A. L. Bishop — The State Worls of Perinsi/lvania. 237 



extra amount charged- to the state for work done by state laborers 

 upon his own property was $137,071/^.* 



Investigations made at the same time concerning the building 

 of other sections of the transportation system unearthed abuses of 

 still another kind. Thus, on the Wyoming division, where work had 

 recently been suspended for lack of funds, it was proved that a 

 claim was allowed for 400 rods of stone at ninety cents per rod, 

 whereas the actual measurement was found to be 81 rods. In other 

 cases allowances were made for 460 and 936 rods, although the 

 respective measurements were only 183 and 301 rods. 



It also seems clear that, in many cases, the work executed by con- 

 tractors was badly done. This is shown by the fact that no sooner 

 had the public improvements come into operation than liberal appro- 

 priations had to be made at almost every session of the legislature to 

 keep them in a condition suitable for use. Doubtless it is true that 

 a considerable amount of the imperfect construction should be attri- 

 buted to the lack of experience in building canals and railways ; also 

 to other causes beyond the control of the contractors. Nevertheless 

 the evidence is conclusive that the anxiety of the contractors to swell 

 the amount of their profits at the public expense often was the 

 direct cause of defective work. The canal commissioners them- 

 selves occasionally made admissions to this effect,t and to this the 

 testimonies of various contemporary writers could be added. IvTot- 

 withstanding liberal yearly expenditures for repairs, the canal 

 board, in 1839, asked for the sura of $1,125,760 for this purpose. 

 The request was made in accordance with the estimate furnished 

 by their engineer, who pointed out the dilapidated condition of cer- 

 tain sections on almost every division of the public works. 



In filling positions in connection with the operation of the canals 

 and railroads much political favoritism was shown. In 1837 and 

 again in 1838 "select committees" were appointed by the house of 

 representatives to see if there was any ground for the numerous 



■' See J. H. Rep., 18.33.34, II, p. 899. 



fSee J. H. Rep., 1830-31, II, p. 160; 1833-34, III, p. 8; 1840, II, pp, 4-5, 

 and III, p. 17. 



Solomon W. Roberts, who was employed on the state works as a civil 

 engineer while they were being built, said regarding the canals: "Much of the 

 work was badly done, and was not strong enough to withstand the occasional 

 floods to which it was exposed." — Pennsylvania Hist. Mag., II, p. 371. 



