New-York tribune., 1902-12-10
CONTROLLER CIRCUITS POSITION.

Sir: I should not further tempt the truth Of the
proverb concerning an individual engaging In con-
troversy with a newspaper If 1 believed that The
Tribune could intend its misstatements Of fact
Those misstatements were clearly repeated in this
mornings editorial, when you say that the eng1-
neer's report disclamed by me was presented to
the Board Of Estimate by me last July
On November 20 1901, the Macombs Dam Bridge
franchise first came before the Board of Estimate
OIinutes of that date, pages 1,294-1.S01) AT that
time a report presented from the engineer OF
the Department of Finance fixing the payment at
the of 81 600 and the Board of Estimate adopt
ed these terms The Tribune will kindly note that
this was before ] entered this office 1t is that
report which at the hearing Friday last dis
claimed when it was quoted from by Mr.. Page, the
attorney for the Huckeberry Railroad Enorts
were made on December 80 last to force the fran
chise through the Municipal, Assembly upon those
terms. Those efforts failed CNlnutes OF boaiu
of Aldermen, pages 94-971O
Subsequently the application OF that railroad
company was renewed. and a new application OF
the Interborough Railway Company was made IL
was the report OF the engineer of the Department
of Finance on the application Of the Interborough
Railway Company which L presented TO the Board
of Estimate on July is, and which suggested the
higher charges for the bridge. The minutes OF
that date show that my whole action on that re-
port was not to adopt IL as my own. out slnpl!
to present Il for consideration and to move that
copy of it be sent to each member refer you
TO the minutes pages 1499-15O0. But did not dis
claim that report the hearing last Friday. and
do not now disclaim It On the contrary. de-
Tended its conclusions against those or the $lVo
report of last year. 1 do not know what appeared
in vour issue of July 19 nor under any obliga-
ton to dispute admit the accuracy OF state
ment which appeared in the newspapers, even IL X
were physically possible to keep track of every
such publication; but whatever was published. the
fact remains that did not commit myself to the
nrecise terms of that report, though should be
very glad to its terms adopted If the travel over
the bridges would. business matter, ADMIT OF
the payment OF such terms. Another fact re-
mains and may well be noted and that fs that the
Union Railway Company. having failed under the
last administration to get the franchise for $1,000.
now voluntarily yet perhaps largely because OF
the engineers reports of this year: offers "a sum sum
one-half times as much as the sum tixed last year
The There YOU'D last ears terms and when this years
terms fixed snail hope TO see greater satn .
still even If the full measure OF the last reports
cannot be reached.
As for your admonitons about goxernment IN ,n, un
der blanket" I suppose II would be better 10 wait
mill something has been done under a blanket"
Jet think nd haga ean q0nG 10 do nohng Of the kind
S'' EDWARD NJ. CIRCUIT. Controller.
New-York. Dec, 9.
[We have no wish to do injustice to Controller
Grout. and if we have misunderstood his posi-
ton are glad to be set right. We certainly un-
derstood that 1t was Mr.. McLeaD's second re-
port. that of last July. which the Controller
sought to disclaim at the last meeting of the
Board of Estimate The press report Of the
meeting said:
In p report Cthe same as the July reporo pre-,
sented yesterday the engineer E. E. Mclean lea said
the the fS%ay bdse ynd R for the Of the
If cI,oaed oadgf Mr. McLeans findings
Mr. Gront stopped him; MI ;,,o+o Mr. Ncresn.s report"
he said las his actual opinion. His report is based
the of the eSse 1d ear aa fe If the ea rS
use them. The report he made under the former
administration probably a little olasseo-
We had no idea until we received the above
letter from Mr.. Grout that his reference was not
to this report In favor OF $4,000 rental but to
a previous report by the same engineer In favor
Of a, $1,000 rental for the franchise Nor in
that case do we see why Mr.. Page criti-
c,sed the report when he offering to pay
Sc 500 a year for the same privilege. From
Mr. Grout's apparent willingness to let the
franchise at terms far below those fixed by the
July report were led to the same conciu-
sion Since that an error. and Mr. Grout
does believe that the July report IN favor or a
S4S 600 rental was based sound principles,
we shall hope to him enforce them in sub
stance and not let a company which last year
professed itself financially able and willing to
build it's own bridge if allowed. and ready to
make corresponding payment for use OF city
property if it was not allowed to build. get that
property on a plea of poverty and poor traffic
for. a sum far below what it viii cost the city to
maintain 1t for railroad use.
AS to government under a blanket. Ii we
understand Alright, Mr.. Grout expects to see
terms finally adopted and the franchise granted
hy the Board of Estimate day after tomorrow
Yet he refuses to say what the tentative agree
ment on terms is. If the intention is to make
those privately arranged terms public first In
the meeting of the Board of Estimate, and then
with
opportunity for public and press discussion of
their adequacy, should think that very mucn
like government under blanket-"I