New-York tribune., 1900-06-15
FAIL TO CREATE DLSTRUST
VIEW OF POLITICIANS AS TO THE
CHARGES AGAINST COLER-pEPUTY
CONTROLLERS STATEMENT.

Politicians Of the city yesterday said they thought
the charges against Controller Coler had failed to
create distrus of the Controllers official integ-
rity- Many of the Tammany politicians expressed
surprise that the charges had fallen so fiat. They
appeared to feel chagrtn because the people Of
city were not ready to think of Mr.. Coler cor
rupt public official.
Governor Roosevelt, who was In the city a short
tine in the afternoon. said he had not expressed
any opinion about the Coler charges. He contra
dcted e report that he had been greatly impressed
by the charges. He said he had examined the
charges, but merely referred them to the Attor-
ney-General for examination.
Officials of the Finance Department talked with
Controller Coler the long distance telephone
yesterday. He still IN Illinois, and he said he
would nor return to HIS Office in this city until
Monday Deputy Controller Levey, who is familiar
with the bond sale Of two years ago. on which the
charges are based. made the following statement:
!, II should be understood at the outset that the
bonds were awarded TO the Produce Exchange
fgbast s cf@Ps3y Ss9sp hat company was the
sDs shs 9Gurs 6 roa ard settled IN favor Of the Controller
po5ons OF NJ the charter are such that there is
n the sWarns 9G of bond left with the cO5tresr
to to the highest bidder and If there was any com
Issue that would bring in more the city than the
be MADE 1e si o the ar The b6o award would have
eombnation ina could be made. It is true that the
issue bs anS more Of thss sbe
st az & Dldnng but the aggregate by the high
Inc po oI Nerinilye & Co was held to be Informal
eho ts lllegality was pronounced upon by the
courts III was generally believed that had the
oilroIIer not taken the stand he took against
.le lher private counsel pass upon the legality of
me issue the bonds would have been selling at par
instead Of at lo5. " a. '
FOR THE OLD CITY.
IL ought 10 be remembered that the s1aoooooo
1ablnnes incurred on behalf of the old CITY of
..e~-a ork NOW the old city had never exceeded
sts oept limit 1t Is true that an opinion had heen
gwen oy the Corporation Counsel In which the o,1es
uc as TO whether the liabilities for street and nar
opening purposes should count against tba debt
limit irrespective Of the street and marx onenfno
,uho was lett in doubt, but this was cleared mn
bE subsequent opinion in which it was held that
that at the time the bonds were sold there vas no
question that the old city had NOT reached t.s 49,
limit and there could have been no doubt as 10 TIE
yaaoity OF the Issue. Al least the Controller did
ton. and for that reason refused 70 admit bids
with the condition attached think that Mr. (-oIar
o.c the city a great benefit at the time a hereSt
that was generally recognized AS to the state
company that BID for the bonds / do not know
j GO know that Mr. Coer went among his ner-
sonal friends and organized the company but Z Go
tot believe his firm had any financial interest in
the transaction. 80
Some OF the officials of the Finance Department
said that since the award Of city bonds is made
by the Sinking Fund Commission of which the
Coptpoller is only member and Mayor Van
Wyck Is another member, IL would be unfair not 10
Include the Mayor in the charges based upon
award Of bonds. It was remarked also that If the
Controller were removed by the Governor, on