New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-12-25

do business. ,, ,.,,o tho right
nrior 70 the assessment to present 10 the laA
commissioners their claims as to the va van 81
! their properties. and the valuation snou,u ~.
become fixed until such opportunity mas peei
Afforded or they should have notice or the PIo-
posed assessments their own and neighpor'hs
properties 81, Aha Toy Commits
sioners responsible for the general oversight ana
the general instruction Of the deputies
Mr. Moss then quotes from the evidence taken
IN b,s investigation Of the Water Supply De-
oartment and the Ramapo steal, and adds;
Tho suggestion OF Alfred T White, ex-Com-
missioner OF Public Works Of Brooklyn man
az great ability and experience-that me ota a
should appoint commission 10 JT uoter
whoe matter OF conserving the avalaDle water
sunnlv for the benefit OF all OF its citles-shouIu
no adopted at least for the eastern part OF the
State.
AGAINST JUDICIAL ASSESSMENTS
Speaking of judicial assessments ana REFEREES
the report says:
corrseI would recommend that the committee
report I'm favor OF the passage or Dlll pioi"o''
ing contributions BY judicial candidates
ON the important question Of private iran
chises Mr. Moss uses this significant language
The chairman of this committee recently I,iH an
rourced his views on this question as loho"s'
,oyor tho MASSAGE Of law prohibiting the
oraptinS to private individuals OF franchises ip o
ssrhIc fnmnroyements within entering INTO tme
city limits. without the consent VI '"' wy
tiles.
Counsel recommend the passage OF such Jaw w.
ord further advise that a bill be introduced Iol
the repeal of the charters or all pilva's ~ ot
MES holding such franchises Which s.te ~
ont,,oll, commenced the construction OF the I'M
r,roIarnenta which they were authorized to un-
dertake. - ,n.n,, md
The movements of the Ramapo company anu
~ certain bridge and tunnel companies tha'
80 occurred private franchises snow the Ten
dency for spectators to obtain rights rom nv
Legislature which with the conhlNahce VI
local officials can be converted INTO money oIs
~ the CITY treasury, and show the methous
that have been In use TO secure Respectable anu
eminent heads to avert suspicion ana 10 oota,1'
more easily official and IegisIatne sss. ., e.
IndSe Caynor was offered $4,000 OF stock 10
accept the presidency OF the Ramapo conipany,'
and he refused it. General Tracy. l.s cou n
became its president, and received A4oVD ior
tn stock which compensated him, ana MS IN
Nuence was used to aid In the passage OF ths
objectionable bill of 1895 which he said mao
been changed without his knowledge ana do ~
which he frankly blamed himself
DEAL BETWEEN MACHINES.
The presence Of prominent members OF both
parties in these companies, based dlreCty vi
State legislation by special acts ana Whlcn ar
not designed to do business by themselves anu
,rithout city support, causes public suspicion
that combinations exists to secure pubic &C
ton on both sides Of the line or pontlcal GiVl-
sion and leads inevitably TO scandal. Pre-
eumahly the city is competent to build ana
maintain all great public works within It's yer.
ritory and will sooner build or BUY than perrin,
nrivate persons to own and proht by WORKS Oh
necessity The obvious remedy is 10 cease the
granting OF such franchises. unless with notice
10 the city authorities and with their consent.
with regard to the Building Department and
The new Building Code the report makes this
suggestion:
We recommend the prompt abolition Of the
Board of Examiners and the leaving OF appears
mis-
Commissioners, as Is now contemplated IN the
charter pending the construction and enact
ment OF a decent building code
District Attorney Asa Bird Gardiner comes In
for some severe criticism. Mr.. Moss says:
A great deal OF the testimony taken affected
the office OF the District Attorney. and 1t showed
that that office parakes OF the general charac-
terlstics OF the present city government In us
absolutism, in its impotence OF control or m
quiry In its disregard Of the interests OF individ-
uals and in It's determinations faYorlng some
and injuring others.
On the subject Of police reform Mr. Moss is
rather non committal to a remedy. He says:
To propose a remedy is a most difficult task.
That the control OF elections should be taken
from the police Is a conviction which has grown
steadily in the minds OF the people, and Is
strongly enforced by the spectacle that we have
recently had OF Commissioner or Police,
charged with the most delicate duties concern
ing elections AMI having judicial duties TO per
franchise. who in the face Of the law that has
been enacted upon that subject nevertheless
was the active director on one side OF an actlVe
political fight in one Of our districts. we re1er
10 this matter simply to show the advisablity
OF removing the ballot as far as possible from
the club.
The former Brooklyn system OF a separate
Board of Elections should be worked into the
laws governing the greater city. We believe
that good citizens Of all parties favor
single head for the police but there Is as much
10
ment to the present organization that controls
our city there Is 10 the making OF state
appointment OF Police Commissioner The only
solution which counsel have been able TO see
is the plan OF State oversight OF police. pro-
ceeding on the ground OF the States duty TO pro-
tect its fair name and 10 see that It's grant or
notice power is decently exercised without in
terfering with the right Of localities to select
their own officers. We believe that power or
inspection and a wisely regulated power of re-
mova for cause, still leaving appointments to
the localities would work great Improvement
in our present shameful condition. and we sub
NIT to you for your consideration bill on these
lines drawn and discussed before this commit
tee was appointed
THE THIRD PART.
This closes the second part OF the report, and
the third is short 1t treats Of the contumacious-
ness OF witnesses Their conduct and the pow
erlessness of the committee to punish them
caused much comment, and, besides embarrass-
ing the committee detracted greatly from It's
dignity Mr.. Moss throws the responsibility on
the Legislature. and says in effect 1T is up
to you now to maintain your dignity" This
is how the report concludes
We report several instances of fragrant con-
tempt committed since the passage OF the en-
largng resolution.
First-The contempt OF Richard Croker in re-
fusing TO answer questions concerning his rela-
tons to various companies which came more or
less within the jurisdiction OF city departments.
in the filing OF which Mr.. Croker and his or
ganization upon MT Cookers own statement
had exerted vital influence
Second-John f. Carroll. who refused to an
swer similar questions