New-York tribune., 1883-03-14
MR.. THOMPSON ARRAIGNED.
CHARGES BY THE COUNCIL OF REFORM.

Hubert O. Thompson Commissioner OF ruoilo
Works. The members of the committee were I'd
ward A. Morrison, Chairman w. d. whiting Jo-
seph Haight George II. Boyer Horace Winants' J'
c. Saunders and II. n. Beers. The charges were
read TO the Mayor by Mr. Morrison. When no had
finished reading, the Mayor said: " suppose you
can substantate these chargesf"
"They are compiled from the record OF the Con
trollers office" -" replied Mr. Morrison. We tske IL
for granted that they are correct. We come here
Mr. Mayor, as business men and taxpayers. we ue-
sire n more economical administration OF the
municipal departments. No man can look at these
sums of 5000 and 1898 and 1896 paid ior WORK
ordered by Mr. Thompson without being conVilceu
that he Is systematically evading the law IN
business man you would tolerate no such proceeu-
ing. There is another thing that we complain Oh
that of paying men full days wages loi n'ii
day's work mean that men employed Dy lhe ci'y
do not pretend to do a full days work. we LOOK
for redr to you and ask you to give this impor
tant matter your attention and right the WRONGS
complained of"
Mr. Edison replied that he would examine tho
matter carefully and would certainly do what ne
deemed his duty in the premises.
THE CHARGES.
The charges and Specifications, which are sub
stantially as follows. are accompanied by
and containing several Thousand transcripts from
the books of the Finance Department Of payments,
which have been made TO various persons for pur-
chases by the Department of Public Works:
THAI since Mr. Thompson has held the Office OF Com,
missioner Public Works he has disregarded an cyaued
the Department In defiance OF and contrary 10 law
That under his management sum of money appro
prated TOR purpose OF the Department has oeen MS
ITbat he has greatly neglected bis office duties and
the business of the Department.. and caused thereby
much annoyance and Inconvenience ana danAge 10 pun
iFNi6at he has appointed as chief Of the Burcau Of
Repair. aud supplies person dsquanned ny Ia" ior
the position
THE FIRST SPECIFICATION
Specification FisL- He has disregarded and
eyaded the provisions OF the charter ana con-
duced the business OF the Department Of Public Works
in auce OF and contrary to!aw prudence and economy
l. BY dividing up the several works and furnishing Of
suppes into parts and giving successive orders for the
execution Of these parts Of work and furnishing OF sup
plies in violation of section 9l, chapter $50, laws OF
1873 Witch forbids such division OF public work and re-
quirts al work amounting To over Si,VVV 10 DO con-
g This division is shown In purchases OF coal for
at Ninety y-seventhst and Ninthayc, and High Bridge
where number OF orders were giyen, almost an 0,
which for qnsnttes costing within lew dollars OF
the amount limited BY law $1,000, and asgregsting
S42.744 20 for twenty-five months OF 1881 anu lsoz
Notice IL accompanying document the uansaouoh, % OF
May II. 1881. two oraers aggrega tng yieJg % July
l. 1881. orders 81 800 20 tho orIers Ton toOru-
ary Ia September 20, lSs2. seventeen % oiH,is, AK
gregatng Sl5.Sl9 &C. and those IN October and NoVen
Detice Dei t6at had tie qunmtlty called for In
OF the orders been aollvered the 9ll won,a QUO
have been over 81 900 For Instance, the order o July
= 1882 IL will observed that tile average price oi
ti- coal purchased from retailers j. - - Ia lSsl ana
SIS 81 In 1882 This IS considerably hiSher than thc
prices ut which such coal might have been obtained
during the same period by contract
3. The purchase of materials on account OF appfo-
proprat ol for ards roads and avenues-mau-
teuaace Of shown ON page o. aco9u lsnY ss nei @
EKtvnftu and One-lundred md foriynfth sti nnd on
Ono-aundredLnd-fOrty-h -hfth-st, Amounting 70 over
ing over $4,000; should have been made by contract
duly advertised. . ,ee, - -
count Of appropriation Tor :" Roads, streets ana
avenues uppayed eie Indicate M o sJs , p,1S p'.SIgs
3 The orders 10 uius Jonspn & Co for hydrants in
sSI and IsS2 show IN expenditure OF nearly $4,000
without pubho oompct ton ani for an article part ot
which least Is patent d. the purchase OF p.nted ar
tices beiug prohibited W The oharer IN section - et-
cert or repairs or under snch ciIcnns' .ne.s 20 D5
rs viii tair hnd rra-onaDle opp'rtnmJ Tor com
q In~ numerous orders to Guy &. Hotchkiss Field 4
CO. for hydrants cocks and Others casngs amount
Ing Ia lssl to over S-I,OVo' a r ao'.io' it -
Of work aud sdppes These are ad"i
similar and should have 0ren pn'ch ,oed ON pubne
bids EspeGia' nag is o S ~ Zoo .cptcI9ber
l aud ?, over $1,000. And when Jon-on,s account
for snpplics OF the same character. notIDlc
the amount of 81 500 OrtuueT I5 ~ SO5; october 70
si7i5 57 ; December B. Il and :, S2,Gig.
