J 24 



THE CIVIL ENGINEEIl AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[April, 



extension to tliu Lake or tlie St. Lawrence will only fnniisli a slower, more 

 expensive, and more troublesome comnumication between its termini, tlian 

 llic present excellent one by Lake Ontario ami the Oswego canal. Lastly, 

 llie Genessee Valley canal, with the Erie canal on the north, and the Erie 

 railroad on the sonth, bids fair to be second only to the enlargement in dis- 

 posing of the snrplns revenue, or rather to the vast .annual deliciencies, which 

 nothing short of an entire change of policy can possibly .avert. If the Black 

 Uiver aTid (ienessee Valley canals, estimated at ten millions, be immediately 

 abaniloned, the State will lose about 500,000 dollars, which mav be con- 

 sidered an anticipation of the payment of one ye.-ir's deficiencies of these 

 canals when completed, by the immediate forfeiture of wliich, the St.ate will 

 save a like expenditure per annum in perpetuity, besides the immediate dis- 

 bursement of a sum nearly cfpial to the entire cost of the Erie and Champlain 

 canals." 



The estimates for these canals have since been reduced, and their probable 

 deficiencies are estimated by Mr. Paige (Sen. Doc. 1839, No. 101, p. 7,) at 

 •1,50,000 dollars, .ind if the sum now sjicnt on these works docs not exceed 

 two millions, their immediate abandonment will save the St.ite 350,000 dol- 

 lars per auimm — a sum more than sutliciciit to support the government. V.'e 

 sliall have occasion again to refer to tlie above report, which contains the 

 most sensible view of the public works owned by this state, which has fallen 

 under our observation : and it derives great value from the circumstance that 

 the writer is justly considered one of the ablest men of the party to which 

 we are indebted for the lateral canals and the enlargement, and would natu- 

 rally be disposed to treat them in the most favorable manner. 



It is assumed by Mr. Verplanck and the committee of 1838, that the reve- 

 nue of the Erie canal will justify an expenditure of 40 millions, and repay 

 the principal in 30 years ; while, on the other hand, ^Ir. Paige, from official 

 documents, undertakes to prove tliat the revenue will only pay the interest 

 on 15 millions, with even' prospect of a permanent debt to that amount. 

 Tliis great discrepancy arises from the fact that >Ir. V. adopted the views of 

 the committee of '38, who state in their report, 



" It will be perceived that the very foimdation upon wliieh the financial 

 calculations of the committee are based, is the estimate of the Canal Com- 

 missioners submitted to the Legislature, in which they state that the Erie 

 canal, within a fevf years after its enlargement, will produce an annual reve- 

 nue of 3,000,000 dollars. The importance of verifying the accuracy of this 

 estimate will be evident, as any material error would lead to the most in- 

 jm-ious consequences." 



Mr. Paige, on the other hand, instead of adopting the couclusious of the 

 Commissioners, takes the data ou which they either did or ought to have 

 established their income of three millions, and demonstrates that there is 

 no probability of the revenue of the Erie canal reaching this sum till the 

 year 188C, without making any deduction for the partial or total repeal of its 

 monopoly of caiTV'ing freight, on which exclusive privilege it was shown in a 

 former number that its cn/ire surplus revenue depends. The Governor in his 

 late message, as well as the committees of '38 and '30, have placed implicit 

 confidence in the estimated income of three millions, as reported by the 

 Commissioners, while Mr. Paige goes to work as if he neither knew nor cared 

 about any previous calculations on that subject. We have no means of as- 

 certaining why he who knew the merits of the Commissioners so nuich better 

 than the other gentlemen, should not have yielded the same credence to 

 their statements ; but, be this as it may, he has shown clearly that the esti- 

 mate of three millions gross income from the Erie canal, is utterly unworthy 

 of belief. We must, however, correct one error in this excellent report. It 

 is said, (p. 8,) " The Commissioners cannot be regardcil as estimating that 

 the tolls would amount to 3,000,000 dollars in 181(3 or 1819, but at a period 

 much more remote." This nnliapjiy .ittcmpt at exculpation had been antici- 

 pated by the report of the late Comptroller, which apjicared more than three 

 mouths before the report of Mr. Paige. This officer vritcs and italicizes the 

 remark, (No. 4, Ass. Doc. p. 23,) " .1 fnr j/cars after the ooiupletion of the 

 fulari/ement may carry us to 1850." Tlie door of escape for the Commis- 

 sioners is therefore closeil, and we are at liberty to choose, as we please, — 

 Mr. Paige's estimate of three millions revenue in 188(1, or the Commissioners' 

 estimate of three millions revenue "a few years" before 1850. 



After proving the inability of the State to complete the enlargement, and 

 the consequent impropriety of any further expenditures, that same senator, 

 the best lawyer in that body, advocates the enlargement, merely reducing 

 the size from 7 by 70 to 6 by fiO, a distinction without a diftcrencc — for iin 

 cxpenditm'e which is wrong in prmciplc, cannot be jiistitied by a diminution 

 of its amount by four millions, or IGj per cent, the luccise iimount leading 

 to a long debate. The same course was also taken liy another gentleman, 

 who is well known for the manly stand he has taken against lateral, or, as 

 he very properly designates them, " pauper canals," and thus we find two of 

 the most able members of the Senate advocating a work which they know 

 the State can never complete and can ne\er require. .\s already remarked 

 of the engineers, it is their misfortune rather than their fault, and the iiievi- 

 Lible result of the departure of the government from the high duties of gene- 

 ral legislation, and its illegal embarkation in the pursuits of individuals, for 

 these same gentlemen, if mciuhers of a board of Directors who were ex- 

 jiending their own money, would he eminent for sagacity, ])rudenec, and 

 candour. 



