New-York tribune., 1873-05-14
STREET.OPENING METHODS.
FRAIrDS In BROOKLYN.


For the past five or six years the taxpayers
OF BROOKLYN have suffered from gross iinpositonS "
burdens INN ,sei UPON them, the form of assesSen
for the grading, paving. and openings OF stroets "o
assessments have greatly increased during 'no p'
year and In many have become so onerous '"aS
property-owners have permitted their properly =" W
taken IN default Of payment rather than pay ''
ments which In cases have amouhIeu W '
times the value OF the land. Endeayors have Deen
made by persons Interested to obtain from the Depart
ment Of CITY Works which cases has charge oi
tho assessments made by the Commission OF AwaruS
and Assessments, the details OF the charges tue p
paid Tor counsel fees, the charges OF the
and the price OF and engineers iees; ou' 'o
information could not be obtained. similar hquny
made at tho Department of Parks In cases where IL u
charge of new enterprises, met with tho same fe''
until the property-owners despared OF obtaining Sa'N
factory information, and were compelled 10 pay '"'
obarrea or permit their property 10 be sold. The Oom
nittees OF One Hundred and OF Fifty have Vainy on-
deavored obtain information on the suDec'' pu' WV
very little success while tho resolution OF tho ooho"
Council, calling for list of the lawyers VINO nave Do
paid 10y the Board OF City Works has met with no ro
sponse and it Is believed that reply will be made.
Sufficient inorma lion. however. has been oDt'heu W
show that "A system of the gTayost character pie's
and that taxpayers are unawfuy compelled 10 pay
enormous amounts in the form OF tlssessihehtsi '"
Corporation Counsel Do Witt, who has charge OF street
openngs IN those not provided for by speca es
isaton has caused large payments for searches 10 DO
made 10 his clerk, his assistant to DistroEAtorney
Brton and others; that Senator Henry G. Murphy anu
other lawyers have received immense ices ior Iesa
services in street Openngs that lots have been ordeeu
10 be ed AT ruinous to property-owners VINO nave
yanly protested, thereby enabling c0ntractors' "ho
are said TO divide the spOs TO make immense amounts
from the contract and is shown that the whoo sSs
tenn OF opening. grading, and paving Oh streeIs Is !"
sIa fpfn md
cases ruin of propery-hoders. Tho following lacts
and Bgnres which have been obtained with much dit-
deulty may be relied upon correct in every partcn
lar and afford insight into tho workings OF the street
Improvement schemes:
Streets in Brooklyn are opened, paved. and graded
either in accordance with legislative enactment Wmch
provides that certain commissioners named In the D OF
appointed by the Commissioners OF Parks or CITY WORKS.
shall have charge of the surveys, make the requisite
searches and declare the Of the assessments or
in the more common Of authorizing the Corpora
ton Counsel nominate certain persons as CoihiS
soners 10 Judge OF the Supreme Court who may con-
firm the nominations appoint other persons as COn-
mssoners as he shall choose. The Commissioners select
their lawyers and engineers, ana send their bills for
their services to the Corporation Counsel who author
ICED by an act of the Legislature passed in 1871 TO pay
all moneys for searches and opening streets from the
revenue fund when the assessments confirmed The
former system to pay when the assessments were
levied aud collected This would seem to open the door
TO huge system OF fraud. The present Corporation
Counsel unlike his predecessor, never makes ohcal
search This would involve the payment Of the Regis
ters and County Clerks fees Yet nearly $4,000 Is ann-
ally expended in payment for searches by the Corpora
ton Counsel and distributed, will be shown below
UEIoS-sr. oyERcHARGEs.
The assessment for opening, grading, and paving
Unonst from Thrdave. TO Nnth-ave. was confirmed
about two months ago. Among the charges were s $50
for lawyers fees OF which were paid to tho
law firm OF Henry c. Murphy & Sons Tho price usually
charged by the legal practitioners is 500 block or
$1,000 for the whole OF TINS opening Oi SIX Dioeks'
making an oyercharSe OF ASo or 40 per cent NOR
are over s2cOO while fair charge would not nave exc
ceeded oneourth that amount OF the total charge Tor
surveyors fees 900 was after the street
had been completed and the work paid for win the ex
cepton OF Tagging the sidewalks. The assessments
amounted to $OOs lot, or s2OlG for every running 2S
feet Of street IL the proper charges nad Dee maui Tue
assessment would not have amounted TO haf that sum-
sACKETT-sT swISDLEs.
The assessments for grading Sackett-st between
Fourth and Fifthaves confirmed short time ago,
and the amount declared to be largely in excess OF
what it should be. The contract was originally given to
j. NJ Daft who agreed do the twork for 70 i3 foot or
"a Ioo altogether Mr. Duff drew all his money when the
work was only partially done, and then abandoned the
enterprise. His sureties failed to make the contract
good qRa RSacS ano Tesc Whose bin a amounted to si7 o.
This made assessments amount to $3.50 ON each lot
h frt coniraetor had been compelled to finish the
work and payment had been properly made.
PREsIDRNT-sr FRAUDS.
Some time ago Presdenst ordered to be leveled,
filed in, and paved from Tnrdave. to sixth-ave Tho
ground between Fifth and slxthaves. consists Of high
huff while the street between Third and Ffthaves will
reonre 10 be filed in The dirt which would have to be
moved from one part would m the other but s being
used for another purpose which VIII fe1nire Ine
tance The following Will chow how the matter Is con-
Quoted At DeGraw-st and FOurthave there Is largo
lot flnyvla
fi in such the owner Is not permitted to do
Of CITY Works takes charge OF the matter and contracts
10 the work. and charges the amount 10 he properly
owner In this case contract made by the Board
of CIty Works with Mr.. McCann contractor, TO n up
the lots cubic yard for all the DIRT earted In
The owner OF the property demonstrated with the Com
and said that they withheld the order for
the filing he would put high board fence around the
land which would every purpose that the fence
filled n would be worth much less han the cost OF the
WORK The remOusrance produced no effect, the work
was ordered TO proceed and the present time 100 900
cubc Yards OF dirt have been placed In the lots which,
at the contract price, will amount to $4,000, or about
A. bO for each lot which Is four times than lots OF
nigh land are worth in the vicinity.
Investigation made few days ago by some members
OF the Committee OF One Hundred revealed that the
dirt used IN filing these lots s being taken from the
every one would be used to n the lower portion OF
that street. aud the utmost surprise expressed as the
yard to the city and its removal from Union-st.
must add to the cost OF Regulating and grading
| that thoroughfare The owners of property In
the region OF the canal IN south Brooklyn
have suggested to the Board OF City Works that II
| the filing up OF these lots shall be left TO the
natural progress OF in few years the low
lots will bo ed from the ashes aud dirt dug from the
cellars OF the houses building In that region OF the city
and viii cost little or nothing of the
But such is design Of the Beard Contracts must
be 10 certain persons and the taxpayers protest
in VAN Great complaint made not only OF the heavy
the Union-s grading and paving but Is
claimed also that portion OF the assessment should fall
upon the city, IL asserted that the object OF the work
4. 10 make grand drive and outlet from the city To
Prospect PARK for the benefit OF the Inhabitants OF the
| VIII ".
who have no immediate interest In the laying OF the
| pensiye NcOsOn pavement and costly haggihg.
| wAsHISGToN-AvE. ASSESSMENTS.
| The assessments opening Washington-ave. were