The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-28
He O KID a Settlement for
$33,565 of City Claim
of $87,650.
SUPPOSED IT WAS ALL RIGHT
Prendsrgast Says II Wasn't
Brooklyn Corporations the
Beneficiaries.


,er,iay orders which had been issued by
Herman 4 Metz. his predecessor, for
the settlement Of claims for tares. az
-essments and water rents against GER
tain Brooklyn corporate interests The
settlements were on basis far below
the amounts demanded by the city
without adding interest these claims
reached total Of 81 $50 The interest
brings the total up to more than $40, 600
According 70 a statement issued yeeter-
day by the Comptroller Mr. Metz shortly
Uefore his term ended liquidated these
claims for SIS SsS
Mr. PrendergAst has been investigating
a. the result Of letter he received from
Mr. Metz on Jun. 20 last shortly before
the former Comptroller started for
Europe The letter came in response 20
an inquiry 10y Mr. Prendergas; az to the
reason for cutting down the claims In
the letter Mr. Metz made thes- state
msnt-
The papers wore approved nv me on the
strength ~ The - X of the law and ADJUST
meni division and on the sppositIon that
they were settlements OF tar arrears ba I'D
upon similar ones made by advice Of the
Corporation Couu-e, and 20 the b~~' in
t-re-,s % the city and IN man, cA--- -
Was held. ~ I VAS given 70 understand,
upon statement % the Corporation Counsel
that the ,.'y had very poor case at test
and might Io-s all it, claims II the various
casas were carried to court In some IN
stances reports brought - me and signed
by ne having only the initials or approval
Of the one IN the respective bureau Who
had direct charge Of such matters, but all
such cases we're with the absolute under
standing tina, they had Oeen or would be
% h q by the head Of the bureau or had
hs.n given N. approval hy the head Of
the bureau before being brought to me.
and "a. IN line with the usual procedure
N similar cases
II there - anything irregular IN any OF
tEo-e papers or any OtherA beg OF YOU
- disregard my signature entirely. because
nv approval OF them VS. only formal.
AMI / have no interest Ghsr than to So
that the ,ity gets tho hest possible >ettle-
men: and thn' anything irregular or in
any way improper b. r""tifed Il there - n
chance To- rectify u and n there i any one
Who directly OF indirectly secured my az
proysl OF AnN quest tonable Transaction
| tru=' YOU Will So 20 " that the matters
are withheld and ThosA who may possibly
10 guilty oi having done anything OF the
k'nd te -gmrlarily dealt with. II any such
,as-- appear or develop ] shall certainly
-. The orst one to thank YOU Tor holding
item ~ aud 20 DO what I gsn 10 So that
any one guilty OF an improper act receives
tls proper deserts
After receiving this letter NJ PrpndeT-
sast had the whole matter looked into.
The documents on Ale N the Finance
Department relating 10 the orders Issued
by Mr Metz showed tina; the reductions
had not been passed upon by either the
Deputy Comptroller then y Taylor
Philips. or Jeremiah Mahoney the head
Of the Law and adjustment bureau
Consequently Sir Prendergast decided
Yesterday "a cancel the settlement made
~ Nlr Metz and notified the property
owu.-s involved that they must pay the
onElnal assessments with Intsues, The
property owners are the Brighton Pier
and Navigation Company, the Prospect
PARK and Con.y Island Railroad Com
pany. the New York. Brooklyn and Man
haitian Beach Railway. The Brighton Beach
Racing Association and the A { SChiel-
niger Company Mr. PrendergAst says
In none ~ these cAs~- except that Of
the Br shton PIER and Navigation Com
pany wa the order ~ settlement ba@~d
uppn an opinion OF the Corporation Coun-
-. such all opinion IN approval - re-
CURED by section 49, ~ the Greater New
YORK Charter
The Otly approval Mr. Prendergast
has found no says - that 81 L : With
Ingtor. a Law clerk. who had no authority
10 pass finally upon the documents at the
mo that he InitiAlIsd thoes ia the cases
mentioned Both y Taylor PHILIPPE for
mer Deputy Comptroller and MetEs legal
adviser ana Jeremiah l Mahonsy. the
c,.l.f Of the law and adjustment d.
VISION under Metz have denied all knowl-
.dsa - IN. reasons for or the basis OF
tn. settlement made II - clear from
COMPTROLLER Prenderga~t's investigation
that neither Mr. Phillips nor Mr. Stahoney
wa consulted by Metz regarding the
Cl~.sS
Nr Phillips Is IN Europ" and Mr. Ma
honey - no longer = city employee"