New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-07
REPLY OF THE CONTROLLER.
,enIv o, The Controller is as follows:

The reply OF the Controller is follows
Hon. John whalen. Corporation Counsel =, tho
9TH ms. il regard TO tie DEBT limit o. the CITY OF
You state that in order to make a proper return
70 the proceedings which Will be commenced 10
test the questions invoved you mus, nS'e 4@ rs IS
Mayo Mayo; 1'' "'"'''' - .,...,s
classes Of Indebtedness referred TO therein namely
tract liability the liability FOR lands acquired AMI
the anc-int % tn. judgments. IN olLcT %31e..nas,
must the accurate figures or these Liabilities
and not estimates" 49,.
,edues n vsw Of .ha sf al By @
part O. the figures contained in my repo'I. other
furnished by your own office. prepared by yoUr
assistants or representatives. ana Transmitted over
This applies 10 the estimated COS, OF lands &C,
suired for larks bridge approSchs a2sks r Tge
Q. these liza abilities and estimates" can be- fuT-
ers Of Estlmate APPOINTED by the Courts for the
very purpose OF fixing these values. and undc.-
Department in estimating these values was -
BY The expert witnesses employed by the Law De-
'aE sn sa;.,,,un .o,o- - -. s,s,.mor, which
transmitted tho Mayor
l. The bonded debt statement.
II The statement OF contia liability; ana
III. The statement OF unpaid judgments.
~ The bonded debt statement so far I'D II re-
estina; e-the figures arc exact. and the only ques
ZION which might arise concerns the Items Of SspD
and village o. Wiiamebridge 1espectyey whch
have never been formally assumed by the Depart
Ihent or Finance. acting under The ADVICE or inc
Law Department.
The remainder Of the bonded debt statement Of
ne cry OF New-York can never be more than es-
J. The cty's proportion of the. debts Of the town
% o. mempstead and the county OF Queens have been
mined in the manner provided by Sections
''S'' r ano Lug OF the charter and. 10
, no Special counsel retained by you Iepor', with
are ,nyaS a. as TO which, If any OF ,hess bends
i9rA T as now constituted
~; me statement Of contract liability is only
NJ 1aat IN the sense specifically mentioned In
my 'etter 70 the Mayor VIZ
en,ersd a., ming amounts retained on contracts
tions have pto. TO July IT, 1889 where legal qucs-
ment is ci.seh concerning which your Depart
mine ana Se''er qualified form conclusions than
being bassS OF the amounts Of many contracts
"""iirh wrote 70 the Mayor as follows:
estimated Cos. ~ me citys largest contracts the
certain quantitiss pasec upon fixed prices for I'M
Snanutes haying been estimate nv II Demartr,ent
enSnSuo. ms Is the case OF Inc two large
Jerome Park reservoir e so Dam hnu s r
ior rock excavated and SO MI eH "a :, . ar,h If
s.,ns ,h mat these engineering estimates CON
ss;;iute the only method By which tic .t,,,'s la
oin,y can be determined until tbe cnroit - ~.
contracts and that the actual oa ~,
Sa.u may exceed or fall short on snnh os,t,nstes
where con,rac, SHOWS that the number OF
70 largely IN excess OF the cases y,h.re ne CON-
tfEry IL true" WHIT" III" 'o'''
AS TO UNPAID JUDGMENTS
Ill AS to the amount OF unpaid judgements the
hgures furnished by the Department, n, Finance
were based on official searches returned IN the
Law department, from which, however had 10
oe cecucted judgments paid but m. carce,,na ~
ssS"iu W the latte. there 10 be a In rra mum