New-York tribune., 1902-06-23

C,o.ven who started out on the administration
OF his duties under extremely difficult surround
ings. has gradually worked the Office Gown 70
d systematic basis.
STREET CLEANING DEPARTMENT.
other department whose operations come close
10 the homes and interests Of the people through
out the city is that Of street cleaning. Major
Woodbury. took hold Of department the physl-
cal condition OF which was lamentable Puohc
- dIstrust Of Commissioner Nage's management
restrained the aldermen from giving him an ap-
prcprfation that perhaps was necessary. Com
missioner Woodbury. found that the department
needed three hundred horses when he assumed
Office on January J. There were horse blan-
kets or cart covers and while he was planning
to renew the equipment, he was confronted with
one of the hardest winters in the history OF MS
department. Moreover, many men on the old
force projected largely by Civil Service rules
showed disposition to adhere to their old tricks
and subterfuges. and on top of everything else
Major Woodbury. had TO install sort Of detective
and investigating bureau Summary punishment
was meted out to some of the more conspicuous
offenders and the department finally was placed
on a practical working basis. Major Wood
bury found three steam bumpers which the for
mer administration had laid by to rust TO pieces.
and these he repaired and put in commission
They now are running a distinct saving TO
the city. For the first four months of 1902 the
department collected 737.512 carloads Of ma
teriaL as against Gs6 123 for the same period
last year. Taking the first four months Of Ma
jor Woodburys administration as a basis OF
comparison, he viii have performed the work
OF his department in a far more acceptable man
ner than it was performed year ago, at saw
ing of So 600 over the amount expended in
1901 Major Woodbury. says that his depart
rnent is not doing all that il ought TO do as yet
but before the summer is out he will have ii
systematized and the results will exceed any
thing in its history
WATER DEPARTMENT.. Hampden
Dougherty. Commissioner of the Department Of
Water supply Gas and Electricity. in his first
quarterly report. showed that the total revenues
collected by his department UP TO March 81
amounted to 81 20. .S24 80 an increase over the
corresponding quarter Of last year of Sl31.3lS IL
This increase is largely attributable 10 the un-
earthing Of a system Of meter frauds which in
cluded the filing off Of cogs from the register
wheels. causing the meters TO register less water
than actually passed through them. Mr.. Dough
erty has expressed the opinion that more than
81 o00000 is lost TO the city every year by water
frauds and he has obtained the passage Of a bill
by the legislature making tampering with meters
a penal offence Heretofore the department has
been lax in the collection Of fees for the use
Of hose About $1,000 Of the increase shown by
Mr.. DoUgherty has come from this source, and
the inspecto are finding every day many citizens
are compelled put in water meters or discon- |
-inue the use of hose Mayor Low himself was |
ignorant of this requirement. and was fined - |
fer using a hose without permit. Mr.. Dough |
eartys plan for the burying OF all electric wires
in Brooklyn is attracting considerable attention !
from the residents Of that borough. The Com |
missioner declares that the network Of overhead |
wires is constant menace to life and limb He |
has obtained agreements from several Of the |
electrical companies looking TO the gradual re |
1aoval Of wires from the streets.
ARREARS OF Personal TANES--Martin |
Sake the Assistant Corporation Counsel in |
charge OF the bureau for the collection of ar |
rea-s Of personal taxes. has made surprising |
record in the matter of collections since the |
first Of the year Up TO June Is he had collected |
S.37, GOO is in arrears. This is considerably |
more than was collected under the Tammany |
administration IN four years. The Tammany |
collections fer each year were as follows: 1899, |
S26 $50 II 1900. $40 40: 1901 S30.1So Al: 1902
S.u71G al: total S13I.316 81. Mr.. Sake expects |
10 reach S3J000o before the end Of the year
This Will pay the salaries OF the Law
Department of the city for the year. Within
The last few days Mr.. Sake has proved that the
arrears Of personal taxes in Brooklyn for the
year 1891 amounting TO SS00.o00, collectible.
II was generally understood that because no
specific statute covering arrears Of personal
taxes applied Brooklyn, it was useless to
start court proceedings for the recovery OF this
money but Mr.. SAKE has found statute that
governs in the absence Of a municipal ordinance
and has already collected over $4,000 of the
money He expects TO be able 10 collect all but
The extremely small debts
: DOCK DEPARTcEENT.-Dock Commissioner
N McDougan Hawkes. and his deputy, Jackson
Wallace. upon assuming Office found in their
department system Of hlackmai similar TO
that practsed in the Police Department. A
thorough investigation was Immediately insti-
tuted with the result that dockmaster
was summarily dismissed from the service. The
facts connected with his have been placed
in the hands Of District Attorney Jerome, and
he will be crimnally prosecuted. The commits
sioners have taken the preliminary steps look
ing 10 the breaking OF numerous leases made
under the last administration for wharf privi-
leges These cases. it is said, made at
sums far below the value of the property. Mr..
Hawkes. has asked Corporation Counsel Rives
tor his opinion in the premises, and viii make
test case Of one CT the leases and try 10 show
inadequate compensation. Mr Hawkes. believes
that the making Of these leases was fraudu-
lent If he IS successful IN breaking the leases
the city Will profit by many thousands Of dol
lars
The methods of Messrs Hawkes. and Wallace
are new to the old employees. In the last four
years the important work Of the Dock Depart
1nent was handled largely by the clerks and
other subordinates. the commissioners rarely
being al the office, Whenever their signatures
were required to important documents they had
&c be taken bv one of the clerks either to the
oflice Of Peter T. Meyer or the saloon of Charles
F. Murphy. Commissioner Hawkes. has made
reputation as an indetatgable worker, being at
his Office frequently from O'clock in the morn