New-York tribune., 1903-02-06
RIVES CALLS 1T SCANDAL
He Holds Up Pay Of Three Uoter-
she'd Commissioners.
LITTLE WORK FOR 100000, HE SAYS

LITTLE WORK FOR 100000, HE SAYS.
Corporation Counsel Rives has held up the
pay of Henry c. Henderson, Quinton Corwine
and James H Briggs commissioners appointed
by the Supreme Court in 1896 to appralse
watershed property above the Cornell Dam, in
the Croton Valley. The commissioners assert
that the city owes them about $1,000 apiece
Mr. Rives will not pay the bill. and has applied
to the courts for an Interpretation of the law
with reference to what services actually rem
dered'' means in condemnation proceedings AS
a matter OF fact. the Corporation Counsel has
aimed blow at the whole system of condem-
nation proceedings as practised by the law de
partment of the city. incidentally. he has re-
fused 10 abide by the views of his assistant
Mr.. Olendorf, who for years has had charge Of
condemna ton proceedings.
Il have not paid Messrs. Henderson. CorWine
and Briggs" said Mr.. Rives yesterday. because
I am in doubt about the services they claim to
have rendered. They have presented bills
charging on the basis of doing about three hun
dred days work a year. As matter of fact.
from my point of view, these commissioners
have met about once a. week. / am not reflect
ing on the professional standing of the
missoners. It is merely the system that I am
opposing. 1 do not think that the commissioners
are anxious to close up their condemnation pro-
and have drawn about $20,00o apiece from the
city treasury, and they are not through Yet.
want them to turn in their report The testi-
nony was all in long ago The bulk of the
work acquiring the Mount Kensico Gene
terry. AS I understand it. that part of the work
was cleared up some time ago and the two hun
dred odd bodies there should haye been removed
long before this. Nothing has been done about
il. however because of the failure of the com
missioners to turn in their final report
A PUBLIC SCANDAL.
The proceedings in relation to acquiring land
for the City's water supply in the counties of
Westchester and Putnam have long constituted
a public scandal. It is notorious fact that
the costs in these proceedings have amounted
to huge sums ~ money. probably not less on an
average than 20 per cent Of the price paid for
the land. It has been my effort TO try 10 close
UP speedily the pending proceedings and to keep
down. far possible, the unnecessary ex-
penses. The expense of printing | have cut
down about one-half. and l hope shortly to do
away entirely with the practice OF printing the
voumnous testimony taken in these proceed
ings.
The acts under which commissioners are ap-
pointed provide that they shall be paid so a
day for every day actually employed 1t has
been the invariable custom, am informed
for the commissioners to swear that they have
been actually employed for every day Of the
year excluding Sundays and legal holidays al
though the fact was that they would meet but
twice a week on an average. 1 have
raised the question in court in two cases as to
what is meant by actual employment and
shall endeavor to get an authoritative decision"
MIR. CoRWINE's STATEMENT
We have not turned in our report yet be-
cause it is not entirely ready" said Quinton
Corwine at his office, No. 100 Broadway yes
terday to a Tribune reporter. 1T is true that
the work is about all done. and We are waiting
u go out of existence as commission: but Mr.
Rives has held up bills for nearly year
now. and until he sees his way clear doing the
right thing by us l don't see how cap be ex-
pected to turn in our report. It seems 10 he the
disposition of reform administrations to do
things different. We had trouble before Mr.
Rives was Corporation Counsel. The courts
have held right along that when commissioners
render their bills under oath the city must pay
them as rendered. How does Mr. Rives know
that We have not met every working day. as our
bills call for? A a matter of fact. have had
those condemna ton matters before us every
day We-that is Mr Henderson and myself
have held meetings right here in office every
DAY. 1t seems to me that Mr.. Rives is piling up
an unnecessary expense in this proceeding The
matter ought to be closed up. We've got an en-
forceable demand Mr. Rives says that he
records in his office show that Te did not meet
every day. We under oath in asserting TO
the contrary
Mr Riyes is making up his annual report To
the Mayor It is understood that he viii severe
IL criticise many of the features of the present
system of condemnation proceedings.