The New York herald., 1879-08-07
THE PARK COMMISSIONERS TO GO.

QUIET INVESTIGATION BY THE MAYOR WHICH
Is no RESULT IN CHARGES AGAINST THEM
FOUR HEADS FOR ONE BASKET.
Mayor Cooper has at last come to the conclusion
that the Park Commissioners-Messrs. wenman,
Lane, Conover ana wetmore-are unit for their
positions. and in few days will make charges
against them. which he will, after CIV
ing the Commissioners an opportunity to
be heard send to the Governor for his
approval. In the opinion Of the Mayor the parks
have been generally mismanaged, and. through the
neglect and bad rule Of the Commissioners. become
eyesore to the public. He has had Tor some time
engineers employed examining the condition of the
parks. and the work the Riverside Drive the en-
gineers have investigated thoroughly. Their
clusion IL anything but favorable the Commits
soners The alleged fraudulent bills the contrac-
tors will undoubtedly play important part in the
charges.
These bills were presented to the Park Board
between March 20. 1878. and October 30 1878.
and for the following amounts = March 20.
s6,673 "a: April 10. 5000 -; May 8. s9.14I IA;
June 8. s17.Oo7 Oh; July ), $15.oo5 ~; August :,
slsl7o %; October 30. s15.l25 O9. The total of all
these bills. it will be seen. amounts to Sl21 393 49,
and 1t is claimed that they rendered by the con-
tractors compensation for work on Riverside
Drive, which was not performed i'll accordance with
the contract specifications.
The most glaring frauds perpetrated during the
reign OF the Tweed Ring compassed through
the auditing of bills for alleged services rendered
the city. At that time n board audit passed upon
all claims against the city. most OF the departments
having little or nothing to do with the matter be-
yond certifying that the proper services Per
formed. The dsbursing operations Of the Park De-
partinent are at present, and have been for some
scn ns wnas . as ne sys
claim that 1t would be utterly impossible for any
fraud to be attempted, much less carried out sue
cesstuliy 1t is said however. that the Commission
crs ot Accounts who have been conducting official
examination three weeks past. will be- able to re-
port that and possibly more instances traudu-
lent bills were auuited by some OF the Park Com
missioners.
STRONG ARRAIoSMHsr.
Although the contractors sent monthly bills to
the department 1t is alleged that they did NOT specify
in the proper manner the way the work was being
done. Their bills were. 1T IN said made out to look
If the services called for the contract
derod. Whether the proper services were rendered
can pest De seen from the perusal oil report made
by competent engineers into the manag emeut and
progress of the work on riverside Drive This docu
ment, among other things. says:-"lhat from oil the
details 1t appears that the contractors for the inn
provement and construction OF Riverside avenue
hAe complied with the requirements OF the contract
in the dimensions OF some of the material ana in
the character of the work thereon. yet they have
materially failed In other details and
that the present superintendng engineer has
received such material and permitted such work
to be performed, and constructvcly approved
of snch by embracing them in his monthly estimates
Oh material ana work anu certifying TO tner correct
That the boundary OF the avenue the dimen-
sons, location and arrangement of walks grass
faces, &C., have been altered from the ginal de-
sign, ~ submitted to and approved by the depart
ment that alterations in the dimensions OF material
ana character OF work have been made and permit
ted by the present experimenting engineer, wholly
arbitrary on his part. being not only without the
sanction OF, but without the knowledge of the de-
partment. and, hnaly, that the superv 81 the
reception of the materials and of the execution of the
WORK in it's progress iii their general character
has not only been in disregard OF the original design
upon which the contract based, and OF ITS speci
ncations. but 1t has been in wise calculated to