The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-30
B%OARDOvERHAULED.
COMMISSIONERS OF ACCOUNTS SAT
THE CIT HAS BEEN CHEATED.

ENtrnVngnnce N 1891 ana shortage OF FornEo
Paid Fer-C1ausen Taxed with LETTING Con-
trnetsrs Dig Up Parks Ter Vree FILLING
bearys Accounts for DredEinE Dtsputsd.
Mayor. tho Commissioner OF Accounts began an
investigation into the workings Of tho Depart.
ment OF Parks As n result Of their labors the conn
miSsioners turned In a long report to the Mayor
yesterday. 1t was stated that when the Mayor
first received the report In the morning he was
displeased with certain features of the text, and
he sent Il back to the Commissioner Of Accounts
for revision. The Mayor refused to tell what he
objected to, but the report was revised to suit
him, and given out late yesterday Afternoon.
In its present shape II begins with affairs prior
to your appointment of a new board on Feb. 1s,
1895"
1t says that many men whose services were
unnecessary were kept on the rolls at tho re-
quest Of politicians, and that " several instances
of this can be given" The instances arc not
given. but 1t is stated that The weekly pay roll
OF laborers which was 90, 1854 in January,
1895, was reduced to IS, 302.2 20 in March. 1895,
without any decrease In the amount Of work
done. The present board has saved 50. 900 a
year on the recommendation of the Commits
sioners Of Accounts in salaries for engineering
work on the Harlem driveway.
Great extravaganza Is said to have been dis
covered in the expenditure Of the million dollar
appropriation of 1891. As an illustration the
Commissioners cite the drilling of rock upon
Cathedral Parkway, between Columbus and
Amsterdam avenues, which was done by Jameg
Dempsey under Treasurer's orders of less than
$1,000 each. There was no limit, the report
says, on the distance between holes, and many
were drilled that were not necessary. The total
amount paid to Mr.. Dempsey was IS, O43. 20.
and the greater part Of this, the report
says, could have been saved IL tho work
had been let after competitive bidding.
As another illustration of extravaganza un.
seventh avenue inst south, Of Mscemb's Dam
labor under TreaEurcr's orders, and 7,IOo yards
by contract. The cost under the first method,
t tns te Rort s sN,t AZ Ta ss s2;29 a yard w fhn the the CON
for nilins BY, James d. Leary. who had the. con.
tract for building the southern section Of the
speedway, and derricks and men hired by the
city at an expense Of $ls a day were used
Largely IN the work OF loading the broken stone
On Oct, 30 1924, the report goes on. President
GsSgSs Flynn ii mlaS a per% nj the Under paF wb B9ar Ti, Ssgs
paying a cent to The city. he was allowed TO re-
move great quantities Of earth from a sloping,
disfgured the ground. The excavation covered
a space about 200 feet wide and 400 feet long
and the commissioners estimate that It win cost
2 o,Oo0t to restore the park to a slightly condi-
ton. They also say that a similar permit was
tract for grading Girard avenue. to disfgure
Cedar Park, and that II will cost many thou
sand dollars to put the park in proper shape
Many of the prices paid for supplies prior to
1895. the report says, were excessive, and it
and what reputable dealers are now willing to
supply the articles for. Round shoveis, "D"
dozen. Their market value Is NOW Z So % 10.
II ostrich leather clusters, for which the depart
had for IS. Cocoa mats, for which the former
III. n nSffs pf for i s01 The a dsP RGT ssllins sls so
6rooms, the report says. at the same time that
the street qIeanins Department was paying %
iOs t eispf, receiv ei M SO the com inf@s5 Pqse sss.
a aPg. t is.''s sum to Of fuF sssd 5nsS m .4i city s.n sse4 g
botween March .: 1881; and June %. 1855. The
paid for sl,oo5 pounds OF hay, IA. sos pounds Of
straw. s,l2o bags of oats. $50 BAGS Of bran. and
which had been wronstuIiy carried away from
the stable. This conclusion was arrived at after
The HWeishmsster's eeFtlacsHt.eess.k and S0G K could %,fa
never have occurred. the Commissioners say. II
there had been a proper system Of checking ao-
missioners found out that the coal delivered at
who ought to weigh it and who has been dis
charged for neglect Of duty. was in the habit OF
certifying to the weight upon the statement OF
the dealer furnishing the coal, although the do
office.
A great source of expense to the city, the
Commissioner state. was the faulty construc-
ton Of the Aquarium. which cost over S270. 600.
The present board found, according to the report,
that the glass In tho tanks was not sufficiently
strong; that the natural light admitted to the
building WAS 90 poor that the nsh could not be
seen: and hat The alterations necessary ON these
accounts cost $4,000.
The report also charges that James d. Leary,
who has the contract for the southern section Of
the Speedway. Is furnishing under the present
soil on his work. instead of garden mould called
for BY the contract, and that he Is being paid for
dredging more mud from the Harlem River than
he really takeseout- This latter information,
spection Of the books Of the United States SUI
pervisor OF the Harbor, who issues a permit for
each scow load dumped at sea- These books. tho
report states, fail to show that many scow loads
sea and dumped. A similar STATE of affairs.
the Commissioners declare. was found In
the Dock Department, where the contract
was held by the Morris & Cummings Dredg:;
nearly all The stock. The same man who in
spected the dredging for the Park Department
was employed by the Dock Board. and a former
employee OF the dredging company testified be-
ceired checks drawn. by that company payable
to tho bearer nearly every week for nine
months, and that he drew the cash and paid It
to the inspector mentioned. The checks ran
refused to allow an examination ofits hooks, tho
report says, and tho inspector accused denied
that he had received the money. From the rec
ords of the Supervisor Of the harhor the Com.
missioners conclude that 1854 yards OF mud re-
ported to have been taken out of the Harlem
RIVER by Leary were never removed, and that