The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-01
a HTzzIED Press.
Nearly Ninety Thousand Dollars Expended
Yearly In the civ az BroohlvB on tho
hcwspa pers-The Rings Possessions.

The four corporation newspapers Of
Brooklyn, the Edgs. tho Union, the fimos, and
the Fretc Prcssc. receive, by a provision Of the
charter Of 1919. tdO,OO0 year 70 print the rou-
tine advertisements Of the city departments.
The Eagle receives the largest share Of this
sum. The Unto'i, notwithstanding that 1t s pro-
fesscdly Republican sheet, is owned by W. G.
Kingsley & Co., and receives q good share Of the
sum. The Tunes, n Republican paper, ana tho
Frr,s P,,sss, a German paper, receive smaller
shares. BESIDES this fixed income to such
papers az the Ring choose 70 employ, there IL u
further PATRONAGE provided for IN the adver-
tisina ~ the water rate aud tax sales. The
work IL to be contracted for at tue terms tho
The Advertisements are printed In tho English
papers. the German organ being lett IN the ruld.
Last year $3S,glS1O wa- paid To- the three Eng
hsh paucrs named for this work, giving cuch ono
fl26N.bB. The water rate and tax sales arr
printed IN suppleu ents, which come from the
press room Of one Office, and are sent ~ tho
other two Offices. In this way the cxpcnse to
each Office IL not over ftu giving each pgucr
a net Income Of {122H.hi- too precious a plum
to throw away by "a vigorous oxposure of the
corruption about the CITY Hall. The Tunes and
linton are thus held IN allowance, aud only one
paper Is left In the city Of over tOCO0 inh bItants
to tell the taxDayets how thoir money Is going
into the pockets OF kingsley Hing.
The Epgie, which - We klngsley's property,
draws SJU,OCO year from the city department,
exclusive OF county printing, ana of the sta
tionery supplies. IN which It's prOprietOrs have
ngured no prOltahly.
In 1871, Dwight johnson arose In the Board 81
Supervisors, and declared that the Committee on
Printing and Stationery had been guilty OF NAL
feasance, and asked for an Investigation. In
the course Of the inquiry i was proved that
the Eagle had sent In exorbitant charges to the
county Tor printing and stationery, and that
where the bills for these supplies had been
tl3-Ns91 N 1893 and $l94Il.2l IN ltsD they had
become s%G3l.SJ IN 1870.
Nv the testimony In The Investigation. II was
proved that for 258 poll lists, worth ON the mar
ket S15, the Eagle had charged the county
f'N7.20 for 2lb returns Of voters, worth SOS IL
had charged 500 for l,On Inspectors returns,
worth SIS, II had charged {2A for three equity
notice books, worth tl5. It had charged 81,
aud for three judgment books. worth SIS. It had
charged go Other Items, amounting In all TO
about 5000 were SHOWN 10y experts u have been
overCharged nearly 5000.
The Eagles charge, were from 70 to l3O per
cent above the market prices. The members Of
confessed that they had done nothing more
than to foot up the E1gc's bills. They also
passed In the names OF two clerks, bills greatly
over-charged for stationery procured from one
OF their own committee, supervisor Howell
Smith. the facts were made plain that no.
back the plumber. The minutes Of the Board Of
supervisor. show that the publishers returned.
10y way OF deducting the sum from another bill.
tl.SO at one time, and IL Is asserted that all OF
ti,uOO was returned. $200o IN cash ana g., 900 In
deductions from subsequent bills.
II was of the Edgie AT this time that Cortlandt
A. Sprague, the defaultnR city Ire 4surer. after
ward testified on his trial that the stock was
Immensely profitable Tue Eagle and the
mon are under the control Of the BROOKLYN
Ring, and the Eastern District Tunes Is kept
In respectful silence by threats to withdraw
the corporation patronage. The law is 50 drawn
that the city printing can be held a. a bait for
the majority OF the lVcrl paper.