New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-03
amount ultimately paid may exceed fall short OF
at IL Is clear that his admission answers his
THE ACQUIRED LANDS ITEM.

| ngures. ~ $3.50
THE ACQUIRED LANDS ITEM
Again. he states tho item for lands acquired" at
exactly S'7&aaW. II this item goes out his
whole contention Is gone. Half Of the item he
reluctantly wipes out in the text on Pages : and g.
follows:
IL Only remains state. that OF tho foregoing
tota OF S76j.Sl3 06. representing tho estimated liza
o''''y OF the former city OF New-York for land
acquired In condemnation proceedings more than
o'ehai or Nl1i323O so. represents the cost of open
ing and widening streets which exrense e bv law
rnareeaoie to the fund for street and park open
feared that iI h was created at time when it was
reached its constitutional limit Of indebtedness and
us purpose was to provide method for opening
SSIce'S winch would not require the city Of New
aork to incur Indebtedness therefor in excess Of It's
70 an actinn ~ ,'I mn VIM tbs IN view ne night
Still exis, p,Opery-owners which provision Of law
ninnJe tS's mo ,1dSy The method by which II was
,nYi,,o'u J" me ef'ciency of the fund should be
an was to insert IN each years tax levy
l Tahilitics' etuaI 10 the dlherence between the
tte cash balance thereof resulting from payments
The peculiar provisions Of Jaw 1 resuiati"g ' procce
ings Instituted under these acts impose no liability
amounts in tn. annual budgets the excess Of the
DDdebtGdness OF the former city Of New-York en-
SAG IS to s.4Sl Gi6 a. HUI"
Any one who knows these items ut ali under
stands that any statement Of amounts is only
guess NJ what VIII ultimately be decided to be duo
viii run lor years and be appealed IN tho courts
s some OF whch have never been fairy startct
which VIII be decided. II ever o., evidence not
Let US see again what tho Controller admits about
ms on Page he SAYS; In all such Instance.
iiy of the city With cxactness Estimates Of tho
vargs OF property ain r widely and only upon tn.
,EsS5ii,nate can the exac, liability Of the city be
1t IS clear. that this admission takes away all
sgEilcance from calculation OF present Indebted
N short. with evory doubtful poio, decided by the
Sx ws, nsnnsi the cys risht to eXis and TO
wnich lie gives ere 50 in conflict with his own adj
uniform proicure SeTeiofoTe tbat cv ana NJ" his lave
were good his new position Is unwar:anted ard
you'd tnod not be dGrt to give Gther aDd
teSic bar am src XXI ne yoog acnsd '9 oh,
municips! AUTHORITIES will prevail over these mag
mary technicacs. ard ma, the city viii be per
and dovcoDmcn. unhindered.
TO CONFER WITH CONTRACTORS
Con;rollc; Coler said yesterday that 10 hoped TO
havo q conference with the contractors who
affected by the holding up OF money from city
bond issues. and that arrangements would be made
by which the whole matter OF ;he status OF bonds
issued last year may be decided hy tho higher
courts.
settled ~ the courts'' Ia said. ''What has been
ssid ebout certain bond issues counting tow rd thc
debt Init are opinions Now We must g, a court
70 decide whether they are correct hope that
PARK openings 90 not count toward the debt limit
/ Ih.s would msks difference Of 10000 90 in The
/ figures by which mo former city Of New-York OK
ceeded rs debt limit This would clear things
Mr. Kellogg. a LAWYER. represcntinr tho con
tractors on sewer work. called Controller Color
would cooperate in any way with the Controller N
order 70 get the bond matter settled in the courts
PROPERTY OWNERS BEGIN \ TEST SUIT.
IT WILL RAISE IN COURT ALL TIE POINTS N
DISPUTE IN TIE CoNTROLLrR's STATEMENT.
Papers IN a suit brouch, 10 determine tho c'.ys
actual Indebtedness within the constitutional limi-
tation. served the Controller Saturday las.
returnabe in tho Supreme Court on Thursday next.
were yesterday transmitted to the Corporation
Counsel. The suit IS brought In the name ot VIII
lam j. Coates. the OF several parcels OF land
taken for the Little italy" Park. IN whose favor
awards were confirmed ~ tho Supreme Court in
| December
This park laid out under n law passed IN
May. 1894 but tho Commissioners Of Estimate Ola
not make their report as to the compensation until
December last The city then took possession OF
| the property ana has since pending tho actual
construction Of tho park. compelled the owners
and tenants 10 pay monthly rents. Under the law
of 1856 tho Controller had four months within
pired on April IS James a Dcerlng. attorney for
txe pprr6 o% w. H ac ayi on, ia Oak
was passed and that, as tho dcDt limit Of ine
now pay tho awards although tho c-,matcd co.,
OF SUBSEQUENT coniIacts ana Ii9}.eriohsr 80 a'
mourning power OF me CITY. IN Corporation
Counsel contends. however that no actual ohNst-
CATION was created or imposed upon ihe city 10Y
/ this park until either The four months allowed
| u the Controller 20 pay mad oN"''rf iI Alr.l -
this year, or, at the earliest when the awards w'rs
confirmed by tho court ir DcccuIh"r ~ l'-' year:
and that the city - ind, btydu"-s a. either ~
these dates ccGcG the ~fltuo-aI limit alton.
II the estimat cd OF acquiring land under sub
sequent Stree, opening proc'cdnss ana ne Ell.
/ mated cost OF completing Vailo+t contracts male
a. 1894 for public works iuc.oe0 tho conf,
lion OF the report by the court imposed valid
OBLIGATIONS upon the city. and the owners whose
iaod has been taken for the park without rem
eJv redress.
The case & likely TO present fo- adjudication al
.ho mOOtcd questions 70 the extent Gf TIE city's
Indebtedness and the time when tho imitation as
10 each class % obi cations reached. A. the
Court OF Appeals VIII adjourn in June unfil OcfO-
BE- an attempt VIII he made vita ~" assistance
OF merit accountants to place speedily before tho
cn,rfs "A full statement Of ~" fac'g Naiyr all
the contracts outstanding. bond issues and improve
ments begun.