New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-04
COrPT HOUSE hXTENSTON.

CHARGES AGAINST THE COMMISSION.
prpopT oF 4 COMMITTEE OF THE CENTRAL TAN
PAYERS ASSOCIATION TO BIZ PRESENTED 10
THE MAYOR.
A committee of the Central Taxpayers Associa-
ton has for some time past been making an eXaini-
nation of the records of the Commission for the com
petion of the new County Court House. In their
report which they will send to Mayor Cooper they
will charge the Commissioners with eXtravagaht
and unIa,yfuI expenditures of money, and with III
cxcusablc delay i'm completing the new wing oil tic
Cont House. The Commission is composed OF
Thomas b. Tappen, Wys Blackstone. John /.
Cummings aud Francis Blessing, the latter IN place
OF :. L. Shaw. deceased. They were appointed by
Mayor Havcmcycr, TO whom they were Iecoh-
,oondcd nv Andrew II. Green. then Controller.
They were commissioned to complete and make addi-
tjous and alterations to the new Court House, at a
salary Of 81 900 each per annum. They chose
Leopold Eillitz as their architect and instructed
him TO prepare plans for the new south wing, and
for the completion of the p0rtICO, the dome and the
rotuuda He was TO be paid Big per cent on the
total cost of the work rs soon as the plans were
ready. The Commissioners drew their pay, the re-
port SAYS, regularly for months before any WORK
was begun. The architect submitted plans for a
wing covering 7OX5O feet of ground, when IT was
found that the Commission had only fifty feet OF
ground 10 build on unless they asked the city Tor
transfer which they did not do. Contracts had
already been made but the architect was instructed
10 draw new plans making the length oi the build
ing in accordance with the ground. 1t IS claimed
that tuc contractors were told to make new esti-
mates on the reduced plans, but that after the est
mates had been passed upon tho architect altered
his plans leaving out great deal Of costly material
without the contractors being made to reduce their
al fran u Tftfrt he fItL
The committee alleges that the new contracts were
entered into at an increased price over those
charged in the original plan; thaJ the
homework TO support the uolhe was SCI
aside for more costly masonry work, winch
decreased the hight and ventilation. The style OF
architecture OF the new portion is Inherent from 'h
OF the main building, contrary TO the provisions 81
the law passed Tor competing IIc "'iA' aii l'e
Use OF fancy work Will increase the cost OF hclp 10
keen the same free from dirt. II Is also claimed tAat
contracts for large amounts were let without any
advertisement calling for public bidders; th1t The
members of the Commission allowed Tire WORK 10
proceed without having in their possession copy
OF the plans, they could NOT see whether the COLI
tracts were being fulfilled; thaJ the Work mas Dech
prolonged beyond the tim, fixed Tor IFS completion.
simply to extend the Commission and It's attendant
expenses, Wntc the Work - NOT yer nearly COM
pleted and that this delay Is largely due 10 the neg
i,Ct of the architect. The estimated cost OF the
extension wing rotuuda and pUriicO on Chambers
st. WAS originally SI2Oi90. The committee says
that the same work could be done Tor Out-thId tine
amount and thai the u -Lt Uud ventilation are IN
lions provide for five tiers of iron beams, w uc only
four have been put IN, although i've have been paid
for The committee further says:
o. account OF subsututn- lrcE-wolk for white mar
bile Tor the rotluda the of @i29gJ deducted
while @I2J1J added to the UrIc contract without
work a reduction Of ,ilo0 was made ON the second
contract whe Tor tLe second contract on caipencT-
lowest estimate 90 should have been tilo5; that on
masonry the original estimate was - ~ ana Tor IN.
reduction OF t"r s"uh "ilE twenty i,at ah allowance o
5000 was made. Iue second estimate was liked at
9lI3l, the reduction on thc total OF the decreased
plans being ,br amount, $500, whereas % should
have bccu So 1871. Tie original couIei Tor tic Stone
work Of the ne" building vac hN,d "t F35li1s, whne
ton for taken out or the rouEt3 and c.gdt for ~
the specifications, ana Tor the Tt1utea piaNs IA The
have been fully $500" ~ this % Wi. Ice seen that
Inc four principal contracts the reduction on the orig
IauE the reduced size of the building into cons dcra-
ton the reduction dd not amount To- per cent or one
hitA OF What -""G nave ott' i"e commit Gee is as
founded that these large amounts should nav, been
pended on small building aud tHat Their. is not
work or material To warrant 1uch expenditure.
Tie Commissioners and their architect have been
paid the following excluding the sum paid to Mr.
shaw M 10 the first Of last April:
Commissioner Blackstone sos 90
Commissioner Cumming 1SJ5 90
Commissioner 7e33 -
Commissioner Blessing 27Jj i6
Mr.. Ediiz drawing tho pous............l625 IS
Additional TO NJ. 1000 90
The architect Is blamed for lack of Judgment, the
committee showing that the difference between the
real and estimated cost on many important items
is more than oue-hIf Tho committee vii! call on
thr MavUI on TUESDAY 10 ask Tor an investigation.
Commissioner Blackstone says the committee is
comnosed of irresponsible persons, and that their
I,.poIt is Worl bless lie saws the cost seems large
because tie oomo ana rotuhda ana p'iucJ are the
most costly parts. he Commissioners, he says,
have consulted the Corporation Counsel at every
step. lie thinks the refusal of the Commissioners
to BE- governed by certain politicians IS tue cause
for the alleged Investigation.
BASE BALL NOTES