New-York tribune., 1884-01-11
THOMPSONS EVIL METHODS.
SHARPLY ARRAIGNED BY THE UNION
LEAGUE CLUB.

4 sCATIIING REPORT BY THE COMMITTEE ON PoLii-
ICAL REFORM ADOPTED.
The annual meeting Of the Union League Clup |
was held last evening. One of the vice presuen.S' |
Albon F. Man. presided. There was an unusua"S
large attendance, about 500 members beng preseh.
The Committee on Political Reform, of which
George B. Butler is chairman and 5. NJ. BatchlOrd
secretary, presented a long report 'ne
greater part of which was devoted 10
scathng review of the corrupt nletn-
DDS and eyasions of law of Commissioner Hubert y.
Thompson which have been thoroughly eNposeu
in THE TRIBUNE in the last few weeks. resolu-
ton was passed at the December meeting OF the
cIub instructing this committee to consider and Ie
mort as to what action if any, should be taken by
the club with regard to the investigation ana
nunishmcnt of frauds in the various departmentso OF
the CITY government. The report of the committee
was read by Mr. Butler. After referring to the evis
resulting from the influence exerted by hquor ueai
ers and the election of Aldermen of bad character
the report proceeds to the discussion OF Mr. lhomp
sons loose administration. This part OF the report
is as follows:
The Commissioner of Public Works was nominated by
Mayor Cooper and confirmed by the Board of Aldermen
This was in December, 1850. II was freely chaigeu ~
this time that many of the Board were either pan OF NJ
pected nav for this service. II was well known that M
Thompson had single qualification for TINS post Dis
the sn lSS nG s e8pcndTe may supposed
made under no greater scrutiny aTo an M rands
DnTng the years 1881, 1882 and 1888, notwthstand-
ing unparalleled efpen;Ge by tbe fs pTesent or late
Controller or the present OF late od Of three
what are called unbalanced bids have been accept
ed by the Department OF Pubic WORKS ior tth arter
ing large expenditure and the provision OF inc cheI
recurring publication and submission to e9mpet@o ION a @
scaled bids, when the amount exceeds @l'ooo h' H'
been complied with.
WORKING OF UNBALANCED BIDS.
A single case will show very clearly what is meant by
unbalanced bids For regulating, etc, Ninetytth-st lot
short distance bids called for on an estimate that
there were to excavated in cubic yards 1880 OF e"
and 2l $40 of rock. firm which treated TINS es'ilae
as reasonably correct hid for each cubic yard OF ear ~
crns and OF rock 81 25 amounting the basis OF the
estimate to s339O3 This firm evidently not one OF
Another bidder, who evidently supposed omn tnat
the estimate OF orstoort work TO q, rock D exCaVa
ton was excessively large and that OF earth eAeesSe
small bid l3 % per cubic yard Tor earn, IT, 1 ha of tbe
trstimate as entered in the books OF the ONCE 10
"a Is: bt he was not the man. Another better in;
red bid pcr cubic yard earth So dper cn9c yard
for excayating rock oncouth of a cent amounting on on
on on the basis OF the estimate, to 29i
paid, ND to the I4th November last, $50 sOl a.
SaS SnS eaSned easd So and the work unfinished
At one fourth OF cent per cubic yard for 2i24o cuDl3
IA e cubic ward for $50 of Garth the total would he
ii $40. These amounts seem like complete s"'e oh
viii be wc at this point to how the Court OF AP,
neal. views such variations from reasonable prices IN
1sz3 tbe Department OF Public Works bulIt sewer hy
dav's work The Leake and Watts Orphan Home applied
to the courts for relief on the Ground OF ifnGueu IL
The Court Of Appeals dulng last year 9Zd NJ l. hcIo'
IAN expenditure of s14 cubic yard rock exc e1faTa va
tol which should have cost but 81 aud per l99t @ aor
pipe, which should have cost hn & 81 a. bra awe Sost n
- s. show5 not merely case of mproyidence and eA-
rayagancr hut very satisfactorily that there was either
Gr?SS G o. &%o t mGng Of the Court at special term"
The assessment was reduced to the just amount
THE POWER To REJECT BIDS.
