries
have convinced US that had the Con
troller been in the possession OF me
facts set forth herein he would not
have been justified in voting Tor the
release of the contractor Wlthou'
more satisfactory explanation tnah we
have been able to obtain 49,,
after hearing this report the Csnal
Roard. on March 20, 1912, passed
resolution resembling the action OF the
hoard taken in reference TO TINS con
tract on December q. 1911, and Janu-
arv al. 1912 The contractor did not
Nant his contract restored. ana pro-
cnTed a writ Of mandamus to compel
the State Controller TO AUDIT ana pay
his bill. This finally went to the CouI'
of Appeals. The Attorney General APP
ueared for the Controller, ana IN ms
argument denominated the cancella!lol.
of this contract as q blunoer anu
mistake. e.. - ,,;.b;,
tho mower of the Canal Board to cancer
the contract, and having cance4ieu ~
could not thereafter restore 1t without
.he consent of the contractor, the other
naytv 70 the contract Thereupon the
state was compelled TO pay Graves AT
the rate of 50 cents cubic yard TOT
excavation that cost him from IL 70 10
cents. whereas ne was relieved OF tSA
INC out the rock that would have cost
him 81 76 yard. ,, -
aJInder date OF August 4, 1914, the
State Engineer presented TO the Canal
Board plans and specifications Tor com
pieting the work left unfinished Dy
Graves at an estimated cost OF S62l,ot7'
This. added 10 the amount pald t ne
contractor, makes total OF Sl,loo'osO
for doing the work that Graves orig
inslly contracted 20 do lot SHA'oS' :, u
clear loss 70 the state because OF the
Srriatake' or 'blunder' of 1887 ,26S.'
"Bensel was State Engineer then, he
Ia now. and he is offered by the Demo
Gratis for reelection. i ask the Low
srnor again: Do you approve OF BEN
sci? The same men are on the Demo
cratic ticket, Bensel, Sohmer and the
rest, as we're there two years ago. ex.
cent one. Sulzer, and they got rid OF
him vhen they found they could not
use him as much as they expected.
A crowd Of ] 900 persons heard Mr.
whitman make his first open air speech
of the day from the rear Of the train al
Tonawands. The condition Of his
throat led MIN TO refrain from making
speeches in the open air, or at all, unit.
he reached Dunkirk, at -.oon where he
spoke in o hall At Ashville, Chau-
tauqua, Msyville, Westfeld, Brocton
and Fredonia the speaking was left ia
Judge Robert +. Thompson, of Ontario
County, and NJ. Linn Bruce, of New
York. Mr.. Whitman got out of his car
and went among the crowds shaking
i hands. At Niagara Falls the District
Attorney spoke IN the international
Theatre.