New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-01
B4 900 TO So. 900 annually. The letter invited the
committee t. accompany the writer To the Court OF
Snociat Sessoua and annny othcr thfups said

committee t. accompany the writer To the Court OF
Spccial Sessions. and among other thugs said:
On the outside Of thc door IL officer at loo
per annum inside the met another at 200
year AT the end OF short passage. say twelve ieet
long, IL found another 81 200, ana at M IRON gate close
by il sui another II 200. The latter gate opens niv
another slart passaga at tho end of which IS seen TINS
time 81 500 "cUurt attendant -whhteVer mat means
whose precious duties must be faiigung. as he j.
always seated Well. from this spot let ~ take sur
yey. After noticing three or fonr other II 200 repre-
sentatlvcs standing In the body OF the cOur-noin our
eyes rest upon tue ie 1anis OF tho courtroom Ihs POT
ou of the nails OF justice y painfully usges.e 10 ne
ticu hprsef Upon revolving chairs are reclining Two
ooneiylooEing gentlemen, one on whom rror,ve- ane
their pubic services upon me THRONE,
bench, OF tnis temple where some eyllnnded
persons declare tusticc II dispensed wlth we tehou
hrce gen lemen either seated on standing as he bumor
takes Ie and whose labars the CITY Government ue-
cares worth $4,000 per anDum eacn or more tnan
ANY Prime Minister the Continent OF Europe receives
We'll wai does this inestiusbe bessng cost usf why
only s243. 900 year!
Senator Bxby pronounced the statemsnts OF tie
letter false
William H. Webb, of the Council Of Reform, the
first witness. said that he had a practical knowl-
edge of docks and that he wished TO make some
suggestions affecting a management Of tho Dock
Department in the interests of economy and the
convenience Of shippers and shipping. He said that
he did not know how much the Department spent
last year the Council of Reform had complaint
to make of the amount of money spent annually
II was content to see larger spent, II the
city only got value for them. The Council had two
Recommendations to make ~ That the present
system OF issuing bonds b6 abolished aud
the Dock Department compelled to ask the
Board OF ApDOT ionment for money, az other CITY
departments do and (2, that the present system OF
bhIlding stone bnlkheads be abolished. In 1877
bill was passed bN the Leg stature providing that
the Board OF AppOrtiOnment and the SINKING fund
Com nissIoDerS should approve the bulkheads; but,
for Some reason not explained the bill never went
the Governor. AT the 1t It session OF the Logs
hill
insOn suffered il 10 die. At the last session an AZ
tempt to pass n similar bill was defeated The bills
referred TO were approved by the Chamber of Com
meree the Board of Trade, the Produce Exchange.
and other commercial bodies. MI WOOD continued;
The Council OF Ref urges the Dock Commissioners
with Their work, AS tue CITY - Eherhe Tor ac
con- n1oda ms years OF tDc ocean stoRm
ship companies was forced 10 seek scccInuonsons IN
Jersey C4y then hsinet ar Sodn' o. 1s To r
town comparatively Nj. Vsnderbts grain elevators
,ow are aud III Bremen Limo went HobOken IT is
Undrstood Dock Commissioners intend TO build
piers up town. IL Is moro convenient Tor steam
slip composites 10 up town than for them to cross
the river. A bill ia needed regulating the power
OF tbe Dock Department aud the conversion OF tue
water 'front.' Otherwise The Commissioners will not he
able proceed with improvements. They will be beset
with lawsuits and lnJunctlops The question whether
the Department has fhe right To build bukhoads 10 front
Of piers owned by private persons. I'll IA the Intervals
aud ownership OF he lands 50 made, without pay
ing damages, Is now pending In the oonrts DOCK own
ers not with the decisions hus far reached
when have been favor OF the city Tney do not think
the city c.na afford 70 steal their property.
Mr. Webb said that he used the word steal adj
visadly and confessed that be interested in
dock property. The stone bulkhead system now
practised he said, was ten times as expensive as
system If crib bulkheads that had been recon-
mended. and the bulkheads of stone would not last
any longer.
Mr. BEERS CALLED UPON TO EXPLAIN.
James f. Serrel City Surveyor and civil ell
gneer, volunteered testimony in behalf of
tho Taxpayers Association, which has
headquarters ~ Third-ave. and Twenty -Gftb-st.,
and which claims membership of $500. Mr.. Ser
rell wanted to make recommendations affecting the
questions of Croton water and sewage. It was
found however, that he had nothing to state which
the committee could properly consider. and he gave
place 10 hr. Beers. secretary of the Council of Re-
FORM Senators Bixby and Strahan accused Mr.
Beers Of having attempted gross DECEPTION upon
tbs Senate Committee, and, through 1t, upon the
public by presenting o comparative statement OF
salaries paid by the various departments IN 1860
and $50 not one figure OF which was correct. Inc
statements they said. were inexcusabe. rs Mr.
Beers could easily have procured Official nguTtS
Mr. Beers maintained that the figures OF the Council
were i'm the main correct, although II possible
that mistakes rad been made. Senator Blxby COM
pared the figures of tho Council with those of Con-
trolier Green, and showed that the Council had
made the sal larry accounts Of 1860 less than they
were by 1921 ,791, aud the salary accounts of 1880
more than they were by $1.709,94O.
Senator Mccarthy said that the table of figures
furnished by the Council had not impressed hm,
because they had not been properly backed up.
Mr. Beers said that as the figures of the Council
had been challenged. IL would ask an opportunity 10
~ bstaut!ate them.