New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-08-02
QUEENS ATTACKED AGAIN
Fosdick This Time Hits the
Typographical Bureau.
REORGANIZATION TO FOLLOW
Former Consulting Engineer Ac-
cused in Commissioner S
Report to Mayor.

r-ouozz;,,s~ n rencrt submitted TO Mayor
Ca,-nor b1 Commissioner Of Accounts Eos
dick Yesterday. ii is understood that the
1ora-rsnhica bureau Of Borough ITesl-
dent Gresser's office. in Queens, VIII De
thoroughly reorcanized. LaNity. inef1-
ciancv and even worse would seem 10 be
Indicated in the report OF the Commissioner
Of Accounts. who recommends that Inc
fscte included III this report he forWasue"
10 the District Attorney for such acuoh
a may he possible.
n(ot only i the work Of the topoErapnlcal
bureau far behind. but. according 1" '''e
re,,or;. most Of the final sections OF me
mans already completed show examples OF
grades established in opposite oiTect"nS 10
tn grades OF the sewers, so that when the
sewerage system II ultimately projected Il
Mil urobablv necessitate the establishment
Of 7,ev, grades and unlimited amendment OF
the MAPS.
The ,,-na,i goes into the relations al john
A4y1.a,,etIin and Of the Metropolis En-
,,oeorin~ Company with the Typographical
bureau. Since 1909. lp 10 few weeks ago,
Mir NcIaughlin was a consulting engineer
for fhe Borough al Queens at an annual
salary of S69e6. In this capacity he had
caneTaI supervision over the work Of the
bureaus of sewers and highways and ot
.he tapographicai bureau. His name did
not appear on the regular payroll and he
vas paid out of The contingent fund
Active in Private Work.
..4,ur4ng has incumbency "a consulting
.rsinoer.' declares Commissioner Fosdick
n. his report --he appears TO have been
actively engaged in conducting private
engineering business. the Metropolis En-
-;neerIng Company. organized IN 1908. being
-. name of his concern. This company
was appa rently organized to take over the
business Of The : II. Mclaughlin Com
l.snv. an earlier organization :. n. Me
J.aslghlin IS 4 brother of John J. Me
1.aughlin.'
After pointing out 1aat Mr. Mclaughlin
position a. consulting engineer not Only
~ ought him into touch with The intricatIes
Ct tbs, topocraphicaI bureau. but gave him
direct control over its plans and policies,
Commissioner Fosdick saws: This KNOW
edge and control coupled with the absence
OF tentative and final maps. made the ser
vices Ct the Metropolis Engineering Com
7.anv not only desirable, buJ in some cases
positively necessary ia the development OF
large tracts
William n Yale. q real estate man. tes-
74ned before Mr.. F7osdick in regard 10 Mr..
Mclaughlin: We thought he was nearer
lie Borough President In fact. some one
told rs he was: and If We had our work
done by him ii would receive the stamp of
approval. and he would know in advance
what the plans were. SO they could he laid
out accordingly
For this reason. Mr.. Yale said, he was
willing 10 pay Mr Mclaughlin more than
an ordinary engineer
Mclaughlin Concerns Influence.
our examination OF the developers OF
7,roperty.'' reads the report. brought out
5Ie fact that. while they were satisfied with
the ability and experience Of the engineers
whom they had originally employed, they
we're compelled. through influence over
" hich they had no control. TO engage the
Mclaughlin concern. This applies 10 near
IL every lIrge development which has taken
place in this borough within the last three
years
Commissioner Fosdick declares that The
Mclaughlin concern had access to all the
field notes. table maps and other data both
puaiic and private. in the Typographical
Bureau. something that no other surveying
concern could get
Further than this, Commissioner Fosdick
took testimony tending 10 show that maps
which : IL. Mclaughlin had been hired IL
do had been done in part by regular en-
Iioyes Of the Typographical Bureau. Bor-
ouEh President Cassidy issued the first
order for lS7 draft damage and benefit maps
| in 1855. Since that time FIVE different orders
had been issued TO :. H. McI.aughlin-two
10y President Bcr1nel and three ny Pres-
don't Gresser-al1hough Commissioner Eos
could have been done by the boroUgh's
rf-lLlr S-aff