228 .1. L. Bishop — The State Worls of Pennsylvania. 



As frequent reference has been made above to the financial failure 

 of the public works, it seems necessary, in conclusion, to give a 

 detailed statement of their financial operations. The latter is 

 shown in full in Appendix VI. The results there set forth in 

 tabular form were compiled* from the successive reports of the 

 auditor general and the state treasurer. From these have been 

 determined the cost, revenue, and expenditures of the several fin- 

 ished lines of canals and railroads included in the public improve- 

 ments of Pennsylvania for each financial year, from their opening 

 until their disposal to incoi'porated companies. Owing to the 

 absence of sufficient and accurate data, it did not seem possible, 

 without completing this statistical work, to arrive at any satisfac- 

 tory conclusion respecting the financial operations of the works 

 throughout their whole history. The amount of money spent on 

 unfinished improvements was determined as above instanced, like- 

 wise all the expenditures for the board of canal commissioners, 

 appraisers, collectors, weighmasters, and lock-keepers and the 

 various other items shown on page 284 which do not appear 

 in the cost, revenue or expenditures of the works. In order to 

 render all the above results applicable to the calculation of profit or 

 loss resulting from public ownership of the works, they have been 

 consolidated into a single table found on page 286. From this it 

 appears that the cost of the finished and unfinished improvements 

 during the whole period of state OAvnership was $33,464,975. If 

 from this figure we deduct the amount added to their original cost 

 by improper charges made to construction, viz. : $5,270,397 (of 

 which $4,365,928 was on the main line, and $904,469 on lateral 

 lines), we get $28,194,578 as the actual cost. The gross revenue 

 amounted to $32,505,553. If there be added to this sum the total 

 amount received from the sale of the works, viz. — $11,281,000, we 

 find that $43,786,553 represents the gross amount of income to 

 the treasury on their account during the whole period of ownership. 

 The expenditures amounted to $24,471,225, and by adding 



* A similar tabular compilation, although more extensive, since it extended 

 to all the financial affairs of the state, was made, in 1843, by J. W. Ham- 

 iihiikI, at one time chief cloi k in the auditor' general's office. The tables 

 found therein applicable to the present purpose have been extended from 

 1843 to 1858, and they, together Avlth other results incident to the finan- 

 cial operations of the works, have been consolidated, as shown on page 286, to 

 determine the results there set forth, and to furnish the data for determining 

 other questions that might arise. 



