New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-01-20
QUESTIONING MR.. THOMPSON.
WHAT THE SENATE COMMITTEE SEEKS.

AL I,I,lor wen, ,,roriptIy on hand at 1890 q. III.
| Mcs>rs Daggctt, Cullen and Day were ia'e'
7. W. WhtIidgc appeared as counsel Tor the com
mittcc and Robert Payne for Mr. Thompson Inc
committee decided that it could do nothing Oh any
importance until Mr.. Thompson came. mes
sencer was sent for the Commissioner who was
| before the Assembly Committee in the metropolitan
! Hotel At 1I:tj a. III. Mr.. Thompson came in. ana
! tbe committee was called 10 order by Mr. GlDbs'
! Mr. Thompson excused himself for moi coming
sooner on the ground that hc had promised 10
appear before the Assembly Committee nj ~
| o'clock lie meant discOurtcsy to the senate
| Committee.
Mr.. Gibbs after few preliminary queSnsuo
asked Mr. Thompson to furnish the names ana resi-
denccs of all employees of the Department of Public
Works. and the amount paid to each, with the
oppropriation from which it was paid the names
of all contractors who have done work for the
DEPARTMENT, the quantities of work performed ana
the auount paid on each contract and the name OF
each engineer and inspector employed III laying out
and supervising the worl, done Mr.. Whtridge
supplemented these demands by adding list OF al
work done by order of the Commissioner without
public letting and the amount paid out on each
order since Mr.. Thompson became Commissioner OF
Public Works Mr. Thompson said that 1t might
not be possible to produce the information Sought
for before the end of this week. whcrcupOn Senator
might be given The list of employees including
laborcrs. when employed, and the salaries paid to
each and the contracts and the work done and the
amount paid on each, might be given, aud the
other information could lie furnished as 1t was
prepared Mr.. ThomI@on thought this might DC
done.
Senator Mccarthy questioned Mr.. Thompson as
to the expenditures of his office and the source
whence the amounts paid on his order or authorize
ton were obtained. Mr.. Thompson explained that
they came from three sOurccS-the Appropriation
made by the Board of Estimate and Apportlon-
mcnt, the 81 900 600 raised by the sale of bonds
each year by the Controller to be expended toward
procuring an additional wafer supply, and from
assessments for work done
SEEKING A JOINT INVESTIGATION.
At the close several members of the committee
EXPRESSED dissatisfaction because Mr.. Thompson
had not appeared promptly at 1890 u. IN. MI
| Thompson said that having given his word to Mr.
Roosevelt that he would appear before his conf
mittec at o o'clock while his presence was required
by the Senate Committee Mt 1880, he CONSIDERED IL
| his duty to respond to the summons ot MI
| Roosevelt. His examination was proceeding before
! the Assembly Committee when the hOur was
| reached ut which lie was to appear before me
| Senate Committee. Unfortunately he could not be
in two places at once and this accounted Tor ms
delay III appearing before them. Mr.. Payne sald
that his client III a very annoying POSITION
through no fault of his He asked II IT would not
be advisable that the two committees should agree
on plan of procedure. Mr. Thompson had been
directed to appear before the Assembly Committee
on Monday and bring with him certain books and
papers. Mr. Whitridge responded that the witness
had been regularly subppnacd to appear before the
Senate COMMITTEE, Whl' ne n3u N1l.'n any ~,
pcarcd before the Assembly Committee II me
Senate Committee took recess until Monday, Mr.
Thompson would still be It's witness. Aller some
discussion the committee went INTO executive
session and adopted the following resolution:
Resocd That il is ne sense of this committee that in
tp Inc
eonncf thc nycstiction OF the department Of Public
Works at the same time and at the same place
Senator Gibbs said that the committee would meet
on Monday at 1880 a. N, IN the City nan, ana IL
rested with the Assembly Committee whether or
not it would unite with it in conducting tie myes-
4 motion in the Assembly to have JOINT commit
tee of investigation was lost
MR.. THOMPSON OY THE STAND.
The oath was administered 10 Mr. Thompson
By Senator Gibbs who then questioned him as to when
he WAS appointed Commissioner Public Works and how
he bad been engaged before taking tnat office In
suon.c 10 these queries Mr.. Thompson brief out
line of biz official career. In . further questions
he -aid hat he could furnish i-t Of all the employees
clerks and laborcrs- in his department on October
81 last, that being the date when lists were
prepared TO be printed in He Ciy Eccord Records Of
all The contracts made by him since he became Commits
soncr Of Public Works, lie said kept by his clerks
or uhor mates and could be furnished together with the
amount of the original estimate each contract the
amount finally paid together with the name Of each CON
tractor ana of The Local inspector who Inspected the
work; also the amount paid ou from each fund and each
alnropriation M Thompson tncn questioned more
in detail by Ilr Whitdge, who read from paper the
Information which The committee required Of the witness
The questions as follows:
IN VII vou furnish the committee with list Of al per
in the pay Of your department on te list OF Octo-
bcr last stating the pay of each at that time, giving
separate list OF inspectors the rates o pay they received
all. Ia. f.ly
e, VII you furnish the commit with list of all the
contracts made by you since y9u became Commissioner
stating the amounts involved IN ca,n, the contracting
party and the subiectmdtcr OF each with the suretes
~ Win Won furnish q list OF all The amounts paid
from fund aud each appropriation on orders for
work s;Ipphc- year and month since you be
came Commissioner Of Public Works and the persons to
GI can Won furnish li-i of the amounts paid ont from
each fund and each appropriation III cacA year ana each
g., Can YOU furnish list OF The amounts paid ont in
month and each year from each lnd and appro1a-
ton Tor travelling expenses
Mr. Thompson protested his willingness and ability to
furnish all ti, information. but said that mach Of would
require great deal OF time TO prepare and the committee
would have to exercise patience He added that his
quarterly reports gave in detail the expenditures from
each fund and each appropriation during that quarter
GIvITG OFT ORDERS AND CONTRACTS.
In response to questions by Mr. Lansing rs to the meth
obs Of giving cur department orders and contracts Mr..
Thompson said:
Every contract for amounts exceeding IL 900 Is done
[
cyCcpiOual cases. For instance In the purchase or
LARGE zine Tor High Bridge in the early part or my adj
min. ratiou should have obtained only an inferior
article by advertising II; had resolution passed
by the Board Aldermen authorizing the Commissioner
OF Public Works purchase engine without previous
advertising With few exceptions Of that sort every
contract exceeding $1,000 III amount Is let ly adyer
tIsug Contracts under $1,000 10 l. not customary
TO advertise although advertised them and alyer-
| tise them when il Is advantageous 10 do 50.
SIr Whtridcc-As q matter OF Fact do yOn know |
whether any COR less than 81 900 let
M Mr. r. Thompson would not like to say positively
without referring my books. Perhaps did not
press myself plainly. intended 10 LAY that If CON
tidered il wise To advertise job under $1,000, would
have done s0 but think would have endeayOred to
lump that with something else.