New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-26
BETRAYING HIS OFFICIAL TRUST.

BETRAYING HIS OFFICIAL TRUST.
TRYING TO FIND EXCUSES IN PREVIOUS ADMINS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS HIS ESTIMATES
ENTERTAINMENTS on CONTRACTS.
The administration of the Public Works Depart
ment appears to be conducted with the design to
get as mach money as possible from the public
treasury and give as little as possible in return'
There are three ways in which this is done:
l. The pay-rols of the department are swelled
with the names of politicians and friends of poli-
tlcians and with men who render the city no
service.
H. Contracts are let on unbalanced bids and false
estimates by which the city is made to lose large
sums of money.
iii. The law in regard to contracts is systematic
callv eyadad and broken in order that certain kinds
of work can be given to the personal associates OF
Commissioner Thompson at prices fixed by him,
without any public letting.
The way in which the methods followed oy Con-
missioner Thompson have enormously increased the
expenses Of his department has already been Illus
trated in The TRIBUNE. Charges have been pre-
sented to the Mayor on two occasions against the
wasteful and extravagant methods OK
the Commissioner. In reply he mas
ALWAYS endeavOred to shield himself behind
the methods of his predecessor aud the plea
that evading a statute is not breaking It,"
If ANYTHING could be found in the previous
management of the department, similar to some IN
defensible transaction of his, Mr.. Thompson mas
Immediately seized on that as his best defence, re-
gardless of the requirements of the law or wnat Is
right and for the best interests of the city, But IL
is well known that Mr. Thompsons evil influence
had much to do with the management Oh the de-
partnent under his predecessor; and that hr.
| Campbelfs administration was not suheieht 10
| preyent frauds in the Finance Department what-
| bova haan In
! partment.
| As Deputy Commissioner, Mr.. Thompson had
ampe opportunity to learn all the niquites Of the
unbalanced bid system. He has now been over three
wears at the head of the department. and yet ne mas
| never done anything to remedy the defects Oh the
system But on the contrary, under his manages
ment the losses to the city by unbalanced oids
have increased in way that has never been
equalled, even under Tweed.
As already shown the ultimate loss TO the city
can only be determined after years have
elapsed. Many persons on whom assess
ments are levied pay at once Others let the matter
drag along for years. and then begin litigation
which results in showing fraud and excessive cost
under which assessments are reduced and vacated.
Then persons who have paid their assessments have
the money refunded; and the ctys loss is deter
mined
INCIupING ITEMS THAT ARE NOT NEEDED.
Frequently estimates made for a contract aud
items are included which are never furnished; ana
which the successful bidder knew would not be re-
oured. He is thus enabled to make an exorbitSnt
prot on his contract and still not exceed the totai
of his bid In this way it may be made to appear
that the city is saving money when as matter Oh
fact il is being grossly swnded by the false esti-
mates used in giving out the contract ln some
cases the estimates which contracts were gwen
out do not agree with the proes furnished by sur
yeyors, who assert that the change couid
only have been made with dehperate
purpose to defraud the city. Evidence on TINS and
other nonts remains vet to be given. But as rule.
Commissioner Thompson gives all his surveying TO
few favorites, except what Is done by the large
staff of engineers in the department.. In this way
he has enabled one outsider w. Smith, toreceive
about 80 600 a wear from the city treasury. with
the same reckless management he arranged win
!, relative Douglas Smith, to give up yearly salary
, of 40 900 and take fees TO the amount Oh about
0 $4,000 year.
y JJp to the time when THE TRIBUNE began It's ex-
{ posures of the fraudulent unbalanced bid sys-
tenn Commissioner Thompson had never taken any
stems TO check the frauds, but continued 10 award
contracts on such bids, although ntroller Grant
had called his attention to the extraordinary de-
l vclopments under them He spent weeks OF his
time in Albany endeavoring to get law passed
that would give him the power to let such con-
tracts for building the aqueduct and, IN words
mora forcible than polite expressed his indignation
y because the Mayor was instrumental In defeatina
. his purpose But Mr.. Thompson made no effort
while in Albany to the city from the contract
frauds by having the law changed, and when the
law was altered he has officially stated that nc
q ewnothng of it until his attention called TO
J, | il months afterward But even after the Jaw
n | WAS changed and Mr.. Thompson wa
A finally made aware of it, he continued to let con-
l tracts on unbalanced bids just the same as before
y When TIE TRIBUNE began its exposures Mr
rhompson tried to shield himself by saying that
only five contracts had been let, but 1T has been
conclusively shown that nearly ten times that mum
Der have been let III ono particular class OF WORK
! OF course. many of his unbalanced bid contracts
are vet unfinished and tho loss consequently undo
IA termined.
u AN EXTRAORDINARY MIssTATEMENr CoNcERNiS'
- THE ESTIMATES.
On December in answer to THE TRIBUNE's expos
ures he tried also to make the public believe that
had finally awak ened to the importance of reform
70 by making the following statement:
~ To prevent the possible the nluriou
operation of unbalanced bids Included IN the depar
mental estimate which submitted TO the Board OF Est
a. mate and Apportionment the 1s OF September tn
NJ sum OF 81 900, chch has been doced ia The proosiono
estimate to enable the department to make sorings 70 S ~
excavation and earth excavation for sewers ana graan
works.
II Mr.. Thompson by this statement tried to make
10 appear that as far back as September l, nearl
C. three years after he became Commissioner,
I'd had been aroused to the necessity of doing som
thing, and had asked for this appropriation
r. $4,000 But he went further and said that 1t hi
been allowed in the provisional estimate, the iter
oo Of which had been printed daily in The city keco
er for nearly month, and which Mr.. Thompson bi
,o gone over and explained, item by item, at me'