New-York tribune., 1907-11-03
Money Granted for Improving
unsanitary Police Stations
Used for Needless Luxury
in Others.

Tfere is conflict between the City Controller
and the head of the Police Department The
cause OF the trouble is the determination Of
the Commissioner 10 carry out an elaborate
scheme Tor housing his army of bluecoats and
their prisoners in new police stations which Mr.
Metz characterizes police palaces planned
upon the most elaborate. lines with little regard
10 cost.
This plan was submitted to the Board Of
Estimate and Apportionment a little more than
q year ago. 1t provided for the expenditure of
SliS00Oo upon the purchase of sites and the
erection of new police stations throughout the
greater city 10 replace those that were re-
garded as unsuited for the purpose and in an
unsanitary condition. The proposed buildings
were to be Of a specified type and were esti-
mated TO cost not less than S1500OO each The
plan involved the appropriation of S2OO0OOO a
year 10 carry on the work until il was com
Ileted.
Before any money was voted, however. Con-
troller Metz had the engineers Of his department
make an investigation. They reported that
there were some eighty stations that ought 70
be housed in new buildings and classified them
IL order OF urgency It was pointed out how
ever, that the kind Of structure planned by the
Police Commissioner could not be built for the
amount he estimated. and considerable r1odifca
lions in both style and detail were recommended
1poh the representations contained in this re-
port the Board Of Estimate and Apportionment
voted S2'ooo0Oo TO be used by the Commits
Eioner in the last year
The Controller now maintains that this 60
100000 has not been expended in the manner
indicated Instead, the Police Commissioner
has proceeded with his own elaborate scheme
Buildings costing three times the amount asti-
mated are being planned. Instead Of the eighty
stations that ought TO be replaced costing S11.-
Suotn1, Mr. Metz contends that General Bing-
hams plans call for an expenditure of not less
than S30.000,000 Besides no attenpt is beine,
made 10 replace the buildings which are a mon
ace 10 the health of both police and nrisonors
occupying them, because Of their unsanitarv
condition. Immediately, as was recommended
Instead. sites have been purchased and rlans
prepared for others that are in a much better
condition, with total disregard to the order of
urgency indicated in the report of the Con-
iroler's engineers upon which the approximation
Of last year was voted.
CONTROLLER METZ ON WARPATH
All this has reused the ire of Controller Metz.
and he is openly the warpath About ten
days ago the commissioners of the sinking fund
were asked 10 approve of plans for the erection
OF a new station in Greenwich street They
called for an elaborate structure five times as
large as the present quarters with such ex-
HdNasdhI features as polished granite and
marble coping Instead of costing somewhere
about $4,000 it was pointed out by Mr. Metz
that the expenditure would run 10 nearly $3.50
0JO or 100000 more than the Commissioners
own estimate supplied last year called for. Upon
these representations the plans were turned bact
TO the Police Commissioner for extensive rnodif-
cations in both style and cost
On Friday last the Controller scored another
point IN the struggle request of Commits
eioner Bingham for another appropriation OF
S2UJO,OOO TO continue the work Of rebuilding
came up before the Board of Estimate and An
poruonment Again Mr.. Metz was prepared
with reports from his engineers explaining the
manner IN which the previous appropriation had
been expended, and the request was refused
AS long as / am in charge Of the citv's
finances" said the Controller to Tribune re-
porter, i Will oppose this extravagant scheme
Of Commissioner Bingham to erect police nal
aces instead of adequate station houses for his
force 1t is this sort OF thing that is responsible