New-York tribune., 1888-08-26
SOME or THE AQUEDUCT PLUMS
RICH FEES FOR COUNTY DEMOCRATS.

. nrrr Mr. CLEVELAND SIGNED AS GOVERNOR FOR
THE BrNEFTT OF HIS FRIENDS
A statemont appearld recontly relating TO the
cost ot land purchased by the city for Aqueduct pur
poses together with the sums paid for the appraisal
Of the property In one portion OF this land Whcre
eight parcels OF real estate aggregattng about SIX
teen acres were taken for the Aqucduct the ex-
pense of the land go 900 while the expenses OF
the Commissioners of Appraisal in connection with
acquiring It were S104,472. report was made to
the Aqueduct Commission this purchase on Sep
tember l. 1886. and The Tribune then said that the
expenses Of appralslng land for the new Aqueduct
indicated that economy had not been the guiding
principle of the Commission who have charge of this
branch Of the undertaking.
Land IS taken for Aqueduct purposes by the Com
missioners Of Apprasas, who can only be appointed
by Supreme Court Judge Of the Second Judicial
District. 1t IS noteworthy fact that all appica-
tions for the condemnation of land were made to
Judge Dykman at White Plains; that the Judge
always appointed Robert Murray II. I. spauldng and
Z. Elloy Anderson, we'll lknown County Democrats,
Commissioners for land to be taken in New-York
County; S. d. Clifford, william H. Hunt and Horny
Allen, for land to be taken in Westchester County
ard three other men for appraising Putnam County
land. Section 81 (knpwn as Chapter 400, laws OF
1889 fixes the compensation Of these Commissioners
Of Appraisal at $40 per day. for each day actually
employed, and provides for clerks stenographers ard
surveyors. 1t is made the duty Of the Counsel to
the Corporation to give legal ald when required to,
either in person or by such counsel as he may desig
nate for the purpose, to protect tho cys interest.
The Commissioner fees their travelling and other
expenses the salaries and compensation Of their other
employees, and such allowances for counsel fees
may bc made by order Of the court, shall be paid by
the Controller OF the City OF NewYorh
Another section of the act Qo) provides that
tho Commissioners Of Appraisal shall recommend the
to be allowed costs and counsel fees TO such
attorneys and counsel appear before them for
any parties 70 the proceedings
"LEGAL SERVICES" RICHLY REWARDED
The Commissioners met a week, but they
charged their so per day right along week days and
Sundays. part of this time that distinguished
County Democracy reformer T.. Ellcry Anderson. has
hccn acting as Pacific Railway Commissioner by ap-
pOlntmcnt OF President Cleveland. In the way of
counsel fees rich harvcsts have also BEEN rcapcd by
other County Democrats notably Nelson j. Waterbury,
who got S27.TO0 for legal services, while Harry r.
Dykman, OF the Judge from whose court all the
legal orders cmanatcd, received 000 The further
| sum Of s25,353 paid out for illegal services y
generally TO good County Democrats their friends.
It said that $4,000 of the money paid TO Mr. Dyl
man in connection with tho Bronx River and
Eari's Island water supply but, nevertheless, this
! grew out of the construction Of the new Aqueduct.
When II is remembered that the Corporation Coun-
sci is allowed TO employ a number Of assistants who
| get from "a 900 to $4,000 per year, any of whom
might have acted as attorney before these boards of
appraisal or II these assistants could not have been
| spared an additional might have been employed
| at yearly salary OF $1,000 for these cases the
economy which induced tho expenditure of S16l ,053
In counsel fees to lawyers Of the County Democracy
! will be open to question. Tho whole number of
acres OF land taken In fee for the new Aqueduct to
da.o Is 1877 OF these 1875 acres are in Westchestcr
County and the rest In the upper part of Ncw-Yorh
| County For this land Slss,G8o has been paid by
the City OF NewYork and tho aggregate of expenses,