New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-04
HOW THE CITY Is ROBBED.
DEPARTMEET OF FISASci


CoSTRoLIER's OFFICE, Now York, July 81, 1858
To the Common CoEreR.
In addition 10 the hundreds of suits prosecuted 10
behaf Of the employees Of Charles Deviin Street
Commissioner in tbs year 1871 large amounts OF claims
FOR work DONE as a ged, under the direction OF
Charles Devn and the officers belonging to the van.
Gus bureaus in the Street Department, were presented
to the Finsnce COMMITTEE, aud by that COMMITTEE
were added to the arresrsges Of 1851 In the report
of the Committee the appropriation for these arrear-
ages made in the name OF the lndivldaa or nrm
doing the work. The total sum put in the arreMages
for TIE six cases which have been examined ana are
included in this report is $37 ,gOI O5
These appropriations form psrt of the gum $685.
e66 l9 included in the tax bill to pay the arrearages
Of TIE year 1891.
By tie 3Sth section of the Charter it is declared
that No expenditure for work or supplies involving
" an smount for which contract is required, sna
be made, except the necessity therefor be certhsd
" to by the head of tie appropnae department, and
" Council
Although the Department Of Repairs and Supplies
had been abolished in the month of May, manly 10
consequence Of the abuses OF s expenditures by favor
e jobbers without contracts and although the section
bef re quoted was intended TO correct The abuses by
DC si,ive enactment Of the Legislature, yet Mr. Dsy
ln who was a, pointed by Mayor Mood on the 10th OF
June following, by bis own direction or by the Heads
Of Bureaus in lis department, entered upon the SANE
system OF obbipg, aud not only expended large sums
which were collected by buudreds OF quits IN 1857 but
elso accumulated claims OF nearly s3oUUV, most Oh
which have recently been setted by the Controller
ard the history Of them given in the fowlns state
PirmJing done By Robert C. Brorn on hlirty:fre
houses belonging TO he Fire Department. Mr. Brown
preented bills amounting to the total sum OF $50 i3
These bills were submitted t, Wm. Wilson who cert-
fed hat tie prices we're not gres.er than customary
charges to individuals for similar work:
Painting for The Ere Department oy MireAner q
SDencer.- MareLner Spencer presented bile amount
irg to 81 ,555 A. The,e bill', 81 il number were
exsmired by Thomas Smell, who made deduction on
the ame.
Rcpairs-Berrian, Simpson & West, present bills
fer csrle ente,s work and repairs on buildings Of the
Fire Department in lO9 cases, Is OF which hsd been
assigned. The bills presented By the frn and for
who they were paid, embrace 90 bills, amounting u
the sum OF Sl2 IL A. The Is bills for work on Is
separate houses amount to 81 561 ~. All these bills
wire placed in the hands Of lease Lewis, an expert
enoed builder, TO examine After careful eramina-
ton Of TIE entire list M Lewis reported 10 favor Of
deduction On the whole equal TO ~ per cant, and
he deduction on the 90 bills presented in the name Of
the finn is 81 l3l o.; and on tie l3 bills assig0ed
$40 26-makipg total Of $3.50 81. Tnere 10 no
certificate from Mr.. Dsvlin, as the Charter requires,
that the work was necessary IN either Of the 10y csses
referred to in the list and in msny Dir. Lewis
who has for the last three years examined the cNpen
ter work for most of the buildings constructed )r the
Fire Departn ent and the repairs OF them, assures the
Controller that the work done not necessary aud
in come the expenditure was extravagsnt, aud
shows wsnton waite OF the public money. Settle
ments have been made with BeIrisn, Simpson
West, and three assgnees, AT reduction OF l't Per
CeIt, and receipts In full OF the whole account nave
been given on them.
In addition 10 the expenditure in 100 csses on build
ipgs Of the Fire Department by Berrisn. s npson
" est, IN the year 1891. James L. Miller \ Co. pre-.
GENT q bill for carpenters work ia the same year
mainly for buildings OF the Fire Department, snoun.
il 2 to 50 616 o. In some i9bs were done oy
the two firms or the same building. The ohsrges of
james l.. Miller s. Co, IN the op.Ion of Mr. Lswis
are rot as ext-svsgsrt by ? cent those OF B.r
iiar, Simpson \ West. In this case be recommends
REDUCTION cf 10 g cert on the sveFsge only james
L. Mi lei presents bill in tis Own name for work,
IoIiion ef which was GoJe In iSJS, amounttng 70
800 %. This work has also been exauliuet by Mr.
Lewis who recon mepied a reduction from TIE claim
OF 10 T. csrt II will be that the expenditures
in sLd sbou. the Chief Engineers Cf,e the yard an
roXtd thereto &C., by his ir-ction was = so3 ."
AID for this ard ,he .iss expenditures nsde on The
vsiious houses Of the Department, embracing almost
every LCue and shed that dsr .rtOeut, no evidence
has been fun sled tlat tue Cni-f Eogreer Rsd the
certificate Of tie bssd If his Department M Dew
irl that tie work Was IeCessaIy II single Cgse le
account OF Mr Miller hes not been faaly settled.
Mason IIIrk.-John McCoole sppears 10 have hst
general commission for tie msson work OF the
hcIsss Of tie fire department: Tne bills FOR Uasoc
gOk on ff,y-sIx houses were examined by Peter j..
BC.a,t ESQ, 8 master mason sud 81 experienced
bulter of a. estelii Led character, who ns-e tho
rough exsmjI alton of the work. The c!sins OF
nc,cole amounted IN the sg. Tegste. TO ! % n.
NJ j gsIt estimated iha iali ccst Of tie hsIk ctIe
lv rim elloyirg ibe-al y. e. e. = l29 l., being
e;Grct,ou from the original bill Of 50 9ls "A &c.
"a ed statement Is arIt xel, marked Ne. >, welcn
show the emou1t cls gei BY NcCO0s, u sCl Of The
fitv.six cas.s srd tie fair prce cf the ro-k, es,i-
ms ID by Mr. Bogart 1, vii he seen, By ieferenc I.
10 tbs sstem,I; II al charged in s9s cases
three Lutditd ptr cent il oth-rs four, sud Others
a. =; 8 s. fKe luL5Itl l=r cent ry,e Il s. : aOgei