New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-25
FTsKs IN THE WATER FUND.

yuprrc WORKs-H. T. DYKMANs EATEAohpi-
NARY BILLS.
r.. s.ote Senate Committee which began to in
-..,,c.t. the anagement of the Department OF
p.,J;c works by Hubert o. Thompson merely
sor.hsa upon the use of the Croton Water
Fund. 1t was apparently the purpose OF Senator
Grady TO continue this line OF inquiry. but Tor rea-
sons already referred 10 in The TRIBUNE, MT
Grady suddenly abandoned the investigation, made
no report aud has said nothing on the suo'ec'
since. -. -.
The Croton Water Fund is raised by the sale OF
bonds and not by taxation. An act paSsou
o,;r;nol,v in Tweeds time and re-
y;ved in 1870. allows the Commissioner OF fuoio
Works 70 expend S., 900 900 year, IN ADDITION 10
INV an,ronriatjon by the Board of Estimate ana APP
portioument to increase the water supply Ao0o,u
inc 70 the testimony of Mr.. Thompson peioro 'ne
Senate Committee, the Controller has no o'sci0',vn
in the matter hut lie obliged to issue oonos " no
.rtent of 81 900, 900 each year whenever Iequsi-
tion ia made by the Commissioner OF ftonc Wins
"Out of that fund.-" Mr.. Thompson 'es'ihe'' '"o
expeuditures have been almost entirety ior
80 ths work started under my predecessor for an
additional supply from the Bronx River III IooV
,he amount used was $32S335, and IN 1881,
s4s1 o8l, and in 1882, S1,OlO,000, making total
With liabilities outstanding on January OF over
a. OOo 600 expended from this fund slncc the law
was nassed and vet Mr. Thompson says that there
Il; not mueh prospect of any relief to the water sup
nlv from this source within two years moro.
Controller Campbell said recently that he let the
contracts for the principal part of the work neces
sarv for this additional supply before no went OUT
of the Public Works Department, and ut prices
within the original estimates. good deal OF com
mont has been caused, therefore, oy the delay III
finishing tins work. and because of the increased
al hot a /
understand why it should take so long time to
oonnlete this work. OF why it should cost so much
more than the original estimates. Investigation OF
.ome of the expenditures from this fund under MT
Thompson shows some curious facts
II & Beaitie an active member Of the Comfy
Dsp,ocracv and now Deputy County Clerk urder
Patrick Keenan, was until recently stenographer
and clerk in the Corporation CounsePs ONCE al
Do roo year. While serving in that capacity IL
ann,ars by the records i'm the Controllers ONCE thal
he drew more than 800 month from the Croton
Water Fund for clerical services IN the Puoc" orks
Denartment. Arthur ii. Masten. clerk IN the
CORPORATION Counseps Office at $l,ooo year, mas
heen drawing regularly for two years from 500 10
COCO a month from the Croton Water Fund for cler-
Zeal services supposed TO be connected win the run
lie Works Department.. ... o.,,o,,,od
IN y $40 the patronage was divided between ram
many Hall'and the County Democracy. Although
the Board meets only once week ana 10 then il
session for short time the clerS Woo 700 al vsar
and the stenographer r., ID, -, ~ niI re-
eesnsly f the law office of Smith NJ Weed and he
taxes the proceedings in Democratic conventions
for the Tilden leaders In addAtion 10 us Sa,aiy i
assisting to increase the water supply iOr Two years
~ more He draws $40 a month regularly b iIom"
the Croton Water Fund and oGacasionaliy Ply ~
extra for furnishing stenographlc report, re
also has found time to act as stenographer ior
Iegslstive committees and to do various WORK IN
the courts. 60 ,pa.ou uua ,rorrorts
showed that Charles s. Beardsey, member OF the
County Democracy, drew counsel lee from tue
mas a"ponted Police Commissioner in March 1851,
and on June be drew for PROFESSIONAL services
So. esq from the Oroton Water Fund but TINS may
have been for services performed before ne was APP
pointed Police Commissioner. State Senator II. Z.
Nelson has also drawn counsel fees from this tund
H. T. Dykman, Young lawyer on W sors for
the benefit of the Croton Water FUND. On Jniy
% 1850. he was paid S3, 9O6; on October 81, 81
10 % t on December 49, $s4is on August
1882 ST, 265; on November 10, $lO,IS3; 4 nese
sums were for professional services anu uisouse t
ments.n An examination of the last BIZ shows tnat
over $4,000 of the charge was for professional ser
vices on dates between March 10 and October ana
the remainder was 7 1T MeTe for railroad fares
con veyancss and lunches between May Is and July
90 During this time also Mr. Dykman on ano,ner
Commission to appraise lands. The memters Of the
Commission. W. Ii. Wickham, o. Close and Robert
seye were allowed ,S s $lo couf Hay for tTs
time thew spent in attendance upon it. But II. T.
Dykma bill did not have 70 Of before sSs
share is daily charge Of from $50 to $50 for CON
veyances, lunch and railroad fare, which
da not s svSn bate bills to Phade ha
Albany Watertown, etc One item Is Railroad
fare to Pennington and back, S54 TO-" The charges
for cOnveyances alone amount TO many hundied
dollars. The charges for services are for instance
ms follows: March 1S.-Seryiees with commission
So, 500; notifying parties OF commission lnesting
SIOn On another day there is charge OF " POO
foro services With commission" and $lQ Sfor
services relative to line of Harlem Railroad. sew
eral hundred dollars are charged In TINS one OH Ipr
searchiny and preparing abstracts, aud at the
same time IN the disbursement bill there
are the following oharges: "Westchester County
S342 20: recording, $25 90; New-York Register
$40 co; New-York County Clerk, $25S so; District
and Circuit clerks SSo 40 CSqssy cierA' searches
Patrick Waish, Denis Sullivan, Patrick Quinn
and other fan.l,.r names are paid out of this fund
q the rate Of <sl month ior laying Pipe an%
Schirmer who kept grocery store at White fialns.
draws SOL a month for inspecting roads and ma
sOnry.
WHERE DOES ALL THE WATER COZ
GONE INTERESTING QUESTIONS ASKED BY CON-
MIrTgE OF TAXPAYERS.
The Mayors Water Commission yesterday
heard Henry ]. Newton, Edward Van yalkenbergh and
Louis Rosenfeldt committee of the Taxpayers Central
Committee, who presented document bearing on the
water supply Mr. Newton said that the Taxpayers did
not oppose the construction OF new aqueduct or any
new sructure or outlay Of money necessary for proper
water supply They insisted however, that thorough
investigation should be Iuade Of the capacity OF the
present aqueduc the amount OF water supplied and the
administration OF the Department in charge OF It, Com
ittees had obtain such an investigation
through Legislature but had failed The committee
believed their defeat due to the greater influence e
those whose plan for aqueduct under consders