New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-11-18
CROSS FRAUDS UPON TAx-PAYERS.

1t is everywhere agreed tnat the plans ior
identifying and extending the city into West
chester ought to be carried out There Is
popular impression that this grand system OF
public improvements began with the Ring but
it really originated with tho old Central Park
Commissioners, and the Ring simply employed
it rs a means Of plumber. The plans were jul
dcious in design, and men saw that when COM
pleted they would add great wealth and
beauty to the city. Hence the general demand
that the works shall go forward vigorously.
The grand schemes of the West Slde,-the
Boulevard, Riverside Park, the Washington
flights New Road,-and the East Side avenues
which are contemplated, must be supple
mented by the Harlem River suspension
bridges and tunnels already planned, ana
finally by the absorption of the Westminster
towns on common grade and plan with the
upper part of the metropolis.
But all are equally agreed that 1t IS hlgh
time the corrupt system of strect-openlngs,
upon which the Ring fraudulently conducted
this important business should come to ruin.
We present this morning an array of facts
relative to this matter, which will startle tho
community, familiar as it has been made with
exposures of frauds. We have in this no
wish or purpose to reflect on individuals; 1t 10
the corrupted system which we desire to see
DESTROYED and it is the facts alone which
reflect on any person named. Many of the
Commissioners will be recognized as having
the fullest confidence of tho community, and,
as far as they are concerned, 1t is the system
which is at fault.
There arc thirty-six of the Commissioners
at present acting in pending street-openlngs
who without tho remOtest notion, perhaps,
that they have been guilty Of any offensc, are
indictable for misdemeanor under the same
law under which Mr.. Nathaniel Sands stands
charged. There is hardly a Commissioner
except those lately appointed, who has not
inyalidated his work by illegal charges, and
none of these with unsettled claims has the
slightest chance Of getting courts to confirm
his charges There have been clearly illegal
accounts rendered, and, according to all
reports, the grossest Oyercharges have
been made. In many instances, the
charges of Commissioners are ten times
what the law allows. In seven cases which
we cite, the legal charges which should have
been made amounted to 520,272 TO- while the
charges actually submitted came to Sl76,3J0
If IN seven cases the overcharge was
1856, 1875 so, is it not clear that in the misman-
agement of the thousand Of other openings
the property-owners of New-York have been
defrauded Of many millions of dOllarsY All
this, as we show, is part of the corruption
which Barnard and CardOzo fostered and left
behind them to plague us, and we must be
rid of it efiectualy before the development OF
the city can be carried on to the advantage
of the public and in justice to property
owners.
The COMMISSIONERS in the 4j pending street.
openings are pressing the cases which have
Jagged for two years past in the hopes OF
closing them before q new Legislature devises
better system. But the first of the assess
ments submitted in the Supreme Court met
with opposition, and it is understood that, in
the interests of taxpayers and the city, Con-
troller Green will oppose the Others as they
are presented. We trust that he will investi-
cate tho charges of every Commission where
claims arc unpaid, and contest in the public
courts every item he has reason to believe
extravagant or illegal. He will have the
earnest support of the honest part of the
community and the aid Of the press at least,
we promise him and every other official who
acts with him TO reform this lingering abuse
of the Ring tho heartiest support of The
TPIpTNF