The New York herald., 1870-12-11
SORROWS OF THE SUPERVISORS.
Kings County Invests In Shoddy
Fabrics at High Prices.
A Committee of Her Supervisors Come
to Grief.

\ TWeUtictn "
and heretofore harmonieusly cooperating Board OF
Supervisors OF Kings county, by presenting num-
| ber OF specimens OF articles which mad been pur-
chased by the Jail COMMITTEE OF that body at most
4 unconsclonable prices. He demanded an ex-
! PLANTATION In the way OF thorough in.
! vestigation. Such measure was, OF course,
] concurred in. There was no other alternative re-
| manning. Were not the reporters present9 OF
course they were II must be ventilated thoroughly
ana without delay. The minority party were most
urgent In further,ng an immediate inquiry into the
outrage upon the public treasury. The amount In
volved was not very large in the case In point,
nevertheless the principle at stake was OF the ut
most Importance. Hence the subject was referred
to the Law Committee Of the Board. They held q
session at which several witnesses were examined.
all OF whom failed TO throw any favorable hight upon
the
VERY DARK CASE.
The negro retained his position upon the enclo-
sure. There was very extended field left open for
suspicious speculation. The firm that supplied most
Of the articles umerated-Messrs. Kerrgan &
Few-knew thing or two, perhaps, but gave few
points which would throw any rays Of an ilumina-
tive tendency upon the matter
Yesterday morning the Board OF Supervisors met
for the purpose Of confirming the tax rolls for 1871
This business having been zone through Supervisor
Dwight Johnson offered the following resolution re.
questing the
MEMBERS OF THE JAIL COMMITTEE TO RESIGN
Whereas the testimony already taken before
Board demonstrates Their utter ncspaciiy to
s% ne M @ s
Resolved, That Messrs shevlen, Nelson and Smith be
mee and ali other committees OF this Board during the
gendency Of the investigation now being made by the Law
be submitted In relation to the work OF committees Of
which they have been members during the current
Mr. unNa aoid hat avnrv mar roft tIa Rno ri
feels disgraced by the developments already made
and that the gentlemen named in the resolution
ought to resign. Already the papers were recon.
mending that the Board should be abolished.
Supervisor SMITH, OF the Thirteenth ward, arose
and rendered his resignation, saying that he felt
that there had been derection Of duty his part
and that he was as culpable any one else for not
more strictly attending to mis- duties on the Jail Com
mittee.
Supervisor sHEvLEN Fifth ward, resigned on the
committee, saying That he had trusted good deal
TO Others, and that when tney bought the articles
they had believed the prices charged to be fair.
The resignation OF these two gentlemen were ac
cepted unanimously. Mr.. Nelson was absent
Supervisor HARMAN said he regretted that they did
not resign twelve months ago and have saved the
county eight or ten thousand dollars thereby.
Mr.. HOWELL, Eleventh ward, remarked that Mr.
Nelson was willing to resign on the JAN Committee.
Mr.. JOHNSON then withdrew the resolution for the
present, and the Board adjourned.
MUSEUM OF COUNTY DRY GOODS.
One OF the most interesting places TO the taxpay.
-
penditures OF those officials whose duty it Is to
pervise the financial affairs with proper regard TO
the best interests of Kings county Is the office OF
Messrs LOOMS and Alderman Thorn No. 149 Mon
tague street. Within the past week hundreds OF
prominent citizens have called at thA place OF enter
talnmeDt pro tenn for such as may ne concerned In
examining the character and quality OF the ma
terias purchased BY the county for the institutions
which 1t maintains. Those who have called there
have been both entertained aud enlightened beyond
all peradventure. They have felt impressed with
the fact tnat the ways OF the Board OF Supervisors
that they both "dark and peculiar.n The Pc
cularty Is painful TO ponder. Inspection and com
parlson Of the varied articles purchased by the Jail
Committee OF the Supervisors, at exerDitaat and
wonderfully advanced rates, win not bear the light
pardonable, irreconeilable and irrational seec-
tions OF goods have been purchased by the
IL would seem, and at preponderousy extravagant
prices. unheard OF by dry goods men IN this or any
deed, whether manufacturers OF the fabrics on exhi
bltion ever intended them for the Market whether
what poor and miserable samples they were capable
of turning out. The collection on the walls at the
temporary museum alluded to consists OF The follow
sHODDY BLANKETS,
First, there is horse blanket of shoddy and jute,
OF the most decayed description maglnable-so poor
tnat no army contractor ever dreamed OF showing"
1t upon the federal government even IN the heyday
II they are entitled to any valuation at all
IS set down by men who are in the blanket
business at less than 81 so per par Yet, strange
OF supervisors paid seven dollars par for this ar
llce, OF which they purchased about 5000 worth.
Beside the specimens on exhibition hangs pair OF
handsome heavy blankets, double the width and
longer, which are selling at retail in Brooklyn for
So so per pair.
CALICO
save the mark bearing the mark atlantic Print"
is also to be seen. This thinglt Is an article Of
wear surely being to thin to bear the tightening of
thread In seam-was purchased by the Jan Com
mitee at twenty cents per yard. far superior
quality price nine cents yard. OF calico Is hung be-
side IT, In glaring contrast, which can be had for
that figure at any dry goods store in Brooklyn.
BROWN SHEETING.
Cotton marked "Portsmouth A,n market price
eight cents, paid for by the committee at the rate OF
thirty-three cents yard IL alleged that the cot
ton ticking IN question, which is really a rcmarka-
bic AFFAIR, being as thin as mosquito netting and
OF texture liable to admit OF serious DOUBT as to
its capacity to mold straw was paid for at the rate
OF sixtyuwo and half yards to the piece but which
really only ''run" thirty-two and half yards. A
stOrekceper on Fulton avenue has on exhibition a
specimen of ticking, fine texture nearly inches
wider than that Of the committee, at twenty-one
cents
| There are other samples or home manufacture
here which merit the attention Of all taxpayers and
admirers Of American industrial products.