New-York tribune., 1909-12-29
DOLLAR MARK FIRST
4GE OF GRAFT, SAYS
JUSTICE HOW 4RD.
Pay of 1shokan appraisal
Board CHt-Great Loss to
City Feared.

Troy n. Y. Dec 2S.-"The age of
patriotism has yielded to the age of com
mercialism. Uppermcst in the human
mind to-day is not the Stars and Stripes.
but the dollar mark.
Such is the declaration of Supreme
Court Justice Wesley q. Howard. Of this
city, in an opinion to-day fixing the
compensation of the members of COM
mission of three appointed by him 10 ap-
praise damages 10 property along high
ways resulting from the construction or
the Ashokan reservoir in Ulster County
to furnish a water supply for New York
city
Justice Howard reduces the Compen-
sation of the commissioners from S3,63o
each to s. 300 and declares incidentally
that IF expedition and integrity, in
stead of slothfuIness and rapacity. were
the law of the Ashokan Valley. no fault
would be found with the daily wages
paid
while the commissions furnish ave
nues for the reckless escape of many
dollars, there are other channels of leak
age and waste fully as appalling" says
GREETED that no public enterprise can be
projected and consummated without this
appalling loss, called graft Graft IS
not necessarily an illegal expenditure of
money. but it is that unnecessary waste
full use which Characterizes the cOnstruc
tion of every public venture. At least
40 per cent of all the money appro-
priated for public use is lost in graft.
All things could be possible if this fright
full leak could he stopped-roads, canals,
libraries. asylums and hospitals
these could be built out of graft could
it only be saved.
NO INDIVIDUAL TO BLAME.
by what I say here I do not seek to
charge any particular individual with
responsibility nor to direct public atten-
tion TO any such source. Indeed, I do
not believe that any particular individual
or class of individuals is responsible
Graft is a product of our times and in
stitutions. II is the people who are re-
sponsible; for by prescription they seem
TO have lost, or 10 believe that they have
lost, their title TO integrity. They ex-
pect graft, and even spoil and booty. TO
deplete their resources whenever any
great undertaking is ventured by them;
and they look with complacence and toll
Grafton and Indifference at ravages upon
their property. Cieaft is as much an
element to be reckoned with in comput-
ing the cost of a public structure as is
cemer- or lumber. II has come 10 be
a matter of course-this rake -off-a loss
recognized by all who make estimates
of cost in such cases. Figure out what
a private corporation. like a railroad
can construct a public undertaking for.
then add 40 per cent. for graft and YOU
have the cost of the enterprise. A pub
lie structure built honestly would be a
freak
WASTE, DISORDER, CONFUSION.
Justice Howard declares that the
whole project of the condemnation of
land in the Ashokan Valley is charac-
terized by waste. disorder and cOnfu-
sion There is no system and no plan
for doing anything. Nobody seems to
be in charge of the matter, and the re-
suit is an endless muddle and mix-up"
Instead of numerous commissions with
uncertain salaries, convening a irregular
and indefinite periods, rendering deci-
Sions and awards often at variance with
each other, Justice Howard says d sin
gle commission should have been Gre
ated at a fixed salary, with complete
power to dispose of the entire matter
The present plan, he says. will cost the
city of New York million dollars in
fees and expenses. He believes a single
commission could have accomplished the
same work at a cost of only $4,000
The commission whose compensation
was reduced by Justice Howard was
composed of Sidney Harris New York.
lawyer. chairman; c. Gordon Reel of
Kingston, civil engineer, and DR.. James
T. McKenna, of Troy.
DR.. James T. Mckenna said this even
ing that the price for the work fixed bv
Justice Howard was satisfactory to him
He said it was understood right along
that the compensation would be entirely
regulated by the court. DR.. McKenna
had read Justice Howard's opinion He
had no comment to make on it,
nv