The Governor in his first message admits the evil, but docs not, in our 

 opinion, go to the root of it, though, as it was necessarily written before en- 

 tering on ofScc, he could scarcely at that time have supposed it possible tliat 



he was approving of a system of works based on official data, which it is now 

 only too clear, were never entitled to his confidence. He very truly observes, 



•' AVith the extension of our internal improvements there h.as been an im- 

 mense and unlookcd for enlargement of the financial operations and the 

 official power and patronage of the Canal Commissioners and the Canal 

 Hoard. These operations are conducted, and this power and patronage exer- 

 cised and dispensed, with few of those requirements as to accoimtabililv and 

 )niblicity enforced with scrnpnlous cai-e in every other dejiartment of the 

 government. So inconsistent and unequal are the best etibrts to maintain 

 simplicity, uniformity and accountabihty throughout the various departments, 

 that a greatly mysterious and undefined power has tlius grown up unobserved, 

 while the public attention has exhausted itself in naiTowiy waiching the 

 action of more unimportant functionaiies. It is a proposition wortliy of 

 consideration, whether greater economy and efficiency in the management of 

 our present jmblic works would not be secured, a wiser direction given to 

 efl^orts for internal iiii]irovenient throughout the State, and a more equal lUtfu- 

 sion of its advantages be effected by constituting a board of internal improve- 

 ments, to consist of one member from each senate district." 



This plan may be attended with some advantages for a short period, but 

 the very nature of the tenure renders it impossible for the State to conuuand 

 the services of .agents with the character, capacity, and acquirements of those 

 employed by individuals and companies, as is only too ap]iaient in (his State, 

 from the manner in which the enlargement of the Erie canal, and the con- 

 struction of the Genessee Valley and Black River canals have been " got up." 



We will briefly allude to some of the Western States. In Micliigan, a 

 private company commenced the only important work which can, for many 

 years, be projected in that peninsula — the Detroit and St. Joseph's railroad. 

 The company, however, could not proceed with sufficient rapidity, so the 

 State " assumed the mantle " of Engineer and Forwarder Cieneral, and com- 

 menced the construction of a "Northern Railroad," a " Southern Railroad," 

 one on each side of the company's road, now the " Central Railroad," and 

 rendered the system complete by introducing the " Chnton canal " between 

 the northern and central lines of railway. These four works average veiy 

 nearly 200 miles each, the sum appropriated or rather the loan authorized 

 for these 800 miles was five millions of dollars, or 0,250 dollars per mile, 

 about one fourth of the sum required to put them into operation, yet the 

 State has actually entered ou the construction of all these works. The re- 

 sult is, that the State, after expending all she has been able to borrow, has 

 only to miles of the Central (formerly company's) road in operation, her 

 credit is gone for many years, her farmers must be directly taxed to pay the 

 interest on money expended on works which will never be completed, and 

 the only work really required is indefinitely postponed. As in the State of 

 New York, the works projected by the government of Michigan were never 

 thought of by private companies, and it would be as difficult to raise by jiri- 

 rnte sulisci-iptions to the stock, 5 per cent, on the probable cost of the " Nor- 

 thern railway," of the " Southern railway," or of the " Chnton canal," as it 

 would be to induce individuals in the State of New York to contribute, as a 

 permanent investment from their own means, 2 per cent, towards aicUng the 

 government in the construction of the Genessee \'alley and Black River 

 canals, or in the enlargement of the Erie canal — that is, impossible. 



The State of Illinois received from Congress a valualile grant of land to 

 aid in the construction of the Illinois canal, a truly national work, uniting 

 the Mississippi with the Atlantic liy the St. LawTcnce and Hudson rivers. 

 This donation would have enabled the State to complete the canal, and the 

 nett revenue might have been expended in aiding private enterprise without 

 the possibility of any tax being necessary, even if all the works which they 

 aided should be as uniirodnctive as the "lateral canals " of New York. j\'uw 

 they have commenced a " system " of railroads, the aggregate length of 

 which is above 1200 miles ! besides other works. It is unnecessary to state 

 the consequences which have followed, any further than to allude to the sale 

 of the State stocks in New Y'ork at 50 per cent, and to the special session of 

 the Legislature which has been called to devise " ways and means " to enable 

 that State to meet its immediate obligations. There is much anxiety to 

 know the course likely to be pursued by the governments of Pennsylvania, 

 Ilhnois and ilichigan, and last, though not least, the city of New York. The 

 Croton water-works arc exactly as far from completion as when ground was 

 first broken, for the work which, with any quantity of money would require 

 more time than all the rest, lias just been commenced ! Had the Commis- 

 sioners invested the insignificant sum of 2 or 300,000 dollars from their oini 

 capital, this would never have occurred, and had this nuderlakiug been left 

 to a company, who should have been bound to expend 20 ]icr cent, on the 

 cost of the work from their own means, the citizens of New York would be 

 siqiphcd with " pure " water many years sooner, and at one tliird of the cost 

 which now ap])ears inevitable. 



In some States the grand argument will be, that if they can only complete 

 the works commenced, a revenue is immerUately certain, which will render 

 taxation to jiay the interest unnecessary. That the completion of these pro- 

 jects will make the fortunes of many individuals, is well known, but, for the 

 permanent interests of the State, the only plan is, to sell out tit once w itli 

 the present comparatively trifling loss. It is impossible to pay too much at- 

 terdion to the fact, that the greater part of the works projected by the go- 

 vernments of the diflcrcnt States, arc not such as will ever be of any essential 

 benefit, and when we add to this, that they are constructed at twice the cost 

 of similar works in the hands of companies, are generally much inferior in 

 execution, and always managed and repaired in the most inefficient manner 



