New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-09
SAVING CITY RECORDS.
Commissioner Andre7Cs Praises The
Tribune for Aiding an York.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Every one concerned in personal or property
rights affected by the public records owes debt
of gratitude TO The New York Tribune for the aid
It gave to the movement for the preservation OF the
records In the office Of the clerk OF New York
County.
In passing the bill for that purpose. just made a
law by the Governor, the Legislature was largely
influenced by the exposition In the press Of the dis
graceful condition OF those records now. The pub
locations with the photographs Illustrations printed
in The New York Tribune were of great service In
this.
The new law directs the Board Of Estimate and
Apportionment provide Immediately for the
transferrence the Hall OF Records OF the records
rOtting and falling to pieces IN the cellar OF
the County Courthouse. where they have been neg
ected and In constant danger OF destruction by fire
nearly forty These records go back three
hundred years Those of them which refer to early
state and in neighborins states. They affect rights
OF persons and property or have important hisrori-
cal value, moro than all the records OF similar
character in. all the other counties OF the state
The Hall OF Records built a repository Cor
the records OF the County Clerk as well as those
of the Register and Surrogates> 1t was. neverthe-
less. determined by the local authorities, dis
regard OF the law. to keep the County Clerks
ords in the courthouse by assigning for them the
space 10 be vacated by the Surrogates when they
went 10 the Hall of Records But that became i'm
possible when all OF that space taken for court
for the additional justices OF the Supreme
Court elected last year
Long before the completion of the Hall OF Rec
ords the County Clerk called attention 70 the law
under which IL was erected and asked to have a
suitable portion OF that building designated as a
repository for the records In his Office, law
provided
The refusal to comply with this request aroused
members Of the bar and others. who formed the
Hall of Records Association, which secured tho
passage OF the law providing for the erection of
that building. That law taken Albany, q
1897, by John d. Crinimins. s. Stanwood Menken,
William Q. Orr. Douglas Robinson. E. ". cogge-
shall and others, representing the Hall of Records
Association. the Real Estate Exchange. the Board
OF Trade and Transportation. the Bar Association,
the Lawyers Title and Insurance Company and the
savings banks. with petition signed by three
thousand lawyers and business men.
Representatives OF those petitioners finding after
of waiting that the local authorities re-
fused to carry out the purpose of that law, ap-
pealed again to the Legislature, with the result
that the compulsory law just enacted was passed.
and again passed over the veto OF the Mayor;
and justices of the Supreme Court joined
in urgent request to the Governor sign the
bill.
New York is charged with the duty of doing what
convenient reference TO and such examination and
the public interest may require and 70 copies
thereof to be made whenever by reaso-<St age.
use. exposure any casualty such copies shall
in his Judgment be necessary and il is his duty
TO arrange these records in steel nls cases TO DO
provided for that purpose. Under tha new law
that work VIII bo done In the Hall OF Recosds- -