New-York tribune., 1884-01-27
MR.. THOMPSON EVASIVE.
REFUSING TO GIVE DIRECT ANSWERS.

THE SENATE COMMITTEE CCRBs HIS DESIRE TO TX
PLAIN voLUMINoU5LY.
The Senate Committee on Cities resumed its in-
yestgation Yesterday into the management OF the
Department of Public Works. 1t met in the City
Hall. Commissioner Thompson and w. " Smtn'
the surveyor who does the most OF MS
outside work. were examined somewhat az
length. Frank +. Towle, who mace
the estimates on of the bad unbalanced bd COLI
tracts was also called TO the stand. Mr.. thompson
ccu,;ed most of the time because of his refusal to
give direct answers 10 questions, nearly always
going into long explanations. This led to
several complaints on the part of mem-
hers of the committee, and to some
sbarn messages between Mr.. Thompson and
Senator Mccarthy. Senator Cullen complained
also of the interference of Mr. Thompsons counsel.
Mr. Thompson repeated his previous explanations
i'm regard to some of the well-kuown unbal-
anced bid contracts He SAID that when
lie let q contract for earth excavation at
Ss a cubic yard, the fair value of winch
was fifty cents, and for rock excavation at one
quarter of a cent a cubic yard, the falr value oi
which was about 81, he thought the prices re-
markable"; and although il turned out that 'he
city lost good deal of money by the contract he
had no reason to suspect any colluson between ms
employees and the contractors. Such cor
think if probable The surveyors had not
heep as careful as they ought to be- Another case
where the Department estimates fell several
thousand cubic yards short of The returns, nc eA-
pained as unfortunate"
Mr. Smith explained the case Of a contract, on
which the returns exactly the opposite OF the
estimates as prepared by him, by stating that II
was due to 4" an error in Judgment" The contractors
Judgment he said, was better than his. lie
thought that was the only case of the kind On
further examination he admitted that ne snrVeSgId I
aud " located" street five feet out OF line. lie
said he could not tell what he was pald ior w3tk IN
any one wear by Mr.. Thompson. 1t might be
SIS 600 aud it might he S12,OOO OF more. r. =,
Towle another surveyor. said that the unfortunate
result on a contract the estimates OF when were
nrepared by him was due to an error in Judgment;
MIR Thompson submitted another portion OF tne
data called for by the committee. These papers
executed by contract, Mr. Thompson paid out
S4274I6n 1881; $500, ,623 in 1882. and $o64-
9ss in 1888. EIghty-fOur per cent OF the appropr3
alton for the repairing and renewal Oh pipes anu
sop-coeks for the year 1881 was paid outto salaries
and hire of labor The percentage was increased 10
IS in the year 1882 and was 81 Tor lSs3, 1 ne ne
largest increase was in the accounts from which
oayments are made on orders. One of these ac.
counts was that for the renewal and repairing OF
mines and stop cocks. From this fund Mr. thompson
paid out for labor alone S,359 in 1881; $l0s,-
b9S in 1882 and $l22,944 III 1883
From the fund for repair and renewal OF paNenehtS
Ss7O64 was paid for labor IN 1881 ana @lo"l4"
Mr.. Thompson also submitted paper showing the
transfers of unexpended balances for his depart
ment These transfers were nearly all made to
funds ON which the 1909 orders are drawn. For the
repairs and renewals of pipes and stop-cocks
an appropratIon of $4,000 was made
in 1851 By means of " transfer Mr:
Thompson secured an increase during the year OF
S2l $50, and of this increase 81 400 was pald OUT
for salaries In 1882 the appropriation for TINS pur-
pose was increased to $l 30 900. but by means of
transfer" Mr.. Thompson secured further IN
crease of S27 800. For 1888 the appropriation was
Increased to $40 900. and by means Of n . trans
fer" during the yeaS Mr.. Thompson secured fur
ther increase of $34, ,r5J. similar state OF affairs
appears in other accounts the increase by transfers
Of alleged unexpended balances being a regular
thing during each year of his administration.