New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-08
AMAZED AT CONTRACTS.
EMPLOYEES OF WESTMINSTER
SUPERVISORS GET MANY.
rTs AND DINNERS OF MEMBERS
OF THE BOARD ALSO CAUSE
MUCH SURPRISE.


-.a scheme Of the Westchester Supervisors
-o establish an enterprise at Larchmont and
,tannaroneck consisting Of a cemetery large
enough TO accommodate one hundred thousand
raves while il will probably fail. owing 10 the
,-;,+ty of the residents. who have retained law
srs and put up enough money to buy the
con 400 in mortgages against the property, has
served 70 arouse the taxpayers of Westchester
-o,rtv TO an understanding Of the reckless and
srbi+rarv methods pursued by the board
wealthy taxpayers say that they have per-
,oi+ted themselves to he feeced long time
-;+bouf q rnurrnur expecting that when they
ga ask 2 favor OF the board it would be granted
without question. The action Of the super
,,isors in granting permission to a foreign cor
marathon TO come in and lay out a cemetery al
vaost within the dooryards Of the owners Of
nearly 100000 worth Of property has aroused
widespread wrath and many people are now
declaring such methods must come 10 an end
The taxpayers Of Larchmont and Mamaronech
ere being backed UP by public sentiment in
other sections Of the county which have at
various times been threatened with similar
catastrophe. The Tribune article Of yesterday
was widely read and commented on. and many
of the leading citizens of the county said that
# was beth timely and accurate
The citizens Of Larchmont and Nanlaroneck
are not the only ones whom the supervisors
have put 10 the expense of defending themselves
against a cemetery being planted in their front
yards Nearly every year a proposition OF TINS
kind comes up and the residents of the section
of The county rnenaced have TO club together
70 defend themselves Last year the residents
of Tuclzaho and Bronxville had to get together
10 Kill off a cemetery scheme. A peculiar feat
,,re Of this cemetery was that if il had been
tuit II would have come within the 1seiin
.-s-ersbAd from which New Rochelle draws its
supply.
az The cemetery Il is proposed TO put
between Larchmont and Mamaroneck it IS said
that on account of the peculiar drainage OF the
land. Il would contaminate the lower section OF
Nsmaroneck for quite a distance on the easteTlF
side Of the New-York New-Haven and Hart
ford Railroad tracks. where there are many
small houses DR.. Cyrus Edson, who lives In
Mauaroneck, has written letter in support Vi
this contention. In it he says:
am very familiar with the ground ana SUP SUD
soil drainege Of the locality in question: anu
have no hesitation in saying that the dramas {
OF the proposed cemetery will pollute WelIs
situated between II and the Sound on me east
and TO a considera BILE distance southwark
/ need not tell you in detail what such pollo.
ton would mean; suffice II 10 say Iildt II ~
ronvert healtllful, salu5r!ous nelshpoiIoou 4ii'
onA mat would be extremely the opposite
Among the many other things complained Of
NV the taxravers of westchester County are the
.-eo,,an- 5,,nkets and dinners given by the
1aoa-5 NJ Supervisors. It is said that the COM
rnit-ee on the county poorhouse took a trlp
last summer 10 see how such institutions We're
managed In other counties Their studies OF
The anaeIioration Of the condition OF the poor ii
IS said took them to Saratoga while the races
were on and several days were put IN thefe-
The taxpayers of course, do not complain ABOUT
the dinners given by members OF the boaro' ou'
they are nuzzled at times TO know how men
whose salaries as public officials are supPoseu
not TO exceed 500 or $500 a year can AFFORD 10
20 SO many times in year to NeW-hork ho'els
ard pay for elaborate dinners.
Another thing that is causing talk is the num-
her Of fine contracts which are given TO men
in the employ of some of the supervisors IL Is
said that the foreman Of one supervisor is en-
saged In painting the 18th Separate Company
Arrnory in Mount Vernon. another one ii00
been the fortunate bidder several times on con-
struction work on the county buildings anu
the foreman Of q former Mount vernon super
visor is said 10 have handled several Thousand
dollars worth Of printing for the county This
supervisor. strange to say, was acuVely en-
gagged all the time cutting down the pl4Is o. d4I
the other printers Of the county.
While il is admitted that the giving Of con-
tracts 10 close personal friends and employees
lis not technically violation of the law. there
,sre many people who are inclined 10 think that
such methods will not add credit to the board
and they do not hesitate 10 say so.
Justice Gaynor in the Supreme Court has
raised the Injunction brought against the SUI
pervisors by John Holden, a taxpayer OF New
Rochelle 10 prevent them from auditing bills
Of the newspapers Of Westchester County ag-
gregating mere than $4,000, for public printing
Mr. Holden who is q lawyer, began the proceed
ings On the ground that the supervisors hao
no legal authority TO order so much work gone
Ee saws that according 10 the statute, the cIefh
of the board shall have the abstract or Io~l AZ
counts printed in newspaper OF Inc county
The board. he says, placed the lnterpretdIloh
On this section, that It meant all the newspapers
in the county and gave them all contracts 70
print the town accounts. He declares thdl the
board then proceeded to chop the work up 80
that il would 90 around. and that in doing SO
the matter separated SO that eaCn par "
81 incomplete and was Of no value 10 the
taxpayers in showing them the condlllon Oh tlIe
county finances The money thus spent MT.
Holden charges, practically wasted
The publishers say that they received ofoeIs
from the Supervisors do the work. and pup
Hshe6 the abstracts in good faith, not ooupuns
the authority Of the board TO enter INTO Ine
contracts for it. They say that the manner IN
which the work has been distributed mas peen
the custom for many years. Each OF tne tnlIdy
newspapers Of the county has from SOU 10 Sioo
due il, which has been held up by the proceed
ings brought by Mr. Holden.
The publishers have formed an ASSOCIATION anu
retained counsel to look after their interests
Judge Gaynor. in vacating the injunction. LETT
r< for