The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-11-07

in as answer that they had annullcd their resoulon
and asked that proceedings might be discontinued put
thew never have been. The material which had been
brought together for the job moved around into s.
Felix street Portland avenue, and the same forgery
OF names perpetrated and used seeming authority
for paving those streets When the assessments were
laid against the properly we oy pro
city large. This cchpses anything we have expert
enced in New York
THE LIVE AND DISTINCT swISpLE
which has been agitatng Brooklyn for the past five
years Is what is known as the Hampstead Reservoir
bill passed the Legislature in the spring of 1871 giving
authority 70 the Common Council OF Brooklyn TO
pend 81 400 600 less for the erection Of storage
reservoir at Hampstead, l. The bes civil engineers
acquainted with Brookyn's water claimed at
that time and still claim, that there occasion
for reservoir; that when the time for Brooklyn
to increase its water supply the damming up of few
streams at an expense OF 5000 900 would furnish
water for million and half of people.
The opposition in Brooklyn to expanding SO large sum
of money asswas asked for by the Water Board and
the contractors who known the persons who
would have the job was very great The Water Board
and the newspaper owned by the supposed contractors
Kingsley and keeney manufactured water scare.
Persons in their interest cut of the water running into
the conduit They opened the gates letting water flow
out OF the conduit and existing reservoirs They pub
lshed statements OF tho short supply OF water They
sent circulars to houses and prohibited manulac-
turers and householders from using water ut GER
tain hours of the day. They invited the Common
Council and different persons to 90 out and
anime the low stage of the water and in various
ways created the impression that Brooklyn at the
mercy OF n conilagraton. BY these they pre-
pared the public mind for ndorsng the great 81 600
until change of officials following the election.
At the election OF 1871 Mr. H. A. Schroeder elected
airy l. 1872 On the 9th of that month a contract was
made between the Water Board and Kingsley and
Keeney for 81, 1877 00o The sum of $4,000 had been
appropriated for surveys $l36 900 expended for
land, &C These together make the total amount
of the appropriation.
COMPETITION ALLOWED.
Competition not allowed Mr.. William Beard
knowing that the letting TO be made, procured In
some indirect manner copy of the specifications and
tha hupI nf tl4a Wufa dat
or S456 000 Less than was four days thereafter gwen
to Kingsley II Keeney
The specifications called for work to be done 2l
Of land which was TO be excavated to depth OF TWEEN
tythree feet ana TO hold 600 900 600 gallons OF water
Almost at the commencement OF the work within the
specified dimensions they commenced to dig new re-
servor reducing the depth OF all TO from six TO six
teen feet They had no authority to go outside of the
original specifications, yet they were paid for
work done on the extension $3.50, 600; they
allowed to reduce the depth, thereby reducing the
pense they were allowed an extra compensation of six
cents each cubic yard for hauling the earth they
allowed eight cents yard for that portion of IL
put in the dam and they allowed TO make their
measurements OF the amount of earth removed
There contractors and engineers familiar with the
work who think that double the quantity of earth has
been charged for which should have been II properly
measured Another advantage TO the contractors was
in the terms of payments made to them. II agreed
that twenty per cent Of the expense of the work should
be left unpaid as guarantee for the com
plctlon of the work. Ten per cent Of this amount
was only to be paid on the completion
of the reservoir and the remaining ten per cent SIX
months after the final acceptance and completion Of
the whole work. They paid this guarantee
fund about $50 600 under Mr. Schroeder's ad
ministraton Comptroller and they have since been
paid by Comptroller Powell the same account
100000 They have asked for 100000 more money
completed November 30 1874 They have received the
full amount of the appropriation less than $57 600 only
remaining on the reserve guarantee account on which
account there should have been withheld in the
treasury S23l, 0o0"
MORE, MONEY
The city has therefore, paid 81 400 00O Is asked
to $500 600 for sand hole which m
gineer in the country thinks will hold when com
pleed, and which work could easily have been
tracted for ouequarer of the sum- No work has been
done the reservoir since last November. At a
meeting of the Board of Aldermen in May 1875, the
members of the Water Board said that they did not
make the change the specifications until February
H. this year, whereas the work was stopped last No
vember, and over S25OooO had been paid tho
changed specifications one and two years ago.
