New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-27
THE 4 WARDS STILL TOO LAhuH
EXTORTIONATE DEMANDS OF THE CORLEAho
HOOK PARK COMMISSIONERS.
CONTROLLER MYERS MAY CARRY THE CASE ~
THE GENERAL TEEM-THE MONEY
NOT YET PAID

NOT YET PAID.
The Tribunc's publication yesterday of judge
| Truaxs order awarding the large sum of SjO,i4i
for the fees and expenses of the Corlears l'o'h
Park Commission caused much comment in buSi
ness and municipal crccs 1t became KNOW"
that two of the Commissioners, Meyer lhalme,
singer, the chairman, and Henry Campbell, ms
assistant throughout the proceedings, had put i"
claims for 81 200 each, and that Judge IrnaN
had reduced their fees TO Sl2,5OO. Oonilil'-
sioner David Mcclure, who entered the ComInls-
sion three years and five months after its organ
ization. and who. it is asserted. performed most
Of the actual work. asked -, 900 and this was not
reduced The bill of Carroll Berry, the clerk
was cut down from $1,000 to $4,000 by th'
Judge. and the stcnographcr's fees suffered d r.
duction of about $1,000, being finaHy hXed
S6s44. The Judge, therefore, had scaled uo"n
the total from about $57 900 to $4,000.
As previously said, the commission was ap'
pointed on March 81, 1883, in pursuance OF chap
ter 529 of the laws of 1884 amended by chapter
344 of the laws of 1889. judge Morgan D.
O'Rricn appointed commissioners as follows
Never Thalmessnger, Henry Campbell and Ly'-
Teton c. Garretson. The statutes authorized the
LAYING out of a new park in the Seventh ward oil
the city. to be bounded by Jackson, Cherry, Cor
lears and South sts., which gave an area OF o''
bv 4sO feet In payment thereof the act of 1884
cmpowered the Controller TO issue city bonds for
the total amount at which the Commission should
estimate the value of the property. On June 20
1sss. the Commission organized by the election
of Commissioner 1halmessinger as chairman y
week later il met at the Mechanics and Traders
Bank. of which Mr. Thalmessingcr was president
and thence proceeded TO view the property. ON
August |, 1888, having learned the owners of the
I46 parcels of land which formed the proposed
mark the taking Of testimony begun.
On September g. 1890, Commissioner Garretson
having died. Henry A. Gildcrslccvc was appointed
10 succeed him Judge Gilderslccve remained IN
the board less than year when he resigned, ana
David Mcclure, Mr. Crokcrs personal friend ana
attorney WAS in August, S9l, made Commissioner
in placc of Mr. Gilderseeve. During the remain
ing wear and seven months of the Commission :
life, il was composed of Messrs. Thalmessinger,
Campbell and Mcclure.
preliminary report was filed December 81.
1891 but this was deemed objectionable by some
of the property owners. They thought that Their
awards were not high enough and opposed the
rcport so vigorously that the Judge ordered the
taking of additional testimony This was con-
tinucd and more witnesses and documents wer"
examined until March last, when the Commits
sion reported that it had finished its estimates
and had fixed the total of the awards at $780,
42l The frst, preliminary estimate, placed
the aggregate valuation at 81 l,363,?3j. The
testimony is embraced in five large folio volumes
which were filed with the maps and awards.
What action the city authorities intend 20 take
has not vet been decided. There is a strong and
general sentiment prevailing that the fees awarded
TIE Commission are far III excess Oi WHAT they
should bc.
Sidney J. Cowen. Assistant Corporation Counsel,
who appeared for the city in all the proceedings
from start To- finish. said that no fault could be
found with the land valuations, which were rca-
sonablc. and in the main below the Law Depart
mcnt's estimates But the Comm ssioner's fees,
he said were much above what the law con
tempIated. The law only gave commissioner in
such proceeding $40 day for each day IN which
he was actively employed Two Of fhc Commits
sionors, Thalmcssingcr and Campbell. had ch1rgrl
for 800 days "A year in each Of the iv" years in
terycning between the appointment OF the Com
mission and the filing of the report, making the
sum Of Slj, 900 each II was the universal belief
that Judge TruaX in cutting these bills down
$4,000 had not put in his knife deep enough by
a long ways.
Tho Controller has been besicgrd by Tammany
polIticians and others with pull since Judge
IruaX confirmed the report Of the Commission on
July Il who have urged the lmm"dia" PAYMENT
of the claims He has refused 10 pay any Of them
at present, and il is more than probable that me
General Term will br called upon 10 review Judge
TruaX's decision.