New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-14


panyins IT, be rWarIed to he Mayor Of the City OF New
York whose duty IL Is 10 act IN the premises WIN INC
request that he give il his immediate attention
As partial remedies. however for the OWLS rom WHICH
the people OF the CITY Of NcwT0rk suffer under NJ al
min-tration. your committee recommend the tnree io
| loving measures: $50,
anil the sub therefor 81 the system bidding in
gross for particular work and the passage OF Dill
81 The abolition or the right Of the Board Of Estimate
and Apport0nment TO transfer uneTpendea oaaiIoes
INTO the sinking Fund. ,. tel,
3D. The repeal OF the provisions in accordance WIN
which the Commissioner OF Public Works has tIe W.
nOsa annually OF SlO0O.O00 Without relsrehcc ~ ~
Board OF Estimate and Apportionment ana tia @
aqueuc aud FOR ali the other purposes for which TINS
has hitherto been used under the diFectoh OF tue
Board or Estimate and AppOriiOnment a., q, -.
With reference to Cmningham's BILLS It Is SHOWN,
moreover that the work is done upon orders nse or
such way that It is for his interest 10 mae ~
long and cost MS much "a possible winch II ~ az
of Public Works anybody else woud ruopt III n,S
private business, and which. coupled Win tae
CANT expenditure under the contracts thus naue P
TO your committee to show culpabe misuse ana VAST
class Of work done under ths Bureau namely for repay
ing over plumbers openings, it. appears thai ap ON
S3OOO year are expended all OF when Is pao 70 each
Cunningham. Ten dollars are now collected IRON a. d
property where connections are made, anu
- for other connections Including the 5peeial H".A
the cost Tor connections Of all kinds Is iCanu con- ~
be on the average 81 ~ BY way ot % ~
rast II appears thar in Brook IN me ayerags cut
In connection with this work of repayng s.reg 49, ns
pears also that the COMMISSIONS mas thrown ~ % NJ
private contract into the hands OF Mr. CUNNINGHAM;
DeVln had made provisional contract WIN tue ,~j,
Company to lay certain tubes In consequence OF cert
unnecessary requirements OF the Department 'nS V the
fset Wa Subsequently given 70 That by
of the dication Of the Department. they werS
thus compelled 20 pay 81 cents per ineal toot or woA
which they could have had done by responsole contSs
Or other than Deyn for IA cents per 1907: si ~
lar misuse Of the power OF the DeparlIiiesnt. n
Union Telegraph Company Mr.. Devln testl-
es IN substance: That by reason OF ms , Pn
the officers o. the Department, he had dlfcuy va 9
tanning permit; that Commissioner THOMPSON iaIS az
that he deposited $500 check for that purpose that
he had previous occasion responded 20 SUM ~
mand by enploye OF the Department with cheJA I
subject to attempts at blaekman by the inspectors ana
finally deprived OF his work in consequence Of his WIN
drawa OF the check and his refusal 20 rec the =
much Of Mr. Deyin's testimony only, howeysr as -
and improper OF the power or the Depal ir
which other in stances have been given Another s d
instance I'm which Commissioner appears 10 nave ma
direct interest occurred in connection WIN M ne
Commissioners Interested. aud which ne perittea 10
use an unusual If not unhesrd Of quantity Oh c0 Tr01I
water. which charge was nor dehieu ny 'n' N'--'
siOner when subsequently examined
THE DAILY. CULLEN AND TEACHER REPORT.
A STUDIED EFFORT TO FAVOR THOMPSON BY MAX
,ING EXCUSES.
The report OF Senators DALI Cullen and Thacher com
ments upon the evidence with an evident purpose 10
make IL appear A. favorable to Commissioner Thompson
pO5sble These senators THOUGHT that iuO
cost Of cleaning buildings under the Department OF Pus
lie Work. over other buildings in the city was explained
b. the fact that they equented during the day ny
an Undetermined body Of citizens while the others had
janors keep out improper persons We see I'D III
rronrietv this report continues in the work Of
pairs in the City Record Office being done on the re-
ausiton Of an architect employed in the Department
orr attention having been called law orbidding the
Commissioner to make repairs without the requsitOn OF
the head Of the Bureau" The difference between the
price paid for coal by the Department OF Public works
and the Board Of Education explained on the ground
that the latter used Lackawanna while the former useo
Iehgh coal. The coal purchased IN small lots
BECAUSE OF the lack Of storage facilities.
UNBALANCED BIDS PASSED LIGHTLY BY
Tic report passes over the question OF unbalanced bids
I'm the most crory the only excuse offered Tor
the Commissioner OF Public Works being that he is not
responsible for a system which has been In Use for many
years since he has followed the advice Of the coun sci
,rt bovveyrr doe say that legislation is recon
Inended to modify abolish the present system IN
on each under 81 900 the report admits that there
an aIEent INTENTION on Ee Ps OF s s t6e %
10 AJAX to have his part OF the building painted The
other occupants clsmored Tor th i same ths' "n the
In the Department OF Roads ana BouevardS ne re-
port continues the committee did discover CONDITION
Of things calling for some ccnsUre ana then ths eAcu-e
Is offered: This Bureau il presided over by man very
competent IN his particular cang Out VINO nito Dee so
long in employ Of the city tuat he has grown To con-
sid
ment. The him. e.. Is evidently an efficient,
driving empoye. who has found the restrictions OF
Office rules a burden and with confidence III his own
methods has dlsregarded better and safer ways' Inc
report also declared that the evidence failed 10 prove
that moro natca had been pald Tor IAah was "c'u"!
delivered.
! POLITICAL. ASSESSMENTS AND 5000" ORDERS.
The testimony ~ 70 forced political assessments IN the
Bureau Of Water Register dismissed with the statement
that the evidence sufficient Importance TO
Justify dwelling upon IT," The testimony before the
committee the many Instances in which commits
sloncr ThompsOn had issued 1909 orders, or orders
uudr II 900 for sewer repairs the Democratic senator's
take many uagcS O their report in attempting 70 explain
Tne exclse offered IS that reFalrs may be begun on
sewer requ.riag than $1,000 and that before IL Il
completed another defect may be discovered requiring
similar repairs md go for many contracts. Core
spending excuses offered by the report for other
dercctOns or duty the part ~ the Department. OF
lie Works. The report concluded with the Following
Firt-The abolition Of the system OF unbalanced bids
egaliziHg a system by which the works might De DID
second The abolition Of the right Of the Board Of
Estimate and Appointment to transfer gneApehdet
balances tor maintenance and provision that all such
balances should be covered into the sinking Fund
! SENATOR DAGGETTs VIEWS
HE Is SEVERE Of THOMPSON. but REFUSES TO
RECOMMEND HIS REMOVAL.
The report Of senator Daggett agrees with that OF
Gibbs Lansing and Mccarthy in some parcu-
lars but differs IN some OF the Increased e1pend-
ture Bureau Of supplies and Repairs for 1881 1852
and 1883 over the preceding three years senator Dagset
thinks accounted for and he adds that the ex-
renditmes were manifestly extrayagant' He declares
there excuse for the 1899 orders for coal and that
the explanation OF Of storage room Tor coal Is not
satisfactory. He finds that Commissioner Thompson
has committed the ossest extrayagances IN the clean
ing OF the public buildings that excessive salaries paid
to unnecessarily large force OF male and female en-
ployes who appointed for political purposes ut the
expense Of economy has much to do with exay
This report also finds that the system practised by the
Board OF Estimate and Appointment OF transferring
unexpended balances from appropriation TO another
all wrong ID be abolished -; that the