New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-13
MR.. BALDWIN INDIGNANT.
SHARP REPLIES TO Mr.. FIsTs QUESTIONS.
ANOTHER BREEZE IN THE AoUEDUcr INQUIRY
SECRETARY M'cULL0H AS THE DEPUTY
TREASURER or THE COUNTY DEMOCRACY
RAPID PROMOTION OF LABoRERs
on THE WORK.


on THE WORK.
The examination of Aqucduct Commissioners
Baldwin the treasurer OF the County Democracy,
by the State Senate Investigating Committee was
concluded yesterday. lie expressed great relief
when allowed to depart This is not to be Won
dered at for he had been subjected 10 severe an
ordeal yesterday as he passed through on Wednes-
day, his first day on the witness-stand. In add.
tion to his examination by the counsel in the in
quiry he was also taken in hand by his associate
in the Board, Mr. Fish, who made things exceed
ingly lively for o time. lie stirred up another
breeze, in fact and that was fully appreciated
by the crowd, which increases daily. MIR. Bald
wins testimony yesterday was OF general char
acter Part of il was designed 10 explain and
modify some of the startling admissions which he
made on Wednesday relative TO his association
with Contractor. Hcman Clark, but he said little
that was effective in that respect. In answer TO
Mr. Boardmans inquiries, he said that he voted
to award the contract for Section 12 TO OBricn e
Clark whose bid was over $4,000 above the next
lowest by advice OF the engineers. He admitted
that State Treasurer Maxwell and Judge Muller,
Governor Hills lieutenant, had urged him TO gfvc
as many contracts possible to OBrien & Clark.
There was no doubt in the mind OF the witness
that the organization of the Commission was detri-
posed the scheme the consummaton Of which had
demordlizing effect all around.
EVERYBODY ALARMED AND SUSPICIOUS.
"I say this" he added, without any desire
to reflect upon my fellow Commissioners. But
the fact is as soon as the Mayor and Controller
were removed. everybody became alarmed and
suspicious Referring to his efforts to kill the
bill, he said that he wrote TO Senators DAILY and
Murphy and also Governor Hill on the sub
iect but it was no use. Mr. Hill not in
fuenced by his arguments McCullOh's removal
was also opposed by the witness. One alleged
reason for this was brought out later in the day,
when it shown that all the accounts OF MIR.
Baldwin, as treasurer of the County Democracy,
were kept by Mr.. McCulloh at the Offices OF tho
Aqueduct Commission.
Mr.. Baldwin insisted that he himself was ne
| politician He was only Z" a strong Democrat"
In regard to the substitution Of rubbc masonry
for dry packing, Mr.. Baldwin professed innocence,
| as he was not aware when he voted for the change
| that the Chief Engineer was opposed 10 IL. lie
made the same explanation IN reference 10 the
allowances for extra excavation. These were
matters which he left to the Chief Engineer and
the Corporation Counsel. Mr. Church had told tho
| Commissioners that all the contracts were being
carried out at the original cost The witness
| had audited bills with this assurance in mind
Had he known that on the fifteen sections OF tho
Aoueduct there was an increased expense OF
So 900, 900 he would not have passed the claims
of the contractors 1t was true that he personally
had secured the appointment of twenty-five or
thirty men, but it not for any purpose.
| SALARIES INCREASED AT AN ALARMING RATE
| Mr.. Boardman asked if the Board had not been
remarkably liberal in increasing the salaries Of en-
ployes without request At the same time he
called attention to the fact that the expenses OF tho
! Commission had been gradually Increasing until
they were now near,v half million dollars an
nually To illustrate his question: Mr. Boardman
read from list showing how men employed at first
as laborers at 81 a day now getting in some In
! stances 50, 200 year Promotions came rapidly.
Josiah ii. Fitch, for instance, began as an ordinary
laborcr. lie now draws SIZE month 80 does
! Richard Baldwin, jr nephew OF the Commls-
sioner, who began like Mr.. Fitch. Another
man who started at "a day now receives
81, 900 year. The witness insisted that all thesc
promotions were merted.
HIS RELATIONS WITH CONTRACTOR CLARK.
Mr. Nicoll took up the relations existing between
the witness and Mr. Clark. Mr.. Baldwin declared
that he had never concealed them from any one
Judge Spencer knew about them. and said II was
all -iaht So did NJ. Dowd. The bond and note
transaction with the Continental Bank was taken
up Mr. Baldwin said he personally assured tho
president of that institution that the $4,000 bor-
rowcd ": NJ Cla=k on his 1ote would be paid.
Thus far he said, the Commission had paid out for
Aqueduct work 81 96l ,0OO The original cstl-
mate was S9,000,00O.
Afte- recess Mr. Ncoll took up the purchase Of
some land from the New York and New-England
Railroad in which Mr.. Baldwin was large stock
holder fo- the new Sodom dam. This land cat1e
up to Sll 1000, but the company asked an addi-
tions $4,000 for counsel fees The Real Is
tate Committee. Messrs Spencer. Fish and Barnes.
reported in favor of paying this sum. and the Com,
mission also favored il. though Mr.. Rdgway and
| Mr.. Fish voted against the resolution The mat
ter was afterward referred to the Corporation Coun
sci to take the necessary proceedings for the con-
demnation of the property These proceedings arc
still pending, but it is understood that instead
| of allowing Sl12,500 for the land only SI5.OOo
Commissioner Fish then took the witness and
stirred up things in lively way. lie wanted TO
know if the new Commissioners had ever done
| ANYTHING wrong since their advent 10 office. Mr..
Baldwin said that lie thought they had IN some
instances The removal of Mr. McCulloh and the
| removal of the witness himself from the Construc-
ton Committee were illustrations OF the new mems
bad conduct. Mr.. Fish pressed him for further
instances. until finally MIR. Baldwin lost his tenn
per and snapped tos,C out ,or voa ,hinf
me any such questions as these You
and meet every day at tn. the A1nedhuct CON Com
out airing il here. You don't want certificate OF
character from me, and l don't want any from you
MR. FISH NOT TO BE SHAKEN OFF
This did not satisfy Mr.. Fish. lie wanted the
chairman to compel the witness to answer bis
questions, but Senator Hendricks smiled ana said
that he did not feel called upon to interfere under
the circumstances Mr.. Fish explained that the
point of his inquiry was to show that there had
been just as much politics in the old Board
as there was in the new lie then took new
tack ard wanted to show that eX-Mayor Grace
bad favored the giving Of contract 10 John
Brunton & Co., a hrm IN which his private secrc-
tary. Richard j. Morrison, was "a partner. MI.
Baldwin could give no information on this point
Mr. Baldwin had heard OF a bill 10 reorganizc
Mayor Grace. John O'Brien went up TO Albany
TO get this bill of Mr.. Gmcc's passed, but Judge
Spencer thought that the contractor did not 60
as the representative OF tie Aqueduct Commission,
as alleged by Mr. Fish. Mr. Baldwin was then
| asked: