New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-14
MIR. THOMPSON ARRAIGNED.
THREE REPORTS FROM TIE COMMITTEE.
| TWO or THEM CONDEMN uIs METHODS AZ coMMis-
| sTONER or PUBLIC WORKS.

seted by the Committee Cities which has been ives-
tgang affairs Of Department OF Public Works OF
New-York One report signed By Senator'S Ginp''
Mccarthy and Lansing. Republicans, and Accompanying
It the evidence and two bills The first bill provdes
that the unexpended balances any of the departments
shall be transferred by Controller TO the general fund
for the reduction OF taxation and the second one reg
latss the Croton Water fund Another report was sud-
mtied by Messrs. DAILY Thatcher and Cullen, Democrats
and third by Senator Dageett Republican.
REPORT OF THREE REPUBLICANS.
Tho report signed by Senators Gibbs, lansing and NC
Carthy written fair and candid spirit. These SEN
declare that they embarrassed IN then invest
cations by the "unwillingness OF persons who had
specific knowledge Of the conduct OF the Department
either TO testify or to allow the OF their in any
whatever" The report then continues suDstan
tally as follows:
Fist-In the Bureau OF Supplies aud Repairs the COM
mitee found increase in Of the appropriations
controlled by this Bureau viz supplies for and clean
ing public offices years OF 1881, 1882 and
1888 OF Ss3 S42 90 that Of the three previous
years The head OF the Bureau failed to account to your
committee for this increased expenditure and the expa
nations offered unsatisfactory and misleading.
This Bureau purchased all Of the necessary for the
city's consumption under what IL known az
the 5000 order system about the 1st of January
1854. Different orders repeatedly issued within
few days for the same material In several cases. several
orders issued the person on the same day
for the same kind OF material. coal, and purchased 1t
the city % 10 per net ton. IL appears that the
Board Of Education purchasing upon contract awarded at
public letting in conformity with the law, obtained the
best coal during the same years for - 3d. ~ 80 and
81 70 per gross ton respectively that private persons
obtained their coal 50 per gross ton and that the
Department OF Public Works itself has since January
paid for coal obtained the contract system but 81 "a
per net The Department has obviously, therefore,
paid for coal during the three years last past from
IN Dpr should
From the year 1873 year sS4 the cost of coal
sumed by the Department increased from $4,000 to
SIS 600 That increase satisfactorily explained
In this Bureau two striking instances OF the
manner Of doing work upon the 5000 order system:
First For repairs the City Record Office two orders
were issucd upon February IT, 1881. for s4O4 IS and
1926 o. for the work and subsequently other or
d4rs upon March s. March % and April 5, 1851, for
S342 1892 20 and 1913 81 respectively, all essentially
for the same job In this the acquisitions for the
work made not by the superintendent Of the Blu
resu. but by improper person and the bills for the
directed by the Commissioner 70 be audited by
that person and the case Is aggravated by the fact that
this person was a relative OF the Commissioner
2nd. For painting the Court House. nine orders were
issued for work which continuous The work done
under them continuous, and the necessity for the
whole OF must have been at obvious as that
for any part of it, The superintendent Of the Bureau
Notwithstanding the plain facts souty asserted that the
necessity forpaintng all Of the only gradu-
ally revealed 10 him. and he resored TO the most nsera-
bic shutting to show that the work done under each
order a distinct Job. Yonr committee think the work
cannot he construed and that the issuance OF these
nine orders clear violation OF the spirit Of the law
ROADS not PROPERLY ATTENDED TO.
second-In the Bureau of Roads and Bouleyards 1t
appears thai miles OF roads have been left
dangerous condition Notwithstanding the fact that fire.
quent complaints have been made and notwithstanding
that the appropriations have been increased The re-
Of the Bureau have been apparently al expended
upon streets and roads which used for pleasure dy
Ing the grevOus neglect Of the main thoroughare Of
the Island The accounts OF the Bureau found in
condition which dees description and the SUI
perintendent. in endeavOr1ng 10 explain them and
the methods Of doing business II his Bureau,
was guilty OF the most shameless, unnecessary
and stupid msstatemeuts while under Oah. and.
upon one occasion was compelled to confess clumsy
attempt 10 deceive the committee by the manufacture OF
records II appears from the original and undoctored
records and the city has means OF know
Ing whether the work which has paid for and the sup
plies with which said To have been furnished IN this
Bureau have fact either rendered or furnished
The cases Of Barry and Macdonald, who furnished large
portions Of the materials used by he Bureau worthy
of particular mention.
The whole condition OF things in this bureau is demon
strated to be bad Il would not be continued ia any
private business for day after - discovery and the
retention OF Mooney as superintendent after the e1nl-
ton which he made Of hIasef before the COMMITTEES Is
l
IGri-Tl the B1resu % Water Purveyor it appears
that the books six months behnd-hand in being
meters we're directed inserted shortly prior 10 the
last election but 1872 have actually been put IN down TO
the present time, from which the inference IL fairly 10 De
made that the charges that insert water meters
have been recklessly served upon small properyowners
/ IN a not contemplated by the law, and FOR the
purposes OF political coercion, are well grounded
/ Fourth-In the Bureau OF Water Register your COM
uttee found ample evidence OF the existence ~ forced
Sstem OF political assessments which has been carried
for many years in the most open manner IL - also
/ fne civ % ne
system OF requiring permits for the use OF CrOon alter
trariy and improperly affect the private interests Of
individuals. and IN such To transfer the business
OF street sprinking IN many rom the hands OF
reputable private individuals 10 those Of politicians, and
that some permits have been granted to use
men 10 cigar dealer and by him resold TO the very
Waterman from whom they were taken
THE $500 SYSTEM.
Fifth-In the Bureau OF sewers the work IA OF two
general classes Frs-the repair and cleaning Of sew
ers and secondthe repaving over plumbers openings
for making and water connection. The work in
the first general class amounts 10 average OF about
$50 900 year. and IA all done upon the so-caled 1899
order system Under this system appears to your com
mttee that the law has been violated and clearly evaded
in the following specific instances
CThe report here enumerates them in detaiL)
The Department has endeavored 10 show that the work
done upon these orders In each case separate ana
particular Job but IL appears in evidence that IN most OF
the the work wac continuous WORK that was
going under several OF the orders at the same tue
and that all OF the Information upon when ths Depart
ment acted must have been within ts possession Deore
the work was undertaken at all The theory that
some OF the work thus done under the orders is not
particular Job il based upon the notion or the
Department testified 10 by Mr.. Babcock that every
block OF a sewer through street constitutes
an entirely separate sewer so tnat con- m S a.
in Sixthave.. for example, running through ten docks
not would appear 10 an ordinary mind one ,eWer
but is really twenty different sewers consisting Of one IN
each block and at the Intersection OF each street IL
seems your committee that In each OF these cases
which have been enumerated work has been done upon
1899 orders which the law required 10 have been done
upon made after public letting that the pre-
the work done upon separate Jobs are
absurd and that the fact that considerable portion or u
for work. such the laying OF an entirely
new sewer, and was, nevertheless, entitled . re-
pairs" indicates clear intent evade the Law"
Mr.. THOMPSON VIOLATING THE LAW.
It's impossible for your Committee not 10 conclude