New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-08

Che Legislature yesterday with reference To the cohuno'
Of The affairs of the Docl Department
Its proper for me 50 make statement Min reference
10 tbs charges said TO have made IN their report N
view of the fact that Tie committee dectuod to examine
me- when on Monday morning ilst, appeared "e'ole
II without a suhpona, and requested Z" 10 eN"',''
though ~ the afternoon of tir same day upon "' ''
appra,aucn for The purposr, She ncDi'eiH '"''''' 80
tho privilege of MAI IN. any satcIui NJ hAhe one ""
ptiitat.d,y AID ~ ttoui any knowledge OF VIVA" 'Ho
committeeman sup posed repaired explanation upon VIC
evidence before tlen Ghs cowmtitc a'ei'fa ~ i,
any examination 80 mr. The con VI 'ttd i,to
tee are stated niiufi ii"''' '"'
i'af ht1 a Y, her pa. been criminal negligence IN 'he
teeting of the books of t.r Dcpar n mt .,
SS"saTIa tcir las been ceit . nceliscncc ~ me
collection Of rents. boy which hendricks o. thousaniS %
dcers have been lost To- IN, CT, Of N.wY"TE
Thirl-Th.i there hfs been large deinc"d"h 81 III"
in tosr5Thot l.rsc ,ortiou ~ the has been
covered ul by false entries in iis books
THE CHARGES ErvEwEp.
twiu fake these clar re. np a. tleir reverse o'''
At tlc time Of the orgariza''on 9" 'he '''" ~
ment in 1870 a. serarao department 81 me 'i' Gov
ernment wheu WILSON q. HINT. John J. Ashe" Gnu
william Wood constituted majority Of the Board NJ
purrhan who prior to that time h1d charge OF '"' cor
lection 81 dock rents IN the Finance Deia.' n'' ""
VIVA looked upon by IN persons having kho"i'H' 10 %"
extremely Trustworthy and competent 'nan was APP
no,p,.a nrlcpai hookAccr,s 60 thc Department. and
given immediate charge. under thc rir,r OF l'c soi-
icctiogs End the derots OF tae pri, a. q, i.s az
/
Inrrt WAS called upof by 1o Mr Hunt M VIZ. me"
n9a MIN to the value Of Nj Bniuhau o Dprgt
ment-li.s ability and clnrocter l"!. re-. y ,.''S
yions fcarla Rad the ii -hct CoIt.rnc. I'D hlN "S
comment and rstvo,ily man Itc legal Responsible
49, tpir lie law, ,- f,inr to The collie uon- aud paw
ing over The moncv- tothc city Chamberlain was win
the rress,,r,.r nf toe Board.
section - Of the charter provided that the E9erd
might appoint one of ts uumhcr as ~ lsrci' al .
hyiaxs eli tho Board provided mat the Irc ci .iou
alifpf
moneys due the Board The Irt.nitr le p1u a. 49,
1suolsiii7ty il, tLs regard. never dued this once
since becoming memtcr oi lis h'l s,i,h, circn,a
stance In 1877. ard began ar Investigation 81 me
MI npo,roci I'd Hines. of Nj BHiu1an very much ia.
creased the dnicuitv ~ the Investigation a"1 pi"lo|
we rutly in cash from day to day, partly n chchs
for rrrIts ana anountd al that time to a'oa 0opyW
and week to week a d. nccncy in the accounts 10y not
crediiiug payments upon the da} oA "mcn W. ,,J
made or emitting entirely returns oil are C'lc,'et
~ IN sii'',, t,,, t "a ~ lime mad possible.
After We had gone sufficiently FAR BACK Ia l9e lnVV.
g al9n ~ a. t p9,t,d ~ we believed 20 tc Of
about 81 900. joined the othcr t"o gentlemen eIcn
NJ whom had hlicd tc office OF Treasurer iulln- iVHc
ver1c-s ia making up the amount 81 the dchcn\ u"
We understood it, namely, the suU Of aNou @l'Wo'
We thcreup1u went before iht '"Itt anu pl"ul't u
Iarnhains indictment. lie gave hAi! 09u. i1,i . ~
a,ninun diselosod the year 1879 me fact ttai lAc
irregularities went still further back Ibe amount "S
bni Mr Burrhau forfeited his bail and Departed oe|"n"
'"r bis faisactan IN an rs details was The mhoct o.