In 1873 after the exposure Of Tweeds frauds the COM
nittce of seventy citizens proposed legislation WIN
view to their prevention, and by the 9st section OF the
new charter the Legislature enacted that when the eX-
nenditure for supplies exceeded $1,000 "the
same shall be by contract under such Tegnnai,
IlynS by Ordinance Of Common Council and unless
otherwise ordered by vote Of threefonrths 0i the ne
bers elected to the Common Council and al contracts
shall be entered into by the appropriate heads OF Depart
men and shall except as herein oterwe e. l"n,nTu; ce
with public notice duly advertised in The city Record said
notice to be published at least ten days ad aH contracts
,rhcu gircn shall be QireH IN he forrest btdder." -
THIS clause amended by the oth secoh on theCoI
sodaton act OF 1882 Chap 40 to take effect March l'
Iss3 by striking out part i'll italics and inserting -
the head q department SfaV not des FOR re incrcss
ofc cit ~ reject al bdS he shall without the consent
or approval u any other department % Glcel o le Cy
GoycIuucnt, award the contract 70 the lowest Dddci
So Der cubic ward for earth excavation, worth about
oror 80 cent? a PER PPpSc Sc' WoTEs @ cr the amcndmn Civ
ing him power to r'iect bids look GIcCI lhIc-
haye been rejected the ground that on thcli lace
they exhibited the fraud, held by the Court OF Appeals
dirrercDce between the amount alleged TO have been
paid and what shOuld have been pad arose ~ msi 9e
evident that the system which promotes UnDaldhGcd lds
can arise onlv in departments Improperly managed They
permit mode the most certain OF reaching ana rdQdE
if has not been largely ACCOMPLISHED founded data not
within reach OF private citizens, will be treated win DIS
by those who know that such methods are not re-
sorted 10 except for purposes oi plundtr ,,-,
Nor will this opinion be at all clanged by the GROUND
ia ltta l,X
garded acrhouglt that he caused hoTings 20 3e
made after the bid for grading etc. part oil Nlnctl @
ST. IN, and that the Original estimates "cIc CON
III '" THE 81 900 LIMIT.
IT will have been that by the terms ST the act OF
1878 and OF 1882 all heads Of Department are COM
peled to resort to competitive bids after advertisement
in case the quantity of article purchased amounts in
price to over $1,000. A.,
mrcspect to coal the Board OF Education and the
Health Department obtain their supplies in the manner
required hy the statute. In 1881 and 1SS2 there are
over forty Instances in which the purchases OF coal by the
Department of Public Works little short OF 81 900
in each instance. In on May IL, 1851, the
Department purchased from one person, bnt under
separate acquisitions, All tons, amounting 10 10y 2o
Which amount ~ is M dyd@d & to to s %Gc an @ "T s
that at Nre,yseventh-st and Nnth-ave, thus treating
the purchase as being two purchases instead OF one
This matter il highly important as 1t amounts 10 the
assertion OfaprincFd Of conduct applicable 10 other
Ry the jth section of the charter of 1873 rocnacted
in 1882 is provided that any officer OF the cy govern
met person employed in its service who shall wilfuy
violate OF eyadc any Of the provisions OF the act or CON
nit any fraud upon the city convert any Of the public
properly To his own knowingly permit any other
person 10 convert It, or by and cupahe neglect or
duty allow the be lost to the city, shall be deemed
guilty Of misdcucanOr, and, in addition to the penalties
imposed by law conviction shall forfeit his Office, etc
There he doubt that i'll each purchase amounting
TO between 1900 and ~ 900, the adjusted at
under 81 O0O owing to the limitation fixed IN the statute
Bagges boats must have been selected 10 carry no
greater quantity. Whether convenient or not, or profit
able To tie city comply with this acls clear that
was Nj Thompson duty TO make contracts for the much
larger quantity required at the pumping stations with
he
portty to put their bids There would be no chance
for unbalanced bids in such or for any favortsln
These methods ca for the employment of numerous sa
gacos voters that every considerable taxpayer has 10
carry an oticeodcr his back, bent mainly on consid
en how ne can relieve the taxpayer OF his surplus, ana
most sklully eyade puolic scrutiny.
THE RECKLESS ISSUE OF BONDS.