* IN" supplies for ropar;ns and removing pipes
s,u1cocks efc Ilrci. .a-cd Il ISL aud lss2. "a
pense cacd year OF over - 1,j' from o. hoi
Field & CO.. al OF The same KIND aad shouid nave
been plt chased IN public Dids.
a. FOR tie restoring of pavement etc, over street
opening+ afer and otuer connections nave been
made orders given 10 r. a. Cunningham - me
extent OF $4,000 in 1881 ana hrhl T2L"OO ia
announced 20 over 800. Ia Nav. 1881. .olr or!rrs
am ,untjng SJl21 j0Tc'e gwen IN Jane l.7i hIcs
or iers gwen am0"ntnRio 10 $40 ~ e3rIe1Phu
gy IN Oet0btr, I"Sl tGIe ORDER, f-040 90 III jan
ua}y 1852, tare oriar-, s-9oJ III An-u'' lss2 thre
- 7sy 90: In October 1882. three orders, -, ,671
90 lhe purchase OF coal Tor ne several pD,S p'u
ing, IA the Department III ls@l ana dpiays
ms same Cisr gard of law ana econ'myi orders 10 tho
amount Of lGl47 having been Issued IN 1851 aud - tho
extent Of . II 500 In eleven months OF l56@
uOl Toe furnishing Of maHhoic gaIs lhH covers D{ w. w.
.; i over G6 s another evidence OF VIOLA
non law, ana attention called 10 thoho prhors shIsu
during the twenty Two 9s Hom Ituo % ~ - az 40
these issued June - aud y amounting to TlsIZ %;
also ior tic 40 insu.d on July and7 Amounting 10
SLY gJ TO three O.d'rs amounting 10 F2O71 H.
issucd -optcnbr., 1852, are also noticeable
1881 ana IN nine months o 1e52, X. 4. Cunning nam
alp'ar 70 have On Tss9ed SSe PneT tn. %ork
Snoull have been performed by contract
based on public bids nsead OF by orders ana the IN,
rnton to ev ade law u shown by the orders gwen on
lie eaine dny amounting II several ca ., 90 an a@sFe-
gnto much greater tnau 1000 fOr eAamPv: JahilIy
orders, 81, ,l6l 10; septcmoG 25, ios2 ouf orIcrs,
S2ijs 80 II can easily be shown tn1t tnG price la.u
these subdiv1cd Urder would nave been iO"er id mo
abor and supple, obtained upOn contract duy nd
yerti.ed and let pOnsDle persons lhe price per
huur for labor tho work was Increased ABOUT August
% Is9I without apparent cause, nom 70 cents 10 ~
cents ana price allowed Tor over street
| openings III 1851 wa' advanced 10 per cent -.
'1Il Another case OF violation OF law was the
work OF resettins large tubular Doier al Hlgh
| Bridge, on account Of appropriation Tor hque-
duc repairs maintenance, etc Ihe order Tor this work
s dated January s. 1851, and gwen 10 fralk 5yns
r Ills bin ior the work amounts TO $999 An order
dated January 49, 1851 for cast aud wrought iron work
for The same lob was aerward gwen 10 tho same per-
con the bill for which amounted TO @4Oo 10, making a
to s cost ior tae repairs @4G7 10. We call attention
10 the date OF SyInss rst b January IL aEd tho date
| of the order for castings. January 10
QO disregard the law Is sliOwn IN the work OF
| paiutua To complete the new County Court louHo
| Ina 1891 US provided for by the ApprOprla-
lion Tor County Court IiOuse--cOmpieton o"
"a having paid or the painting under uyo sep
nrate orders dat July 20, August *, kepcmber 10,
Augls 30 september 10 and IL. disregard aud eva
sion of tho shown IN the Work OF repairing and