New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-10-23
cRoTON AoUEDUcr DEPARTMENT.
We have received from the Croton Aqueduct Depart
mont public explanation, of which the following all the
eaaaDtial mart.
CRo1oS AoUEpUcT DEPARTMENT,

taks place on he s september last consequence Of tho
sosesSe nom Town s 81 CaSrr M Brennan to attend the
opening 1t adjourned he Isl october ne Oont"n,
dine 10 his date ana will continue be adjourned until he
perform the duty required him by law As the law makes
10: is SSs7G% SeaaTS c Controller
given extensive publication to the grounds on which ne s
Justify bis action and ngcniously attempts TO create h9
Impressions respecting tbs department h1or ,b Tcry many
who VIII suffer by his illegal course true 80 Letter Of
The Controllers first ground on Ieis9i embraces work
which cannot legally be done such as building e Tortsed
street Is not opened by law There Is ole MEL ord
din One hundred and between Ihru ana
Fourth ayes which street has not been as We nav sne
tanned legally opened This street has been gaae GUT
tsr5 n far wears and assessments tor such improve
ents regularly laid collected without objection AS out
upon and the owners Of the property On Do 's m s
that the street had been regularly opened sun the error
the withdrawal of this sewer publicly posted before Dia ma
been received before any communication from the Con
he one sewer mentioned above constitutes the sewers 50
fairly spoken Of by the Controller ..r. ,,,e
TIE Controller second objection Is That as ne say e
greater Part"of the work proposed to be let cannot DC P
description already lot M your Board and because IN some
cases material could be procured the contracts
would have to be suspended at the setting IN oil winner
The more important part the work proposed 70 be LEI is in
sewers assertion hs there deficiency o maei
for their construction is simply There an abundance
OF material and plenty Of contractors ready to supply ana
cent ndetons NAV be relied upon prices which would be
hid BY would be less than they nave been hereto
In regard to the material for payemens we have positive
assurances that there eonlI De 10 eelII'l,! i
knowledge Of the capacity Of the neghboling quars that
covS h ordered ts wear could be taken from quarres
contiguous lodges without visible eject upon the ex
haustess quantity remaining As to the enhanced cost OF the
stone II well add that the increase in the price Of trap
blocks during the last i've years Is by no means as great as that
Pavement are ordered by tie Common Council and sole
province obey such orders when pache
The syements being and ordered we have nothing
10 do With the price II simply duty to let the contract
diately commenced und Faithfully executed . -,
In regard 20 the questions OF frost and stopage OF Wor
during the Winter simply claim that we must o governeo
by judgment IN such matters aud not by ne opinions
Of the Controller however valuable bis Gd'cc may be TO az!
person engaged ugincefing other scientific work
There comparatively few works In pavemehts ordered
with the exception o. those involving the city IN portion OF
their cost without provision for that cost being made by
The Common Couhc which not either under contract
advertised for the present opening but for sewers there are
upward Of 20 applications awaiting action IN our depart
Many Of these have been ordered as sanitary
necessity nv the Board Of Health These applications represent
the necessities Of thousands Of our citizens
inspectors are placed JOB This true but it is uncan
ddy stated There is an explicit s9ose'G 10 IN
different places the opinion Of this Board may be necessary
e, ~ s Ss ~ a p p0 ber wor is ordered In the
therefore, sometimes have two inspectors IN
each where this due either TO the length OF
the TO It's lateral branches aorng opportunity o the
working Of separate sections each requiring the undfdeu al
requires so supervise preparation ~ the
road bed In advance OF tho and the other 70 see at e
ing practicable FOR properly supervise these sub
divisions Of work at the time the closest attention on the
part Of both inspectors absolutely necessary 70 prevent the
Of improper materials and the doing of ad work H. owing
TO the length Of the lob or to necessity Tor It's more rapid
prosecution. u second party H. by order, put to work
by the contractor. two moro Inspectors are OF ne,
ccssiH te'ted 70 supSII H. i,I 3 S s ir tbc
specifications which their proposals founded Still
although the right under certain circumstances put
even eht inspectors ON one contract is undenae ito ezer.
else is always avoided long possible The instances IN
which yielded the necessity Of ordering work in wo
FOR payements in progress but there only on which
paving of Thfdaye from ninth 10 One.
hu5aedsnd twenty The work is one mile ~ length
tons with corresponding number OF inspectors There arc
two sections Of this work IN progress and OF course four
Inspector and yet complaints are made by persons htereS'ed
contractor engages 70 do his work in a specified time For
every day occupied beyond this time the pay of the Inspector
Inspectors by the terms Of his Contract deducted from the
Thus contractor agrees complete hs work in 100 days
counting dsy for each Inspector II there be hut IN.
specor the contractor him for all the tmo ovc7 100 days
II there b. Inspectors the contractor by express spu
toB pays eech OF them days and ia the
same manner whether there be two or six Inspectors
In his last letter he gives additional reason for his re-
eOatyee. ,2a ,s no york has yet zen con which
the fact Is stated CONVEYS false IMPRESSION Inc contractors
expressly stpulaie by written agreement that they VIII eon
upon by both pare signing OF the ard hat
the pay the inspectors shall from that time Al the time
agreed upon the INSPECTORS sent 20 their stations and tho
lid ready for the contractor to commence opera
tons OF this ample notice Is served on the contractor
his IL duty behalf Of the applicants fOr the
work 70 compel him ii possible proceed The only way
duty Tor thereby the time made by the inspectors exceeds
wages aredeuce from the amounts due him The Controller
knows that they fan neither upon the property nor the
city and that they have DO with the city taxes than
The contract were for pyate work made between Two PHI
The only contracts on which inspectors waiting for
the work for payements and they
Sco %ers deed to Commence on The 81 * September At
which time Inspector was placed on each contract aonh
contractors still neecng their agreements and II being evil
dent that unless he worked than party on each con
tract they would fail to complete their work ID proper tme
they directed to commence operations In two Places ano
another Inspector was placed on each contract ......
sgned by Nj ard others and published by the Con
oer which ss hars RsSa sesn s1c ~ 0hs q The da'g erS
regard 70 Mr. vanderpoos statement Of tie
mcnts sse ordered by the Ccupe Such
should DO addressed 10 the Mayor and Common Council C0s
The Tenonsaocs Of Mr. Ellis and others and the of
Mr. j. j. AstOr, IT, refer 70 sewer IN f0ry-eghthst
When applied for by the property owners IN any
particular street streets 10 embrace in the same
contract all other streets s unseweed IN the sewer district
or sub-district IN which the NoIk appleu iVI Aes
This much expense TO tho property owners In every
way and ~ most oSs- , S.1' more perfeetIy
Forty oghhs Is opened graded cabed and gathered and
sewer deemed proper 10 include Forty eighth st. In the
In this connection II due to Mr. Aston that he has
called at tbs DEPARTMENT say that the note addressed 70 This
but carried BY istas 10 the Controller that d intend
IL Publication aud tina. be equally surprised and annoyed
Of seeing IL IN print
With tho grave abuses and "dOnbledeelng which the
Controller has beeB the practice Of the Common COu
ell amending ordinances 20 saddle the city with part
Of the cost sfter authorizing the work and in some IN
after the asscssmentsts have been made
have nothing do That matter between him and the Com
Council
In conclusion have but 10 say that the only persons who
will be benefited by the action Of tie Controller are certain
contractors WHO have undertaken work and delaying
f commencement spite Of the efforts Of our Board by ths
fDrced suspension in the letting Of further work The large
Hy Of material which has been got out particularly In pave
eksi In hall demand be