New-York tribune., 1898-12-26
c. 0. JOHNSON TO THE MAYOR.

THE EX-wATER REGISTER REPLIES TO CHARGES
MADE BY THE ACCOUNTS COMMISSIONERS.
Columbus o. Johnson. who was Water Register
during Mayor Sirong's administration. has ad-
dressed the following open letter TO Mayor Van
Wyck
The Hon. Robert A. Van Wyck. Mayor of New
your Commissioners Of Accounts upon my admins
tration Of the Bureau OF Water Register under
handling more than $llo1GD your Commissioners
have to admit that every cent was accounted for.
to make II APPEAR TO the careless reader Tnas
there wa shortage ot M sv ,ba ala not
permit me to give y2y aicr rev 5sf the meter in
snecfors pretended 10 read only sixteen to twenty
and never more than twenty-five meters per cay.
BY spending half day myself reading meters G,,y II
per day on further investigation II was discov-
norted having read. On August l5 ls95 all but
two Of these Inspectors We're aischat , sus f" , "a.
aud me average daily reading rose 10 over nfty ana
rema So and the TeceP1s % Work dome in
creased over l2s per cent and the expenses were re-
term In the entire Bureau the expenses were s, re-
duced 30 per cent from what tney were 'he uay
The rece,pts of 1898. my first year, were over
s145o0 more than In 1894 the last year OF ne pre- &
49, ,bar in 1sga and in 1851 they over SG7l0o
more than in 1894. and that at an annual saving IN
The receipts FOR hc drs nine months Of, q y9u @ ad
mnistraton should have been at Ieas, *e1 ~ more more
fallen of many thousands Of dollars In the the hrss bas
nine months Of your adminstrssssSn s9 100 the cY mas
or prsv,os IN % ,o Mayors sronrs administration many
ass Sfsry yea Stipend look their
while the widow and small taxpayers without pu"
oV% oCertatn employees Of the Bureau made practice
~ Sreak,ng he seals Of meters and turning back
the meter 80 receyeG as 70 Day G FOR the This
entirely stopped under ny % h stated
and the Old practice has sprung up under your ad
nsra9n , This nV r2G n %fso o m recepfs above
ferrei to- who gets tie beneat OF ms a,tnFg dr b
ment cannot o,iH say se,armInd rqnHap' an '''''S'
OF The reducon made in water rents Gn more re-
,bi corpor"tion Counsel and in obedience to wri's
OF nandanus The greater part bais p .,s snrmer
~5,,n,e,rations had failed for five or more years
even 20 compute the bills et alone SEM sad LII h " NE
cornorat,on Counsel to cancel them from me rec
ords We determined tie to sse ater %sn WE cond prove
W. ar,uaIlv used and in n few cases 'hty We're
.esycel II was merely cleaning up iesa'y OF
raS' hn sn' hs fhat were paid after they were re-
turned =. ne ooa,. ooy;I1ent on them But when
bunch Of hils some returned afD SnreIv r,eSed
- uo,,ld eorno'ines 90 through nnnouCe.l w ltn
discovered on being posted me aIe " IN se TO-
80 Tro city did not lose cent ,,, o,
uvorr commissioners should have m'orn,en Nuu ~,
that within the last for,nghi one n' ,ne ,be dav
,Se, he vas refused drinks ana vas shou, ro
NM ~ r-.arcS hail 1ialecf that he did nor nave
inF. W 10. We was o friend Of Van Wyck ana
hed "null" 49, ,.o,s ~ vrb,ch vour
- -lnts.io,s,s ln. shouN have Informed Won 70, 70
,o o,rers y noasihle fn,ure cccas.on ~
sSrve the meter IS this whole business Is OF ne
1aI.., ~ a-a.- tho UseiOrers o' accounts
at,,nl,, irving 20 c'ord The vi"on oI tne
are rore so 90 20 distract attention rom present
methods 1'o'' 'rort-MPr's o JOHNSON.
.,ou,-york Dec. p. iseS