The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-22
ELLISON GETS BACK ATHAFFEN
AND BLAMEs THE BRONx BUILD
ING SUPERINTENDENT
FOr Rejecting the Advice Of n law De-
partment N ENDeditIng a Permit 10
House Move Another Obligation
UpOn the City-CaIIs for Inv estIgatIOn.

lpOn the tly-tais iOr hhNesOishh"n
CORPORATION Counsel Ellison got back
Yesterday at Borough President Hanen
Of The Bronx, with whom he has been hav-
ing a dispute as TO the responsibility for
slo houses to be moved from one
niece Of condemned land TO another, where
hy the city has to pay over and over again
for them. Mr.. Haffen said the day before
that Mr.. Ellison had documentary evidence
n his possession to prove that the blame
for the scheme which the Corporation Coun
eel had characterized as a plan to mulct
he city rested in his own Office. and not in
the office of the President OF The Bronx.
Such a statement is unqualiiedly false. ,
said MIR. Ellison. NO proof OF any kind
connecting this Office or any member OF my
staf with this matter. or any other matter
in any way relating to it, is in my hands;
nor had l then. nor have l now, any
knowledge Of anything TO which the state
ment of Mr.. Haffen might or could possibly
refer. The fact of the matter is hat I
gave out a o Of the opinion on the night
Of November Q. in reply to a request. 1
made no comment at the time and have
not commented upon the opinion, as it
is an official document and speaks for
itself.
Now, the fact ia that the opinion was
given 70 MI. Haffen on October 10. He
came down to see me within a day or two.
and was exceptionally cordial. We dis
Cussed the matter from the point Of view
" the facts stated in the opinion, and Mr..
Hafen did not then take exception to any
item or statement made. On the contrary,
he agreed with me in every particular and
had with him n draft of an amendment
10 the ordinance which he promised TO
introduce and have passed Immediately.
waited for him to do so. expecting at each
meeting OF the Board OF Aldermen that
something would he done to relieve the
city Of this condition. but nothing was
done until yesterday"
First Assistant Corporation Counsel Con-
molly. who has charge of the house moving
matter, also denied he had ever seen any
such documents as Mr.. Hafen had de-
scribed.
The fact is." said Mr.. Connolly, "that we
have been trying ever since last May to
prevent In now being done. When
Mr.. Haffen complains that the law de
partment did not secure a stay to prevent
Swain from moving his house, pending an
appeal, he knows that Patrick J.. ReVille,
his superintendent OF buildings, granted
the permit before the law department had
time to take an appeal and secure a stay,
in spite Of the fact that he was advised by
this department not to do so. TIT appeal
was, in fact, taken and the stay secured
within twenty-five minutes after Mr.. Re
ville's action. which was in defiance Of this
department.
Mr.. Ellison also sent a letter to Mr.. Haffen
asserting that Reville's hasty action in
granting the permit was the cause OF all
the trouble. Continuing, the latter said:
respectfully submit the matter to you and
ask your official action thereon. You will
see at once that the situation presented is
quite serious, aside from the more or less i'm
~portancs OF the proceedings. 1t means. APP
parently, that a subordinate in your ONCE, In
Charge Of the bureau of buildings. refuses to
take the advice OF the LAVE department of the
city. and in defiance OF that advice issues a
permit which prevents the law department
from testing an important question in the
higher courts of the State. ! therefore re-
specially ask that you institute an investiEa-
cion OF this matter. at which Investigation [
would he glad to be represented. l will ask
you to take the matter up seriously and act as
your duty may require.