New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-15
PRICE THREE CENTS.
MR.. HEWITT ON THE STAND.
HE GIVES CRISP TIES TMONY ABOUT "THE
CITY RECORD,
THE FAssETT COMMITTEE LISTENS TO SOME
PAIN LANGUAGE-A LITTLE ENLTGHTEN
MENT AS TO THE DISTRIBUTION

or PATRONAGE
Both sessions of tho Fassctt senate Committee, in
Superior Court, Part 2, yesterday, were highly In
teresng to the listeners, and parts OF the test
mony caused considerable excitement At 1890
O'Clock Senators Pierce, Hendricks Van Colt and Me-
Naughton took their seats the bench The counsel
were all present, and Editor Costigan bad come In
with a load OF books and documents Ex-warden
Fatty Walsh also there and listened to the pro-
ceedlnSs with deep appreciation The usual crowd OF
officials, politicians and curiosity seekers malc
good part Of the audience Mr.. Best the expert
countant, had just taken the witness stand. when
Mayor Hewitt in. Mr. Best, who IS a nervous
man, jumped up, and the Mayor sworn and took
the stand
Mr.. Boardman-Mr. Mayor, do you think that IL
the patronage given 10 The Register trans
ferred TO The City Record the latter might be made
sefsupportng and the city great expensel
Mr.. Hewitt think t would be good thing II the
Official law paper would be abolished and the Advertising
given to The City Record" The latter would have a
larger circulation and the Of publication would be
reduced. understand, however, that the official law
paper Is owned by political ring, from whom would
be difficult take the city patronage. the pub-
cation OF the paper there seems 70 be alternative, be-
cause Martin b. Brown has the only available plant We
readvertised for bids at time, and the only bid
by Mr. Brown, and that bid greater than what no
had charged before. Yet we had to give him the work
again, and had pay his price.
Mr.. Boardman-Mr. Mayor, IS there Board OF City
Record created by he >savI'el
MR.. HEWITT WAKES WARM.
Mr.. Hewtt-There is not, and consider # perfectly
proper for the officials considered composing the board
TO transact business without any real meeting hold.
that the word concurrent in the statute unani
NOUS" and that each rcquisition 10 our
respective Offices. All Corporation Counsel from William
g Whitney Mr. Beekman have hell 'hs Lc S,IOws-
be srG cpnsIsr method . bs di-h'lest.
The of this city is hands and has
been during my L consider Mr. Costigan honest
man. and believe that the result OF the investigation by
the Commissioners Of Accounts fair based on
the evidence When calling himself Colonel John
A. Cockerlll l believe says that ordered those Com
missoners OF Accounts to "whitewashu Mr.. COsgaA,
say that he is liar.
Mr.. Ncoll-Now. Mr.. Mayor. that language is un.
necessary.
Mr.. Hewitt know 1 am on tho witness stand, but
the circumstances make such emphasis necessary. II
such attack had been made in newspaper in an
mpersonal way L should not But this man Cock.
eril has published his signature charg
Ing with causing the whitewash' OF Mr. Costgan.
1 must repeat It. He is liar-an unconsconabe liar.
Mr. Nicoll.-Mr Mayor is it not fact that the
stationery used by the city has abnOrmay n-
creased during the last two yearsl
Mr.. Hew,t-well the population OF the city has in.
creased more rapidly than usual during that time.
Mr Ncoll-How do you account for the great increase
In tn Mayors Office
Nr. Hewitt-Oh. don't know 1 have written about
900 letters myself which is many times the number
to do with It.
MI. NicOll-How is it Mr.. Mayor that the stationery
and printing for the city not obtained under the
tract system, the law providesl
Mr.. Hewitt-f you trying 10 impeach the integrity
city officials you will fail. IL is impossible always to
get printing and stationery under contracts That
necessltae big orders and with the frequent change
of would have unusued STOCK when would DC
wasted
Mr.. Nicol-wel any rate, the allotment this rear
$4,000 greater than during the last Of Mayor
Grace's administration.
Mr.. HEWITT QUESTIONS MR. NIcoLL
Mr. Hewitt-Mr. Nicol. do you anything about
arrearagesl
Mr. Nicoll-I do not.
Mr. Hewitt-wel, you should before asking such
questions. Mayor Grace honest official. and
perhaps a better Mayor than but he left legacy
s25 600 COR printing which had TO be paid by my ad
mnistratlon don't propose to leave any such debts.
for the difference in the allotment
Tho Mayor gave additional testimony as TO his
opinion of the proprfety of disposing of requsions
without meetings of the " Board of City Record
He thought that tho few cases in which requsitions
were not properly signed could be easily accounted
for lie said that he had omitted, accidentally,
to sign city bonds Such omissions likely 10
happen.
Before the Mayor left the stand, Mr. Ntcoll.
referring the charge against the Mayors Office OF
Gladstone bag" under the head of stationery
during Mayor Grace's incumbency, sad
Mr. Mayor do know OF Gladstone bag in the
MAYORS Office. which sent there by The City
Record Office stationery?
Mr. Hewltt-I do not have seen Gladstone bag.
have no use for any: don't know what such bag Is
and don't want
Commissioner Of Public Works ID. Lowber Smith
was called, but unable to give testimony Of
any importance on account OF the short time he has
been in Office. Editor Thomas Costigan, Of I" Tho
City Record then recalled 20 the stand, and
testified that in his opinion, the increased amount
OF stationery and printing would be easily accounted
for by the increase in the demand.
Mr. Nico-Under what scale OF prices the supplies
procured
CostiganUnder the scale adopted June %, 1881.
Mr. NicoI-Then do you that in this the year Of
the City OF NewYork is paying for those
supplies at rates current In 1881
oLD-TIME RATES NOW PAID
Mr. Cos,igan-I do, but those rates sliding
scale They 25 per the net cash price to the
trade
Mr. Nico-well it strange that the city should
nav % per cent the price paid by the trade.
Who are tho persons that supplied tho city
Mr.. Costigan gave the following table in reply:
Firms. Full year Eight iac month";
Martin B. Brown 900 $1,000
William r. Mitchell. 45oo0 5000
Maverick & Wissiuger IoCOb 600
The Evening Post-.-.-...----lSC00 1000