New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-14
AIDING POLITICAL FAvORITEs.
FILLING THEIR POCKETS AT PUBLIC ExPENs

FILLING THEIR POCKETS AT PUBLIC EXPENsE-
EvADING JUST LAW.
It has already been shown in THE TRIBUNE how
the city has lost great by the methods of the
Public Works Department in letting contracts
Work which is paid for out of the Street Improve
ment fund-the cost to be assessed upon the prop
erty benefted-must be done by contract at public
letting The intent of this law to secure to the
property the lowest rates. has been entirely
overthrown as has been proved by the system Of
false estimates and unbalanced bids that has grown
to such proportions under Commissioner Thompson.
But for work and supplies not paid for out OF the
Street Improvement Fund the city Is made to pay
excessive prices by a system of evadiDg the law.
which, while it differs from that of the unbalanced
bids is also extremely mischievOus in its results.
TRYING TO PROTECT THE TREASURY.
Formerly the Department heads purchased sup
plies wherever they chose and at such figures as
pleased them and did work for the city by the days
labor system. That resulted in the political scam
das and thevery that marked the rule of Tweed,
when he was Commissioner of Public Works. A
law was passed to compel the purchase of supplies
by contract at public letting and also to compel all
city work to be done in the same way. This is as
follows:
whenever any work necessary to be done to complete
perfect particular job, or any supply Is needu for
particular purpose, which work and job Is TO be n
several parts the said work supply shall together n
volve the expenditure OF more than $1,000 the same
shall be by contract.
The law flrthe provides for advertising. ETC., and
for awarding the contract to the lowest bidder. As
making a contract for small job was thought un-
necessary the provision was put in the statute ex-
cepting from the contract clause any job supply.
the several parts of which involve the expenditure
of less than 81 900. 1t appears if the trainers OF
the law fOresaW the temptation there would be To
break it, and therefore used extra care in wording
it SO that no misinterpretaton could possibly be
made But as this particular kind OF contracting
would not well admit of false estimates and unbal-
anced bids the 81 900 clause has been made use Of
in the Public Works Department to evade the law
altogether This law applies TO all the city depart
ments and in no other except that administered 10y
Mr. Thompson has it been evaded. And there it is
disregarded in che most shameless and persistent
manner.
THE TRICK or AN UNsCRUPULOUs OFFICIAL.
This is done by system of dividing piece OF
work or supply into orders so that each one will
come within the statutory limitation of ,0OO To
accomplish this it is often necessary to give several
orders on the same day to one person for the same
work or supply so that each order will not exceed
5000 BY following this system Mr.. Thompson has
purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars worth
of coal and other supplies without any contract.
and at rates from 10 TO 80 per cent above those
paid by other departments for the same material
In this way he has paid nearly 81 ton more for
coal than the Department of Charities and Correc-
ton and the Board of Education have paid for their
coal under contracts. And other things are pur-
chased in the same way above the market prices.
MIR. TuoMrsoN's FAVORED FRIEND.
One of the persons who profits most by this eva
sion of the law is Richard A. Cunningham, promi-
nent member of the County Democracy, and a lib
eral contributor to its campaign funds. The work
of repairing sewers and payements is given to him
on these 5000 orders. In three months Mr.. Thomp-
son paid Mr. Cunningham on these orders T24,2
or at the rate of 100000 year. There were 10
working days in the three months, and Mr.. Cum
ningham was given AZ orders, or moro than ono
for each alternate working day. and they were all
for the same class of work. To show how these or
ders are made to avoid the statutory limitation OF
81 900, the following specimens, token in regular
succession from the books of the Finance Depart
ment, are given: