New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-03
FITCH REPLIES TO GOLFER
run CONTROLLERS CONVENTIONS RID
DIED BY HIS PREDECESSOR.

,xp,GSAr1oN AMONG woRK1NoMEN AT TAM
MAxYs BLOCKING PUBLIC woRKs-wHY
CROKER HELD BACK coIERs
STATEMENT.
,.. ,ndlsnation among the workingmen OF tho
49, an account OF the action Of tho Tammany
.dm,nistratlon In stopping city works and public
,,rovenents on the pretext that the city debt
"m,, was exceeded when the bond issues for the
,n,nrovemen;s were authorized is increasing hour
-" ,our As tho nature of the action OF the Tam
,v officials cones 20 te understood better by
,ha men VINO have lost employment their wrath
ors hotter and hotter. Intelligent citizens who
20 n, heart the best interests Of the city and
a.,,rc TO see the improvements planned by Mayor
c..org,s administration brought TO completion are
,naSran. a, what they declare TO be Tammany
,.E 10 repudiate the contracts. 1t has come 10
=. generally believed by the people o. the city
-. ,so q, fion Of the Mayor. Controller. Corpora
49,, Counsel and other Tammany officials in de-
,.,,nr nat the city debt limit had been exceeded
,r,enled for the purpose OF defeating plans for
rapld transit and permitting Richard Croker and
sic associates 20 operate successfully In Metro
no,,,an and Manhattan railway stock
now believed that Mr.. Croker caused the re-
o,. on the city's financial condition TO lie held
~ by his followers until he had sailed for Eu-
80 He probably was farseeing enough to wish
.. .srare the storm of public wrath which the
..ou,ug OF forty thousand workingmen out OF en-
r,ovnsnt the stopping OF public improvements
IA the fixture 10 build new schools which are so
s.S,v needed were sure 20 raise 1t is believed also
,,., the plan Of the Tammnny officials embraced
~. regulation o. contracts let by Mayer Strong s
1rnis,ra,ion in order that contracts for public
,u,-ovements might be let later 10 favored Tam
many contractors.
MR.. FITCH'S STATEMENT.
r, ,ad been expected tina; Ashhel =. Fitch. the
former Controller. who WAS in office when. accord
INC 10 Controller COers report. the city oeo' limit
va, exceeded. would make reply TO MI Coler
statements Mr. Fitch yesterday issued a signed
abatement In which the report of MI Coier IS
,.,aleA Mr. Fitch declares that no city of'oiais
.xcept TIE present rammany officials ever urea 10
prove tina, the ctys debt Emit was anecteo oy
contracts planned for the future and for VIII"
bonds have not been issued. or ~ me pu'e""So
~ lands by the city 10 he paid for by assessments
unon private property and protected by the iuNo
for street and park openings. MI fltch snow
that leaving out such contentious. the oii ci'S Oh
New-york was inside IS debt limit ct the close
Of last year BY S2e S855l7 So. He goes on 70 sl'o"
why such contentious OF the present Coh'rone'
shoud be left out of the calculation. ana ne a.
clarts that there IS no good reason why the pu"l'
in,provements planned should not be carried 20
completion The statement Vi MI NN' "
IS as follows:
1t did not TO me at rs that the ;TCsr
argument IN printed form which the or on I'm.
h boz s hs eSs tG aFGv It's d e m,
rs object is sc obvious ana answer ,,S itself
This is doubtless true so far as those OF US are
have had Occasion s 20 Of the
BY the Controller are so serious IN .le,I 49, -
public and private Interests 1n@S nv Pc SauaSs
20 those who have not time or opportunity u S'uNS
the lengthy statement submitted
NEW CONTENTION.
In the first place. the contention OF me ION
,rolIer IS absolutely new. None of his predeces-
sors IN the Finance Department. none OF the as
+,nv,shed LAWYERS who have been Counsel 10 the
CORPORATION no Mayor IN considering the AFFAIRS OF
,he city In his messages. has over tried belore 10
prove that the margin CT the city's haoNlty must
bA affected by contracts running through many
culture wears and dependent for their result on un-
known quantities or by the purchase by the CITY
ne lands 10 be paid for by assessment on private
property and protected BY the fund FOR street
and park openings" which Is Teplenisheo from tne
proceeds Of the tax levy II this new contention
IS left out Of consideration and the statement Oh
the citys debt made every other Controler
,nsa. n the old city was December 81. 1897.
inside the debt limit By &3s, eS.si7 g. (see Con-
troller's communication to the Mayor page 49,
In the ssG2nd Place af. hopeessiy Confusing and
illogical This is shown most cieary 10 mos, mos
two pages Of closely printed figures and exPlana-
lions which he submits by the crIuctsIh ot opli.
MayOr
they could not understand the statement when ~
was read 10 them. These gentlemen are well
ftted by their education and their recent studles
and experience 20 consider such p propuc'lIh.
and their despair II may well SATISFY the
less qualified citizen that II IS an enigma. desire
rssn4cffulIy 10 add my testimony 10 theirs 49,
IN me third place. the Controllers conte:ttloil
IN his figures is inconsistent with his explanations
II The tex, to an extent which furnishes com
For instance. IN his attempt 20 prove we oio ctE
N debt hoyo nd the limi. he makes on page or MS
statement the following figures;
Former C'y Of
NeW YORK.
81
p Do..- ~, ~, ........... % To- 81 90
ac,nred .................. 81. s13 oG
ri f,.-s a .-'@' ................ 1000 %
49,, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS o2.9ls.525 50
Ten pe, cent o. sAss' ...........- l7s 1868 10
., oo,.,,,p,,onal it......... s2s pa. $40 20
4 p,ance ~ these figures shows thai II the Con-
tro iSr had not dragged IN The Item Tor contrary
iahVVv" and that "for lands ACQUIRED, me OLA
city WIS nearly 50 900 90 below the deDt Nnll. ,
u IS clear TOO, that II ne De wrong ether IN the
legal ntafOn tNaf these items belong IN the s9 e.
ment or IN the amOdrts which he has glV"h for the
items then his argument falls 20 the ground ana
The CIV IS free 10 Ansh rs schools. complete lis IRE
and water supply, asphalt its streets carry out lls
sewer systerns build its bridges and COCKS ana
drives improve ana add 10 It's parks ana play.
grounds and manage its affairs in the sane ana
6usiness-lke manner IN which they have been car
RED on since 1911 by men Of various parties.
! DO not care 10 argue AZ the present time ana
IN this way the question OF law which he has raised
- al n. UFN