The sun., 1893-06-01
The Evening Post and the Dock Board.

The Evening Post and the Dock Board
From time to time for several weeks past
| there have appeared in the editorial columns
OF tho EreninO Post vague intimations Of an
| impending scandal in tho Department OF
| Docks. Tho only fact distinctly alleged as
| ground for suspicion and apprehension
was the circumstance that Mr.. ANDREW j.
| WHITE, who formerly held tho Office OF
| Police Justice at u salary Of $4,000 year.
| had consented to serve as Dock Commis-
eioner for 5000. Repeatedly. and in varl-
| GUS forms OF insinuation and inquiry. the
| Evening Post has demanded why any man
connected with Tammany Hall should take
office with salary So. 900 less than he had pre-
viously been receiving. unless for sinister
purpose and with some stupendous job in
contemp plation. 1t is true that this Is frail
support for prophecies and warnings Of the
sort in which the Euening Post has been In
dulging all through the lovely month of
May; but no fabric Is too flimsy for that
newspaper. when Tammany Hall Is con-
cerned. The editor Of the EreninO Post has
devoted considerable ingenuity and not a
little diligence to the attempt to create the
impression that he was In possession Of
Department not known to citizens gener-
ally; and that the condition Of that branch
of the municipal administration was such
as to require q concentration OF public at
tention upon its affairs.
We always follow with revived interest
any process OF the Erening Post which
eeems likely to lead from general abuse
and denunciation Of our city government
to something like specific charge. or an
assertion that can be verified. The unhap-
py editor Of our evening contemporary Is q
monologst for the greater part Of the time
on the subject Of Tammany's wickedness: /:
and like most confirmed monologists he IL
good deal Of bore. His ablest and most
elaborate invective has ceased to invite any
other response than O smile. and we must
say that even the sense OF amusement Is
fast yielding to weariness. 1t is only on
the rare occasions when Mr.. GoDKIN i'm
aglnes that he has discovered something
definite. that his remarks on Tammany mis-
government become matter for the consid.
Grafton Of saner minds.
On Friday OF last week the Evening Post
announced that it had discovered the secret
OF Commissioner WHITES willingness to
sacrifice that $4,000 of salary. He Is a
man." said the Post. "who. as JAKE SHARP
said of JAMES ]. BELDEN, don't stir around
for nothing" The mystery was solved to
Mr.. GoDKIN's satisfaction:
"The sudden decision Of tho Dock Board after years
OF inactivity and internal disagreement TO spend
100000 In water front improvements. bears strik
ing testimony to the great executive ability OF ANDY
WHITE As is well known Mr.. WHITE has been mem.
Der Of the Board only few weeks having given up
salary Of $1,000 Police Justice to become q Dock
Commissioner At salary Of $5 900. No sooner does
Mr. WHITE take his seat Commissioner than she
Board votes unanimously to spend 5000 600
This action Is a vindcation of tho Mayors course
in persuading Mr.. wuIIE TO make his sacrincs
and vindication also OF the Mayors
duct In going to Albany and inducing the Governor
to veto a bill which required the Dock Board
to submit its expenditures to the Board OF Estimate
and Apportionment for approval Ths Mayors reason
was that such requirement would hamper the
Dock Department. The ss.o00.oo0 decision shows
that the Board does not feel 'nampered.' and that
hr WnIE 10 under no feeling Of restraint the exsr.
ctse OF his executive ability. 1t 10 very evident that
the Dock Board Is going to be centre of activity
this time forward upon which It will be worth he
for the taIpayersto concentrate unusual attention"
On tho day that the Post printed this
startling intelligence OF proposed ex-
pcnditure Of eight millions OF dollars for
dock improvements. or this "eight million
dollar steal" according to the Posts vocab-
ulary of synonymes. Mr.. j. SERGEANT CRAM,
President OF the Board Of Docks. addressed
to Mr.. GoDKIN prompt and effective re-
ply. We quote the following passages:
"Ths statements in the Poa about the action of the
Dock Board are unfounded from beginning to END
mo plan involving the expenditure of ss.oOoooo
has been unanimously. or otherwise. adopted by tho
Dock Board. The only plan adopted was ordered in
IAN fnF iha I'm
seventysecond street 10 One undredth street. by the
Affirmative votsS OF Messrs Posr and PHELAs in my
absence without my knowledge. and before Mr.. WHiIE
Was ever thought OF as u meihber of the Board.
THE engineers drawings, under the order of jan
uaTy last were approved BY the Board last meet
Ing and do not when carried out involve the expeud
turs OF than one million aud half of dollars; this
viii not bo built for years.
"The utmost expenditure, $1,000 1000 that can bs
made by the Dock Board in year Is no more than
authorized some twenty years ago when the Dock
Board first created. In the antme the revenue
the docks has grown from 100000 to moro than
S2ooo.ooo year"
This. of course. lets the daylight through
the Evening Posts discovery Of a huge
81, ,OOO, 900 steal" The effect Of such q clear
and conclusive reply to specific aud distinct
statements Of alleged fact, and to vague
and mysterious intimations Of rascality and
prospective corruption. would be different
upon different newspapers. according to
their temperament and character. Some
newspapers would frankly correct their
misstatements. mako apology for their
errors. and withdraw their unfounded
inierences affecting the good name
of fellow citizens. Other newspapers.
thus squarely convicted Of conscious or un-
conscious Misrepresentation. would take
refuge In silence so dense that you could
cut 1t with cheese knife. Still another
class OF newspapers-not very numerous.
fortunately for the good repute Of American
journalism-would seek to evade the force ,