New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-22
OFFICIALS NOT BONDED !
OVERSIGHT BY DIR. METZ.
Commissioners of Public Works
4Uo5ced to Disobey Code.

..,,o Metz Yesterday made the surprising
z,sooverv that for years the Commissioners Of
,,-hI,c works in this city have not been bonded
rao,ired by Section 49, of the Code of City
~rd,narces. The section referred 20 says:
Each Commissioners cf Public Works. before
,nd "a tbe city with least two sureties be
approved 10y the Controller and filed In the office
[f'tro Controller. iH the penal sum of $4,000
condition the faithi. performance Of the duties
Of his office.
William Dalton. removed by Borough President
Abearn this week. never executed bond
Neither did his predecessor, George Livingston
,,rder Borough President Cantor, so far as the
Controller has been able 70 learn. The Con-
troller said last night that probably the city
ordinances required the bonding of other Offices
under the Borough President, like Superinten-
dent Of Highways. Superintendent of Sewers and
Superintendent of Public Buildings and Offices.
william II. Walker removed from office by Mr..
Ahearn. whose administra ton is being rigorous
IN investigated by the Commissioners of Ac-
counts never was under bond.
The Controller was not aware of the true con-
dition in the Borough Presidents office until he
recently made application 10 the State Civil Ser
vice Commissioners for permission to appoint
deputy auditors in the exempt class. He gave
as reason that he had to be responsible under
his bonds for the acts of the deputy audi
tors and that he ought to have the privilege or
choosing men that he could trust.
When the Controler was asked about the re-
ouirements of his bona answer was made that
they would he found in the charter but they
we're not there Then for the first time appar-
emily his office made the discovery that his bond
was called for by the ordinances, and that these
ordinances also called for bonds from other Of
fcials from whom the finance department had
never before awakened to the necessity of exact
ing bonds. Thus. in looking up the bonding
question concerning his own office Mr. Metz
found that while the charter does not specl-
fcaH require that a Commissioner of Public
Works be bonded. the city ordinances do so
provide. He said that the new Commissioner OF
Public Works Henry s. Thompson. would have
20 file bond as required by the ordinance. and
that all the other officials in Mr.. Ahearn's office
proba bly, would have To follow suit.
Borough President Ahearn went Yesterday
with his new Commissioner Of Public Works on
a tour of observation. The two officials talked
over the entire work Of that branch Of the de-
parJment.
Mr. Ahcarn accepted the proposition of the
Merchants Association for the organization OF
an advisory board of engineers, representing
civic associations, TO assist in the reorganiza-
tion of the administrative details of the Bureau
Of Hiehways. President Ahearn in letter ap-
proving this suggestion says he cheerfuliy well
comes any assistance that such an advisory
board can render. The association has called a
conference for Friday afternoon invitations
having been extended TO the following organiza-
lions: The Bureau of Municipal Research, the
City Club. the American Automobile Associa-
ton the West End Association and the Wash
ingto- Square Association. each OF which VIII
he asked 10 designate an engineering represen-
tativc as 4 member Of the proposed advisory
hoard