New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-13
METZ SHIFTS BLAME,
Says SIackneSs and Poor Laos Made
Se1cer Claims Possible.

Controller Metz said yesterday that the scandal
In connection with the sewer claims against ths
city on account OF the slackness OF his prsds~
cessors in Office. ''The Finance Department" sald
Mr.. Metz Tong ago should have had the law
changed that claims for sewer damages could
not be withheld for six years and then, after svi-
dencs Of fraud is hard 10 get brought forward
putting the city at great disadvantage I SHAH
forward to Albany bill limiting TO six months tbs
period in which bills for sewer damages against
the city may be presented. II a property owner
waits longer than six months before presenting hs
claim he ought not TO nave any consideration and
hts very act in waiting six years Is fair evidences
that his claim is not valid There are now
before this department claims for more than six
hundred thousand dollars damages on account Of
overlooking sewers.
Mr.. Metz explained that these fraudulent claims
were not discovered before because until Juns
the investigation Of them simply a blur
and that the investigators received SO a day FOR
mo investigation" He continued that the city
lost many cases because IL had no defence To
back up his statement of the present efficient
work OF hts department.. Controller Metz said
there at present 115S claims against the city
for sewer damages IN Brooklyn which were unex-
anined. and also 2OO Unexamined claims in the
hands of District Attorney Clarke. OF Brooklyn
Assistant District Attorney Miles. of Brooklyn, has
es7 OF these claims he said The aggregate sum in
volved $685., 500 y.
Since the exposure OF fraudulent claims. the
Controller said 4G4 claims had been withdrawn
representing So. SsS Il. Miles, has withdrawn %
claims. and S. claims were Withdrawn by Michael
A. Fiunegan. he said
Controller Metz also stated that in 1916 there wers
4s5 claims withdrawn. and all were withdrawn as
result OF the examination conducted by the
Finance Department. The total claims for lSS
and for the first two months or 1895 were $3.50 -
Every one of the withdrawal claims, the Con-
trOller said, had been obtained under Oath
Mr.. Metz said that no substantial evidence nad
been submitted until examiner OF sewer claims
by the name OF Prial. IN the law and adjustment
division Of the Finance Department took a stang
against the payment OF these claims MI EIIa4
went to Mr.. Metz last fall and stated his case
The Controller says soon as ne TOOK ONCE 10
sent for certain claims and found that many claims
were nlled IN by the typewriter, although Sisleu
in ink. This led him 70 believe that many or TIE
claims had been signed in blank, he said, Pral
and FARRELL, two inspectors, examined the claims
and found Irregularities in them. Mr.. Metz SaSS-
The first day these men brought in SIX wlthdraWaS
out OF seven claims which they examined, the TON
who had withdrawn claims went on the stand lateE
and said they had not done so, and that none OF
the examiners were qualified under law 70 TESTIFY
as experts on masonry. plumbing and carpenter
He placed the result of his investigation before
the District Attorneys Of New Ork and kins.
counties about January Is. The two inspectors
named. he says, have been working in pistrlcI Al
torney Clarke's office ever since.
MIR. Metz says these two men set only Sl0e >
year, and IL the Civil Service rules forbid him 20
give them the maximum salary they can get 10
their grades he proposes Ito appoint them 70 sx-
their faithfulness and honesty" He concludes that
he does not intend to make any changes IN MS o.
ice and that the investigation will Be Sifted 70 ths
bottom and that mo guilty man viii escape