The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-10-01
COMMISSIONER CAMPBELL'S DEFENCE.


A SPICY REJoINDER TO COMPTROLLER KELLY's
LETTER AND NEW GROUNDS OF ATTACK.
Tho following letter, in response to q recent
munication Of Comptroller Kelly's, was yesterday
transmitted to that official by Commissioner Of Public
Works Campbeil:-
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.
CoMMssIosER's OFFICE, Room 10 CRY HALL,
NEW YoRK, Sept rs, 1878.
HoS. JONI KELLY. Comptroilsr:-
sIR-Aithough 1t seems scarcely necessary to mako
any answer TO the long and lame defence continued
In your letter OF the 11tn insi, in reply TO mine Of
The ed ul In regard TO certain payroIs, yet, in
order that the facts touching the true question az
issue may remain correctly set forth upon the
OF the department. will briefly notice few leading
points.
FRAUDULENT BILL AGAIN
Frst-Your letter is remarkable Tor the absence OF
any alluson TO my principal charge, VIZ, that after
accusing OF falsiiying payros ater the manner OF
.'iormer commissioner" you paid the rolls in full
In regular course before awaiting reply clearly
showing that you knew the statement TO be untrue.
This evasion may be a convenient way OF getting
the dilemma, but II Is too transparent 10 admit of
success. You cannot escape from tho charge and
conviction under cover OF Patrick Barnes' pump aud
length without however. stating the circumstances
or amount invovedl or by digressions the OF
repairs 10 pavcments about which you and your in
fornants are altogether In error, and upon your
economics in the Board Of Apportionment reducing
my estimates for improving the disgraceiul pave
mens in this city and Tor protecting ana streng hon.
ing the Croton Aqueduct and upon other matters
pertinent 10 the main question.
Because repelied your aspersions with just indIg
nation you speak OF expressions my letters s'not
In use with gentlemen" Is IL the practice among
gentlemen, according to your Standard to MAKE
charge OF The most outrageous character and imme-
daey thereafter TO admit by their own acts that they
know It 10 be false and yet not have the manness to
In our city government whom one OF Its h CHEST off,
GERS thus violates the rst principles of justice and
honorY
PURELY OFFICIAL.
Second-Ysu say, II nave very little leisure to de-
vote 10 answering personal attacks" and again, II
care nothing personally Tor Your accusations of
truthfulness This issue Is In respect personal
Your charge against me OF ialsifying payros was
made by you omcally; my reply was an official docu-
ment and all correspondence on the subject official
and must remain as such upon the records OF the
QUESTION OF TIME
Thard-You say that after tue lapse OF several days
the men (whom you had pronounced "hctnious'a
were paid their wages. Tnere was not lapse OF sew
eral days. Yon paid the regular gangmen on the 18th
OF August and the FICTITIOUS" men on The following
day.
THE CHARGE OF ExTRAvAGAxcE.
F0urth-You pass by without single word of allu-
in the payroll Of engineers and assistants Ior mainte
nance OF boulevard roads and avenues, which had
shown 70 be without any foundation.
THOSE PAYRoLLS.
FUh-The names OF the laDorers which followed on
tho payroll Immediately alter those OF the gang
had been returned in the same manner on pre-
vious rolls and the men had been regularly paid by
you so that your objeclion could only have been as
to form, which should have boon ully called
to my notice, without an allegation of fraud. The
linus is too gar,n ny TO admit OF defence.
THE LEXINGTON AVENUE PAVEMENT.
Sirn-Your assertions as to the cxtravagant cost
OF repairs to pavements arc entirely variance with
the facts. You mention particularly the work in
this work daily myself, and perhaps it is too
much TO claim that am as good judge as you or
that the work well faith uliy dope "a
Into the eight hour system Increased
COST ., assng new WORK 70 INA. already DONE II win
Your assertion that pavements can DO rslad at ak
teen cents per square yard is absurd considerable
amounJ OF such work has been done this by
contract, under sharp competition by experienced
man. at an average cost OF cents per square
yard
Your assertions that the repairs generally are ex-
travagantly done cannot stand moment IN face OF
the TACT that have several instances proved the
contrary by actual measurement OF the paved.
The tow men employed by the day on repairs nave
been selected for their working capacity and
indiscrimnate issue OF s'laDor tickets and they
understand that idisness will be promptly followed
by dismissal Considering the bad con dition Of our
fail 10 tina: at previous time has sub
stanal WORK been done toward their restoration for
equal amount oil money. N@l #G4 Il.
ECONOMY, TRUE AND FALSE.
Scuenh-As 10 your claim TO .economy in having re-
ducsd my estimates Tor requirements some $6oO, 900
IN the years, and few thousand dollars for
necessary work ON the Crolon aqueduct, II Is the
opinion of all we'll informed citizens that 1t was .
Rrsat mistake. yield 10 no public officer IN desire
to avoid all unnecessary expenditures, and results
Will show that have acted this principle, but there
are works which tho true interests OF the city require
TO be carried on and 70 ignore or delay them i false
economy, ami displays a narrow view OF the situation
Among The most mportant of THESE works reno
waited street pavements and Improvements In our
water supply.
REDUCTION EXPENDITURES
Et0hfh-As to the reduction OF expenditures In this
depart mont during the three years Of my term
pared with The three years preceding, am unlng
considerably more than SIC 900 000 II 10 sufficient
say that, while me bouevards and some her street
openings were drawing to close In 1876 thaving
been s0nstruc ~ most extravagant Cosll, there
has since been great deal OF useful and necessary
work done the lower part OF the city and
saTy work n other parts stopped and the plans
changed For example, tho Kingsbridge road instead
OF being regulated, graded, Jagged aud paved Al q
cost OF several hundred thousand dollars has been
improved and made pleasant suburban road at
OF few thousands, 70 the satisfaction OF all citizens
the TACT paent that Ia many instances work OF the
kind and extent Is done AZ oae-quartcr the
Cost, and IN the difference greater.
The Board Of Assessors can give you valuable inior-
nation this subject, and taxpayers very well
oerstand what = reduction oil two three millions
per annum imports, no matter whether made the
tax levy, bond account or assessments, for 1t all
comes out OF their pockets
Inc following Is statement of all expenditures by
this department for the past eie hit years:-
$ll, 16l,00l 1876. 81 33S, 095
1877 .......... 5,S26lI2 1S77.......... 30SS, 1903
lS7a .......... 7,647 $50 1873 (last quar-
lS74......... 7,609 l31 ter estimatsdj SOC, 900
1870 o,Slo, aoz
you make this remarkable assertion In your last lot
tcs:-"I regard with equal interest all ths depart
Of tno CITY government. As general rule, so
tar known 70 me, the several departing nts con-
duct their business IN the interest of economy.
Yours, IN my opinion, Is an exception.
have made illusions comparisons with
other depart menta How much truth tnerc your
assertion regarding mine let candid aud the
suits aad re0srds VI my administration answer Re-
spectfully, ALLAN CAMPBELL,
Enr nm nalnn ar Pnh WArka