The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-08
o OF QUEENS.
Ceurssion IN Hts Financial AHsirs-The Fresi'
dency the Oniy once in wsrking order.

dency the Oniy Omee In wsrking ORDER.
Tho unsettled condition Of affairs in tho Dor
ough of Queens led to q conflict Of authority
yesterday between John +. Rogers. Collector OF
Arrears and Assessments In the borough, and
Frederick w. Blackwcnn. Tax Collector for the
district. Both have established Offices In the
Office formerly occupied by the City Treasurer
in the City Hail Mt Long Island City. Collec-
tor Rogers was the first to reach the Office yes.
terday, and he informed the four clerks there
that they could continue at their regular duties
until Feb. / and that he could not tell what
would happen after that date.
When Tax Collector Blackwenn arrived he
started in with an air Of authority. He in
formed Mr.. Rogers that it was his duty to re-
ceive all taxes, and Mr.. Rogers informed Mr..
Blackwenn that 1t was his duty to collect taxes.
Rogers asserted that so far there were no taxes
to collect except arrears, and he was going to
collect them. Blackwenn busted himself yes
terday sending out notices to the former tax
collectors TO send heir books and assessment
rolls to him. Tho notice directed the former
officials to stop the collection of taxes and as
and to turn over all cash in their
possession to the Comptroller.
There is not a single department of the Gov
eminent Of the borough OF Queens except tho
office OF President that is in working order.
The clerks loft in Office in Long Island City are
in perplexity and carry out whatever instruc-
tons they receive in rather a doubling manner.
The situation grows worse, daily. owing to the
continued accumulation Of business and very
little. IL any, effort is being made to straighten
out the tanglo. In many. of the departments
business is carried on under the old laws. and
the few new officials in office are completely at
sea as to their duties as set forth in the charter.
While confusion holds sway In the DEPART
Democratic party ranks. This condition is
due to the appointment, OF certain officials, who
machine. Several very profitable places have
been given out, and the first time the leaders
for office was when their appointments were
announced. Former district Attorney. Daniel
Noble OF Long Island City was slated for Jus:
tice Of tho Special Sessions. He was assured of
the place by the powers that be in the borough,
and was receiving the congratulations OF his
trlct Attorney John Fleming Of Jamaica had
been appointed.
Despite warnings from the COMPTROLLER,
paid the interest due on county bonds. Mr..
Phipps says that the credit Of the county was
at stake. and he could not wait for the courts to
decide whether the city or the county had con-
troll Of certain funds belonging to that portion
Treasurer Phipps, in paying the interest, acted
upon the advice Of Townsend Scudder, counsel
to to the hoard d. OF s sIpe ,rd There I ere Is a friend md
Comptroller, Golfer as to the control Of certain
matters and they have appealed to the courts
by others, and indications point to many legal
proceedings before long.
Tho place for the confinement Of persons con-
yicted of petty crimes within the borough of
Queens Is In doubt. Under the old form of gov
eminent the prisoners were sent to the county
jail, and as the county paid 80 q week for tho
board of each prisoner the profits on the hotel
end of the jail constituted the principal per:
audited for former Sheriff Don't by tho Board
of Supervisors was In excess of $39. 900. and it
was said that 1t represented only q portion of
the profits of his Office for the year.
1t Is said that the new charter will compel the
Magistrates to commit prisoners to Blackwells
Island and not to the county: jail. 1t was re-
ported In Long Island City yesterday that a bill
had been or would be introduced in the Legis-
lature to restore the county Jail as the place of
confinement Of all prisoners convicted of such
crimes In the county as would permit Of their
For some time to come the property owners
In the town of Jamaica will be put to the trouble
Of journeying to Long Island City to pay their
taxes. Last evening Frederick W. eckma
Deputy Tax Collector Of the borough Of Queens,
visited the Collectors office In the Town Hall
and made a formal demand for the books. Town,
County and State Collector Henry Haviland
and Village and School Collector Elmer Il. Ber-
gen were both notified to deliver all books,
papers, money and all appurtenances Of the
office to the Deputy CollectoEat Long Island City
by Lawyer w. w. Gillen. both refused to de.
liver tho books without an order fran the court
directing such delivery.
The amount Of the town, county and State
has been collected. The village and school tax
amounts to about $4,000. and of this S43,-
600 has been received.