The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-30
RAMAPO SCHEME CHECKED.
IMPRoTEMENTs BOARD CAN'T TAKE
ACTION TO-DAY.


Taxpayer Keator's Application for . Per-
mansnt Injunction Heads ON Present
Possibility Of Committing the City to the
Proposed $500, OOo, GOO Water Grab.
Charles p. Keator. taxpayer. on behalf OF
Comptroller Coer. applied to Justice Book
staver OF tho Supreme Court yesterday for q
permanent injunction restraining the city from
entering into . contract with the Ramapo
Water Company. under the proposed contract
which tho Tammany members OF the Board Of
Public Improvements attemp pied to rush
through at the meeting on Aug. 10. The
application was made through McCurdy a. Yard.
attorneys. Justice Bookstaver issued an order
TO show cause why the Injunction should not
be issued. and set Friday for the argument
The order will prevent the Board OF Public
Improvem ents from taking any action on the
proposed contract at to-days meeting. but II Ia
expected that there will be a full discussion Of
the subject
The complainant alleges that the proposed
contract has not been authorized by the Board
OF Estimate In the Municipal Assent bly,; that It
is not authorized by the city charter or the
laws OF the State. and would be an illegal
official act; that there 10 no appropriation to
cover the expense to BIO incurred under 1t; that
IL would be wholly unnecessary. improvident
and wasteful act: that the city owns q water
bbbt0" VdpdUlo VI pEONluluk lOT ltb ue0ub anu
capablel OF extension; and finally that the
Ramapo Water Company has no property.
plant or water works OF any kind. and that 1t
has no cash capital. no resources. and no
peouniary responsibility. and that whether 1t
ever has any property depends entirely on
whether ID can procure the execution OF the
proposed contract. The complaint continues:
That promoters and persons interested in
the Ramapo Water Company and certain per-
sons In the city OF New York have conspired.
confedsrated and agreed together to cheat and
defraud the city OF New York BY means
OF and through tho execution OF the
proposed contract. Exhibit A. whereby
tho city OF New York would acquire
the promise OF an unnecessary supply OF wafer
in the future. to be paid for BY the city at an
exorbitant price. from which price the said
promoters and those interested in the Ramapo
Water Company would realize extravaGant
profits. to the great loss and damage OF the
city OF New York. To accomplish this the
proposed contract 10 to be made and executed
In It's present form without the requisite de-
tails required by ordinary business prudence.
without the sanction OF the proper officials.
without public bidding as required by the
charter and contrary to law and without
power or authority in the Ramapo Water Com
pany to make. enter into or execute any such
agreement.
The complaint 10 accom- panied BY three am
davlts. one Of which 10 purely formal and made
by Delos MeCurdy. Another 10 by Eugene E.
Mclean. Chief Engineer OF the Finance De-
partment who swears that the present NUM-
cipal water system cost about 100000 900
and 10 worth more that 1t 10 wholly adequate.
and that there will be left In 1909 about
40. 900. 900 gallons OF water . day over and
above the needs OF the city. The third affida-
Wit 10 by COMPTROLLER Coler and contains the
facts on which the allegations in the complaint
are based.
It 10 expected that Chief Croker Of the Fire
Department and Fire Commissioner Scannsll
will 70 before the Board OF Public Improve
ments to-day and tell how much the Ramapo
contract 10 needed. Croker is Q nephew to
Richard Croker. He was appointed Chief Of
the Fire Department in defiance Of law. Scan
nell appointed him.