New-York tribune., 1883-12-11
COMMISSIONER THoMPsoNS REPLY.

CONWISSIONER IHOMIOON'O hEfLl.
1t is not probable that any reader of The
TRIBUNE expected that satisfactory explann-
ton could be made of the frauds that we have
exposed in city contracts. The facts and figures
taken directly from the records of the Finance
Department speak for themselves. They show
that through the results of system of false es-
Inmates and unbalanced bids the taxpayers of
this city have been heeced to the extent OF mill
ions of dollars. Hence there will be no surprise
that Mr.. Thompson's attempt at defence Is so
lame and feeble. He asserts that he acted within
the letter of the law. AS yet THE TRIBUNE
has not disputed that. 1t is just because he sue
ceeds in inhicting serious injury upon the city
by the betrayal of his trust, while scheming to
keep out of the shadow of he State Prison. that
he is 50 dangerous n man In one OF the
most important offices in the municipal govern
ment. 1t is his sworn duty to protect the in
terests of the city. THE TRIBUNE has shown
how skilfully he has betrayed the interests
of the city under what he trusts is the cover of
law.
aThe sol. charge presented" Mr. Thompson
says in a light and easy way, " is that i'll some
Scases the Department has accepted unbalanced
"bids." And then expanding on the subject to
a reporter he adds Hundreds of contracts have
sbeen awarded, and for Regulating, agrading,
aetc., only five have been Oh unbalanced bids"
That is simply an impudent untruth. We have
already shown that seventeen contracts, Ill ths
particular branch of street work, were lett on
unbalanced bids; and we can assure Mr..
Thompson that we have not exhausted the SUBJ
ject. He confesses that he let one extremely
bad contract on an unbalanced bid, after all ques
ton of doubt as to his power to reject such bids
was removed. We shall be able to show that
this is not the only case of that sort.
There is no room for doubt about the respon-
sibility for preparing false estimates. That is
the corner stone of the whole fraudulent struc-
ture. If the estimates were correct the bidders
would all be on an even footing and the evils
of the corrupt system would disappear No
subterfuge about bad laws will ex-
cuse false estimates. If the engi-
neers employed by Mr.. Thompson are not
able, after examination, to estimate as well as
the contractors do the character of the ground
covered by a street contract, then it is time
that some of the contractors were employed to
do that work for the city. John Brady made
no mistake when he bid So for earth excava-
ton, and One-quarter of cent for rock. A
mistake in that case, as in any other of the
unbalanced bids, would be fatal to the cOntrac-
tor. They bid on sure things. And they are
not civil engineers paid high prices for making
actual surveys and estimates.
We are not astonished that Mr.. Thompson is
applying for an appropriation in order to in
crease the pay of his employees who make out
the estimates. Increased appropriations are,
apparently, the chief aim in his administration.
But we trust that he will not get one cent of the
money he seeks for the purpose of making bor-
ingsn The surveyors are well paid now
far too well paid for the character of the work
they have been doing. If Mr.. Thompson would
select thoroughly honest and competent men for
the service there would be no need of ap-
propriating more money to save the city
treasury from plunder. But they might not
prove of as much value to Mr.. Thompson him
self as have the men who appear to have worked
so faithfully in the interest Of certain contrac-
tors.
Commissioner Thompson does not ask, "What
are you going to do about it I" but he might as
well. 1t would be as pertinent to his defence
as the figures he presents in regard to contracts
"entered into and finished" The trouble is
that some of the worst contracts, like that
awarded to John Brady, are unfinished. The
introduction Of the 1876 paving contracts, on
which Mr.. Thompson is able to show an apparent
saving of $13,722, Is simply ridiculous. We
have not yet said anything about street paving;
but We will be able to show excessive charges
for that kind of work as well as for
regulating and grading and sewer con-
tracts. And yet the most obtuse engineer
could hardly blundcr on an estimate for square
yards of street paving. Hence there Is no op-