New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-28
THINGS ARE SADLY CONFUSED.
SOME PLAIN TALK By JAMES DAILY!
THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT OF MARKETS Elk.
PLAINS THE CONDITION OF AErAIns-
PROTEST. FROM MARKErMEN.

PLAINS THE CONDITION OF AFFAIRs-
PROTEST. FROM MARKErMEN.
The new Superintendent of aarncts, James DAILY,
entered upon his duties yesterday. That he found
things in the Bureau In a state even more muddled
and tangled than reports so far made public have
indicated may be judged from hts remarks to re-
porters who called to sec him. 1T woald be mis-
leading 20 say,s tho new Superintendent remarked,
tEat the system Of collection and accounting is bad
and detective 1t Is worse than that; there has
been absolutely no system. Such twisted, IRE
sponsole disorganized moss as find hero IL is I'M
possible to conceive and would only be wasting
time to attempt TO describe IT, for could give you
no idea Of tho actual condition Of aRairs.D
At the Office of the Commissioners Of Accounts It
vas said that no progress had boon made toward un-
rayellng matters Every attempt in that direction
resulted In further mystihcadon Commissioner
Barker said that tho market arrearsges were the
most plrzzing portion OF the case. "The books and
stubs of the West Washington Market for January OF
this year, Mr. Barker said. which was the last
month Of occupancy before the removal to the new
market, seem TO have disappeared bodily. Nobody,
from tho Janitor Of the Finance Department up to
the highest official knows anything about them.
There Is one who tell anything about the
basis Of collection or how the arrearagcs were wound
Up, II at all. The collection books, which We have
succeeded ia securing, show some amazing
things. The Controller told US that no supposed that
he regulated tho ratio OF rentals for the stands in the
several markets, and that uniform wero collected
according to the Controllers schedule but these books
and stubs show that the collectors raised and lowered
the rentals to suit themselves Then they turned in
what thsy pleased There has been no system Of
check upon them. The arrears Of rent have run, in
number Of cases so far booked up from the weekly
ratio UP into hundreds Of dollars Hero is tho case of
one stand holder in the West washington Market
whose weekly rental was ss, but who owed on March
%, 1885, $50 arrears. The collector, It appears,
settled with the Shareholder for $780, but the Con-
toler who alono Is authorized by law to approve such
settlements knew nothing about IT. Another man in
Jefferson Market owed 400 back rent the collector
notes payment of s25 on account but whether that
settled the account or not, or whether any Of this
money paid into the city treasury, we have
not been able 10 discover
"When the present cashier assumed hts duties he
says that he found drawer full Of 'arrearage slips
There did not appear to be any OF keeping them,
he said, so he destroyed them This IS only q sample
of what We are finding out about the way the late
officers OF the MARKET Bureau have been conducting
matters
In my opinion, the developments which We have
made IN the matter of marset-stand allotments will
not provo Circumstance when compared to what win
be discovered as regards marketstand collections. In
every line of inquiry we have taken up, We arc Inn
peded by hiatus in the records Of tho Bureau. But
In spite Of ell this, think we have hit upon
plan which will result in Unearthing most astound
ing farroachinS and bng-established plan Of ras-
callty.S
Controller Myers had interview with the Com
mIssoners yesterday and urged them to push for
ward the Investigation, regardless Of whore 1t might
lead, promising his hearty and constant cooperation
Tho Controller gave notice yesterday that the col
lectors whose books missing must produce them
at once or resign.
Tho West Washington Market Association yesterday
fled with Mayor Grant protest with the request that
no would submit It 10 the Sinking Fund Commits |
against tho Dock Commissioners bill
now before the Legislature, for widening Westst from
Tenth TO Twenty third sts., and for dredging out the
ground west OF the new westerly nne IL says that
n this wild scheme is allowed 70 go through, II will
ruin the market ole-halt Of which Will be under
water and destroy tie entrances and pprOsches to the
remainder. The memorial also asks for dock accom- |
mediation for small vessels brin gng frt vegetables
front OF me market which Is alleged 70 DO vlIely |
Injurious 10 the market products.