The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-30
NEW BRIGHTON,s TRUSTEES.
Taxpayers PciitioDina Judge Giibert-Tho
Public Moneys Misdirected.

The taxpayers of New Brighton, Staten
Island, have onjoincd their Trustees from dis
posing OF tho village funds, believing that they
wero being misdirected. The Injunction was
granted, after a careful scrutiny Of the petition
OF the Taxpayers, by Judge Gilbert Of Brooklyn,
on Friday afternoon, and was served upon the
Trustees, Messrs. Richard d. whittemore, Presi-
dent, II. Tracey Arnold, Robert Moore. Ancil
vroom, John Mcdonald, and william J. Dodne,
q few hours later.
Mr.. J. W. Slmopton said yesterday that tho
majority Of the trustees, excepting the Presi-
dent, who uncompromisingly opposes every step
OF the kind, bave determined to Issue six thou
sand dollars worth OF the village bonds In an
ticipatlon OF the tax levy collectable In May,
1877. They have, moreover. arranged to expend
between eleven and twelve thousand dollars In
excess OF the revenue of tho current year. and
are endeavoring to dispose Of that OF next year.
The injunction not only restrains them from
issuing the bonds. but from contracting to
macadamize the Narrow Road, which Is on an
out-of-the-way edge OF the village. Their pro-
posed action was entirely contrary to the village
charter. IL Is provision OF tho char er that
ticular ward yields to the village purse shall he
expended within Its limits The trustees had
no right to contract to have this mncad amizinR
done at the cost Of tue entire village. President
WhittemDrc, Now York broker, aud Pres
ident of the iidon aud Hendricks club
OF New HightuD, was so fully convinced
Of the illegaliv Of the course Of the
trustees, that he would not sign tho w,rrants
Ihst were pessud, despite hia 1rm opposition.
The trustees threate en- that II he dare not sign
these warrants they will remove hi,n, and put a
man In his pl"ce WHO "iil II they d. this
tae tcz iRyer- VIII p.c.cc T. them, President
whlttsnrrs havir, ucru - cted for a fun term
Of Once. y protect 0goirs. tie anticipation Of
TIE hex Ncaf's tfr raN-iu. OF tha village, signed
~ ~ u the wcal nj lest and most cstima6ls tax
Iayefs, was presentcd I, the trustees on the
lSth hu, 1t was merely Med. On Friday
evening dc-srs. Greenneid and Riwson, counsel
fOr the taxpayers, asked for permission to ad-
dress the trustees In regard to the disnclinaiion
rlismanaged. The trustees declined to hear
them, and Mr.. Arnold added that they had no
leisure. When he saw the Injunction, howe YER
be was disposed to give the counsel a respectful
hearing. lie moved that counsel be employed
TO defend tho trustees. President Whttemore
said that the motion could not he entertained.
IL was not a lcyul act against the village, but
against tho individual trustees. to restrain them
The board then adjourned. hut meeting
again ABOUT mic'1lxht, without President " hit
tcmore, posed Nr. Arnods motion. The
trustees have not even n reasonable rrctext for
tucir course. lie was. as one Of the original
trustees OF the village. in d lily consultation
wi;h the lawy who framed the charter, and he
is sure thnt every possible provision was made
against such ring as now exists In the Board
sir. J. l.. Emmons Secretary OF the Taxpay-
ers' Association, said that the Trustee Ring had
even resortcd TO publishing an inflated st. te-
traydsance. The taxpayers perceive that some
Of the trustees are DISPOSED to New Court House
practices and they are resolved to stamp them
Uut. Ihe taxpayers. according to the village
charter, claim that the nsc4l year begins on the
lst OF April but the Ring trustees assert that IT
begins Oh the lat OF June, wishing TO have in
their hands the tax receipts due In Aprl for
several months.
President Whittemoro and the village Trens-
ufer and Clerk scruiiuikei the village accounts
on SATURDAY They fouud that instead OF hav-
Ing u surplus. ns tho Ring trustees guarantee,
the village will owc upward Of ten thous-
and dollars, Offset by about eight thousand
dollars VI unco.lecicd taxes, not more than two
thousand dollars Of which can he collected.
Three thousand i've hundred dollars will prob
ably be requisite to defray the ordinary ex-
peiises II the will &c until the lst Of April If
the trustees are restrained from their beadIong
ex.revasanee, the village will be able to free IL
sslf frcin Us iDdcptedn9ss.
The spokesman for tho Board OF Trustees,
who asked that his namo should not be pub
lished, said that the main difference between
tie taxpayers and the trustees T. that the former
say thAt tho fiscal year begins the lst VI June,
and the latter On the l3t VI AI1il.