New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-05
WAR AGAINST THE BOARD.
MEssRs HERTIE AND OWENS REPORT
ON RAPID TRANSIT EXPENSES.
hooks OF THE COMMISSION DECLARED TO RE IN
A pxY1oRABLE CcNDITIoN-cAUsTIc COM
MENTs OF THE MAYoR-REPLY

MENrs OF THE MAYOR-REPLY
OF L. /. DELAFIgi.D.
John c. Her.,e ard Edward Owen. the Commits
,ioners OF Accounts. yesterday submitted 10 Mayor
ysn wyck report on the expenditures q the
RAND Transit Commission. and The Mayor made the
rooort public with some caustc comments OF his
own In the beginning OF the report the following
statements are made:
The condition OF. the books Of the Commission is
SanlOrabia in ;he extreme 80 much so that no ac-
ourate data can oe compiled iheIeI!oHi. heleI9re
az account OF The d'soar ements Tor te enub ire
per r591e from copies Q. voachsTs found ile in
S sosSce OF the Commission, verifying same by
;ae Vouchers in the office OF the Controller In
SisSar ements o; tie frst Commission as shown ny
Dissoners and N.o55 so 10 Adams g Meals. stenoS-
ra9hers. have 10 voucher or book record in the
oGice Of the Commission
r-be report goes on to give the dates o. the ap-
,o,,-nent Of the two Commissions and TIE names OF
,ba commissioners and says tina; the tota eN-
.sn6itures OF the Commissions UP 10 January l.
,ses will amount 10 about $4,000 These state
r.nts are made in ending the report:
Attention IS called 20 the increased ,eeS 70 counsel T
,ame,y FRS: Commission. FEBRUARY = I&I' 20 June
i% th1 [eSa 'c6nmission june Is 1894 20 Novem-
Ss- l three years four and ha IN, mon, 6g S
..: Of the secretary and MESSENGER The secte,
So, $50 yeceives salary o $500 year Ills quues
are yeIy Hght anq o ti4e chief engineer
an = 2'TFS aT1a ~ Parsons. receives $1,000 year
&
sa...sss duties lie also employs an assistant.
REMARKS OF TIE MAYOR.
,,..o- Van WICK made the following comments
q, the report; 49, -. ,,.or.
aT,e report shows that the firms OF PARSONS
..a,o-d & ogden ard Tracy. Boardman & Fia't re-
80 the sum OF s7s9os 80 IS special couhsei les
-. sbenard l am Informed is Edward NJ shepard
u. is.rn Is abou; 20 appear before the Appel
W. r,,is,on OF the Supreme Court to ask that
,h,na, 10 reduce the amount OF the oo"u 10 DC
-, bv the contractors who are TO conshuo ',
80 and which that court hXed al sIo,'''D -,
.ars 20 me It would be more htunS !, MI
80 o,,esr In the interest OF his Client uie cry
W.. VII 70 have that bond Increased 10 pfo'ec'
u a.. instead Of having the bond reduced III INC
,r,srest Of a syndicate OF builders ,,,-
- e,,ion OF the Mayor IN MAKING the lePCr' p
-, .os regarded by politicians al 'Ie VI! -
..h.- indication OF his desire 10 oilNe ''e r
ano..De. Cor,n,issioners out of Office lie mas no
rams. ror,ove the Commissioners but II Is eA-
P0"o' - b,r 70 authorize their renoVai oy inc
r. Iii be introduced into the Legislature
TIE STATEMENT DIsINGENUous'
,,s,a6eld. when the report was shown 10
naatinc for himself and not Tor 'he bo"'"'
sad: 49,, eo,. .nat the cond-
The first statement 20 the enect 'na' .io 80
49, ., tho hooks of the Commission Is oeplO'"o''
e., the extreme so much so tha' no aecui a'0 u~''
81 -. ooro,rsd ,herefrcm is thoroughly olsinsenU-
"a" &c 49,. :, aDplies both 10 the books OF the
- Co-,roission which legis.ated Out Oh
w. -, 10. and 20 the books Of the present COM
mission. - 40 ,oo,s ~ me
.,-r,er Commission l DO not know al'housI ."o
xoroirers IN the Office OF the Commissioners Of AC
cunts told me that they were In an ul3a' ~
condition 50 Ear as the books or nc pIe53c1' ia
mission are concerned they are periec0y sipe aho
eli take the trouble TO go the office OF the BOARD
and look al them. They are open 10 pu'"o ''''''
-vnaE
": ~ decline to common; upon that portion OF the
report which refers myself You must seek yUet
confess that am somewhat lno'gRSm 70 PaTsons
tSs chief engineer. 'devotes only small p QrtiOh %.
personal knowledge that since the organizaiion 81
he present Commission Mr.. Parsons has devoted
6ommjssion and that he has served 1t with de-
gree Of intelligence and fidelity 10 which any OF me
s6s T5o6 6s. " chaensed the admiraion Of the
numerous outside engineers who have had occasion
n 5e n n Tgsd s the authority
upon works Of this character
ks FEES NOT EXCESSIVE.
The fees Of the counsel not excessive.
Messrs Shepard and Boardman are both OF them
men Of the highest professional standing and their
services 10 the Board have not only been exceed
ingy arduous but have been able and successful.
Both OF them attend all Of the meetings. and can
STATE from my persona W ac NAV and Ina
pc.tance are not submitted for their action. Their
q
ti.le or both OF them the extent OF interfering
very seriously with their other practice. think
that there has been hardly day for the last four
months that | have not had occasion 10 submit
some question 10 Mr.. Shepard. and Mr.. Boardman
untes with Mr. Shepard in all Of his work
1t Is not improper that | should add word which
illustrates the spirit Of the chief engineer and coun
eel 70 the work When the Appellate Division rem
derel its first and adverse. decision II seemed for
while that Il might not be possible for the Board
20 accomplish anything toward securing real rapid
,rsns and the engineer and both f the counsel at
once, voluntarily and without any suggestion from
The Board surrendered their salaries and refused 10
accept any compensation until after the lapse Of
some months, during which they rendered constant
service # became reasonably evident that. by a
change OF the plans. the Board could secure rapid
transit
80 far the Commissioners are concerned I
need say nothing The community knows exactly
pAo they are and IS quite competent Judge be-
tween them and the irresponsible underlings Of the
present administra ton"
Alexander E Orr. the president o., the Rapid
Transit Commission. said yesterday that he soon
would send 10 George J. Gould letter commune
eating the results Of the meeting OF the Commission
on Thursday.