-ts,rt mad. IN the Commissioners ~ Accounts IN inc
year 1S70 The main iali npit,, ~ we r 1oi W ,ie
al the true. nud rcpreTrit' t~' H, mn ,,
annals Of this city OF rehnne' pi"yl u'n Nv, s,ct
Ia Re transaction Of human affairs trnt has to he
placed in somebody aud that degree 81 dmgenc' NEG
essary 10 prevent n-> through ta' an conduct O conn
Dental clerks aud trusted sn'or'.at ,ns n,, ,'d
careful bu,'ues. men iu their affairs. h{ ank' cor ii1.
Of fraud ,..,,,. ,.,,c.. ,o,,
cannot take with Won into subordinate POSITIONS ntn
upon whom YOU have learned 10 ry by e1p'fther ~
private affairs Tor removal" cluu3 t'he pl.' "'uuo,'
cause and has not that irc"do.n OF "i"in m. IT.
Therefore which uau exercise On 4is p'ir ~ r IS
Aside from this matter there l. nolhinE IN , 1
tions Of the DcParim nt SINCE ny l i s ' ny 49,,
well administered aud great! L" inc hH'"u'"s' % '
city. ..,.. 81, ,,, ,,,,,o,.,,,
has been covered al by fails, entries 10 TIE booHH Aver
the discovery OF the amount te records oi ih' IcPiI
cation 10 the Corporation Counsel also o. li' Mayor
and all the facls WIN relation d" u ar. are. a have ie
ever since IL discovery.
NEGLIGENCE DTNTFD.
The second allegation in what pdrportS to have been
is preliminary report Is That there las been criminal
Negligence In the collection 81 rents 10y when hundreds
of thousands dollars have been lusi To the ciig
The total accrued Of The Department. Tor the
six years since became member of the Board, amount
10 si7OOOOO In round numbers The total amount of
claims for unpaid rental, during the sN years instead
OF being several hdndrcd tou and dollars stated hy
the legislative committees report aggregate including
bad ,ieb,s and all either contested and uncontcsrd
claims about SI25 900 ar about Ia per cent the
total amount Of the rents oi the Elk ears or - sam
noue,.ts have been recovered by The Corporation C0uu-
sr Tor the SUN uf STHi9 % ln These cs tsIiE are
stu being continued to collect from the principals ana
surrtes aganS whom the Judgments have hcth taken,
Int in one or where the claims are Sgc. ana
rerois have failed in business IL IL Impossible 10 hAy
what amount may bc finally recovered
I'm nd
been recovered land Included in tlir total amount or
cIuuns stated Is Tor 81 900 against Cornell White.
ersjn az tr resolution 81 the Board passed N l~li,
leasing hun "a pier. which was prior 70 my membership
Of tle Hoard and 10 this Mr.. White cOuut'rcauns
Ia Tho effect that dumping board OF c Police Depart
rncut destroyed the value OF the property duuS the
term Of the lease The Court ha- decided that the rcs1u-
ZION az the Board Of 81 not effective 10 create Is
teDxnrv and the SHIT g. continued a. snt Tor isc
aud occupation and the value oi thc premises Iuls
Transaction took place prior 10 NY mcierehp OF the
Iparl and what the result Of the u- alton mas DC IL 10
ilnpussihic to dcfcifliHe.
During 1876. 81 ana S79, whom business was not
prosperous the Docs Department shared the cNprr, nee
~ mi other businesses ny of tlr actual Inability
NJ DrrsofS to meet tber Obli cations think 10 VIII De-
found that very few rent r"lls ~ private ind'ldals
auouutins TO ~ large as that OF rue cN iol d.
doc urnprrty VIII show small proportion or uucn
iectod RENTALS as that OF ty Dock Department And 10
soil H.. remembered that the city. for the mnst part
cannot select ts tenants, but 10 Obliged 10 accept the
highest bidder Of public anriDn.
The acc0mpanyinr schedule shows The rr-nU or the
nuertions IL the Department Tor thc ten years ending
May !, 1850
ExPENDIrIETs AND EETENCEs.
1~rl 81 exp Sal'rs ofsatr's Of o. ih grls'
,,g audff,f