New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-03
new Grand Jury, and il will be recommended to In
yestigate the charge TO the fullest extent.
TALKS WITH THE COMMISSIONERS.
TILE cuARGYs pRrsEN1En-IHE COMMISSIONERS

were served upon President French and Commas
siouer Mason at Police Headquarters at p. m, and
| soon after they in consultation win
| counsel In the evening they were for short time
| in the Fifth Avenue Hotel with number OF lead
| ing Republicans, among whom there was much
speculation as the Mayors purpose IN presenting
| the charges at this time. 1t was known that he
had had the matter under consideration for weeks,
and that two three different sets of charges had
| been drawn up at various times, and afterward
abandoned OF altered. Tho statement that the
| charges, in printed form, had been
| shown TO Commissioners French and Mason ten
| DAYS ago. reference TO which was made IN lhk
TRIBUNE of yesterday with the intimaton that
| they would be pressed If the Legisa-
ture did not pass the Styeet-Closping oill'
caused unfavorsbe comment last night es-
pecialy as their presentation followed so quickly
upon the action of the Assembly committee IN
amending the bill as TO take the power out Ol inc
| Mayors hands.
A story was in circulation that the Governor
| would consent to the removal of the Ponce COn-
| missoners in accordance with en- understanding
that he should lie allowed TO rsm- he two Repnbli-
cans to be appointed III the place OF Comm IS opers
French and Mason II was ascertlned that there was
| no foundation for this story. the Governor having
| no Inimation of the action OK the Mayor He rA-
pressed great confidence IN the integrity Oh pr
Mason and MIR. French, and was not ready 10 ne
lIeve anything 10 the contrary without very strong
| proof.
| X.
| Mr. Mason and myself" said President French
| last night were shown copies Of the charges ten
days ago. They were printed then. and were sub
stantially the same as those presented now, the
dates being left blank"
What action do you propose to take r asked the
reporter ......;
| san movement aimed at The control of the election
machinery. OF course We do not CLAIM that the
streets are clean. 1t would be I'M
! possible TO clean them with the appropriation
| and machinery at our disposal during such
a winter as we have had. When we get them all
cleaned will be the case soon. then we can keep
| them clean, providing We do lot have another
| heavy snowstorm. You Will notice that the Mayor
| uuder the same circumstances. lie asks for
| an unlimited appropriation tins year ana Tor
81 600 600 year thereafter lie also asks TOT NeS
sells aud other machinery that We d. not nave. be-
sides the power to MAKE ordinances and other things
entirely different. He Is uwllnng L" atl',npt ,nr
work unless ne can have 1000 more Than we
have nj our disposal Anyone could c.cah me srecls
| under the same CIrcumsi anCrs.
" How about the al eyed discrepancies IN the an
| swer sent to the Mayor and our books Z
" do not believe tnelc ar" an such discrepancies
| CAPTAIN WIanls saws there are cot. and he can
| prove IT.. The figures were ma ie mp lay tie clerNs
| OF course cannot De bookRrcper and rV'Nthlhg
I else TOO. A. to the Board of Health oriln"hc,s
they have never been enforced. ahd cannot De uudeI
! the present state of affair.
" Ii Is sand you are wiling 10 take the Street
Cleaning linreau and resGn your piesen office. is
No. never had thought Of such an action.
do not propose 10 resign NV Present Office. but II
live viii seive out nv Term.
MIR NICHOLS MOI FRIGHTENED
Commissioner Sidney y. Nichols said There Is
no truth III the Mayors charges and We will be a'e
to prove this when heariu- is gwen ns. A. (. the
assertion that the police figures of the amount Of
ma, ter removed wer, not correct, | do not believe
That all examination of the books Wil
bear out tins statement OF course can
4,
the books but tnerc vouchers for ali exprndi-
lures ana they have been audited from time to time
aud found correct. The assertion OF the Mayor. that
he figures Oh the police hoohs do not tally with tie
| rcpor; we made III response To ms inquiry
does not make ii 81 10y gOpd deal W" ale
willing have the fullest and re, examination oi
the working IF the Police DEPARTMENT and the
: rcet-C Cleaning Bureau. ana the expenditures III
each. ms Oi the Mayor - made for the pur-
pusc of getting out IN oricr tn lac may get CON
trO of the election machinery IN the interest "i the
Democratic fac ion VIII Ch he Is ~ sympathy with
lie game IL too transparent AMI VIII NOS succeed
MR. M.sox on rnE GRAND JURY
Commissioner Mason Lad not heard If the present
uent If the Grand jury until ho asked for his
opinion about 1t. When 1t was read To HIM hy
1mBrNR reporter. he q'uety remarked with a smile
that 1t was a talr prr,e itncnt.
The Grand jury" he continued "has right
TO its pnios Oh the suii-ct. In the GIs, place
everybody knows that the streets are dirty
myself see that they are not clean every
day. NOw IN regard to the charge that APP
ponn-uis made from political considerations.
Will say that myself Ciud only speak for myself
have never secured an appointment without tie APP
picant being strongly recommended bv good people.
ana in tny Judgment lit Tor tue position. 1t shou.d
b., remembered that really first lass men W il not
accept many OF rhe POSITIONS III the Department. As
To paving 700 much hire or scows that is matter
Of plnion. grant the nrht to the gentlemen to
think that too much has been paid, hut 90 not
think So Il the INSPECTORS any OF their .tIn's
have received money for taking dirt from private
cellars on the scows they have done so
without our knowledge. II sometimcs happens
that solid dirt Is dumped on the scowS
hrt such eases are INVESTIGATED at once. and the
Of, ndcrs sciargcd. ease OF that KIND Happened
several DAYS ago. and tue man beng found guilty
was removed"
having been dumped from scOws into the East
nvxr ana 8'y r .o,no,,rs. ,,e oucr,oocv Of fine
cas-. has made il necessary for the lohs 10 he re-
irvrd of part of their load. When Captain
Williams h,s reported hat TINS was done, lac has
gwen, IN our Ohnion. sni cent reason Orlt don"t
go the scows myself. and do not know that
II has been done when II could have
been avon ed. deny iHproyldent man;
ar,tn.nt In the mattel OF tne cost OF
maintaining he stable and horses. CLAIM that there
ha, b en- no waste. A. tot the Mayor. the cost 81
kcrping horses used Nv tnc L re- Dtpdrin"nt Is one
tlng and that If keeping those We ked hari Tor
ift en- hours out ol twenty four Is anuthcr bu the
uopo,it ION thai $3.50 600 more should be apprOprI
afrd for cleaning tine streets. should the matter 20
INTO the Mdyor'> hands IL an answer 10 everything
being virtual ADM, sion OF what We clain-tat the
streets cannot b.. KEEP clean with tho present
amount set apart for the purpose GIVE us more
moncv and Increased facilities and we can clean the
streets the wav tie pc pie want II done"
With reference to tine charges male by the
Mayor Commissioner NJ isnn. who hal not seen a
copy of them when the reporter saw hun,
; nd again that II was an admitted lhct
thai the streets not clean. The reason
was as he had already explained, that the Board