The management Of the bridge is familiar to the pub
lie of both cities, for New York originally subscribed
81 500 and since the last Legislature So 600 900
additional to the work. Brooklyn has subscribed
100000 toward it. The men who secured the legis-
laton and controlled its management furnished the
supplies without advertisement, without competition,
at whatever prices they chose to charge The mana
gers Supposed to be interested stone quarres
They have mill and lumber yard oca-
I ted on Gowanus Creek and other OF
supply within their control They voted TO
one of their pinbcr for general distribution
among pool one-seventh Of the entire money con-
tributed. They received commissions on the lands
purchased on the labor paid for salaries supplies &C.
committee of six consisting of Tweed, Stranahan,
Hugh Smith and Henry G. Murphy and others gave
out all the contracts authorized all the purchasing Of
supplies, audited their own bills made payments &c
When Tweed and Smith got into their difficulties a
good deal OF CONSERVATION felt by his Brooklyn
sociaes in the Bridge Commission The records Of the
commission mutilaed, entries changed in various
ways and part of the money which had been taken
covered back. Then the managers went to the
Legislature to secure relief The charter was SO
changed that they allowed to take the little
amount OF subscriptions they had made and still
left in control of the work.
THE CONTROL OF THE BRIDGE
Company, during its first four years was, by cunning
device in the charter placed in the hands OF the
the men who controlled 1851 900 OF the stock That
stock controlled by Mr.. q. Kingsley. He elected
his board of directors dictated the committees
be appointed, &c IL unnecessary for him to be in
the direction, for he could better carry his purposes
as general superintendent Mr. Kingsley, therefore,
the virtual controller OF everything to the bridge
management during the first tour years of its exist
ence. part of the board were democrats-a part
publicans,
The same is true OF every other commission in the
city OF Brooklyn.
THE wALIABour COMMISSION
This a board which had existence of between
seven and eight years. The commission consisted of
three persons-Mr A. Campbell republican; Alex
McHugh and $. L. Hustled, democrats. The purpose of
the commission was TO run street the Wala-
bout FATS, dig out the creek and erect a bulkhead
They had authority TO spend $3.50 600. They had
pended 81, $1,000. They never made any detailed
statements OF what the money was expended for.
Kingsley and Keeney were paid $S000C0 of this
money and Mr.. Adams, the same engineer who is
acting the reservoir for them, receiving a
salary from the Park Commission.
PROSPECT
Prospect Park first authorized be constructed
under limitation of expenditures of $500, 000 Ten
millions have been expended on the Park There was
reported TO be paid for 800 acres OF land about
ST. $50 900. The Commissioners then concluded to
tend the Park and took In nifty more of land for
which they say they paid 81 200 600 This fifty
land for which they paid $500 900 more than they paid
for the first $40 acres less valuable per than
the original purchase But very suggestive fact
presented that, between the first purchase and the
second one, the fifty acres had by some hocus pocus
gotten into the possession OF the friends OF the Park
Commissioners Somebody made 81, 900, 900
profit on that land.
MAYOR HUNTER,
seated in his office looked up at the HERALD reporter
in astonshment when asked If he knew that certain
officials Of the Brooklyn city government about
being proceeded against for malieasance in office.
''Wen, said the Mayor, with his usually pleasant
smile, "you newspaper folks know more than all Of us
put together. did hear about what you mention, but
IS particulars am ignorant"
90 you expect TO have pure government In
Brooklyn, Mr. MayorS"
''Not for some time, am afraid. You the Mayor
is OF little account this government He has no
plenary power lie cannot remove an official unless
fha InFntl mil 9au linda ha lap nf