New-York tribune., 1910-02-16
COM MISSIONERS GO
MAJOR GUSTS WHOLE
4QUEDUCT BOARD.
Names Ne7o Commission and
Tells 1t to Wind Up
WOrk at Once.

Mayor Gaynor last night exploded |
mine under the Aqueduct Commission
Not having power to abolish the COM
mission, which ,1as created by an act
of the Legislature in 1888, the Mayor re-
moved the commissioners, appointing
new men, with instructions to wind up Its
affairs at once and report the compile
tion of their work. Under the act such
report will automa -icaliy end the exist
ence of the commission, which in recent
years has been a source of expense Will
out any adequate return to the city.
The commissioners removed were John
F. CoWan, president, and John ]. Ryan
Democrats, and William II. Ten EcSh
and John P. Windolph, Republicans
The men appointed are J. Noble Hayes
and Michael Furst, Republicans, and
jeremiah r. Mahoney and Ernest Har-
vier, Democrats. To them the Mayor
wrote:
7 have fully explained to you my pur-
pose in appointing you. namely. to nave
you close up the affairs of the Aqueduct
Commission forthwith, and report that
its work has been completed, thereby
ending its existence and your own ofhclal
term in accordance with the status
which provides in sum and substance
that such commission shall cease TO eA'
ist on the completion of its work
The work which the commission was
created to do by the said act of 1888
j. G. of collecting and impound1ng water
in Westchester and Putnam Counties,
known as the Croton water supply, was
substantially completed a good many
wears ago, and there has been no excuse
since that time for the commissioners
not so reporting and ending their off,
cial existence.
They have been doing trivial things
ever since. or seeking to stir up things TO
do which latter they are industrlouslY
doing now, in order TO make pretence
that their work is unfinished. Mean
while they have been costing the
city the useless expense Of about S5Ut.-
coo annually for high office rents, their
own salaries and those of their encourage
OF engineers secretaries, etc. such eN-
pense was even S224,2II3 53 last year,
The Mayor expects the new commission
To wind up the affairs of the organization
in a month or six weeks.
MAYOR SOUGHT ADVICE.
As the commission was q bi- partisan
beard. neither the Democratic nor the
Republican organiza tion wished to in
troduce bill at Albany to lesislate it
ont of existence. Mayor Gaynor, de-
Gliding that the Board of Water Supply
and the Department of Water Supply
were fully able to carry on any work
tpetT-rr,1e z=so oued,Ict t-t7In1r7isSion might
think was in its province, consulted the
Corporation Counsel as to how he might
get rid of Wat he considered useless
body.
After a careful study of the statute
and the charter the Corporation Counsel
advised the course taken last night. He
holds that the Mayor has the power OF
removal over the Aqueduct commission
ers in the first six months of his office
the me as over other commissioners
appointed by him. under Section 81 OF
the charter without the formalty OF
preferring charges.
Although the old commissioners mad
reason to suppose that the Mayor was
contemplating some move against them.
the order of removal served on them last
night by Lieutenant Kennel, of the
MAYORS staff came in the nature of
shock. Each has drawn salary OF
$4,000 a year
Mr.. Cowan is a former Tammany
leader OF the old 34th District. He was
defeated three years ago by Perc1Val T.
NagIe. the present leader of what is
now, the south end of the Goth District.
John J. Ryan, the other Democrat.
vas personaI friend of ex-Mayor Van
UvcL John P Windoph was formerly
the Republican leader of the old 18th
District William H. Ten Eyck is Re
n,,hlican leader of the south end of the
32d District He was at one time chair
man of the Republican Executive Com
mittee All the commissioners had
served since January, 1893. except Mr..
| rowan. who was appointed by Mayor
| Mcclellan IN 1905
The new commissioners are lawyers.
| except Harvier Mr.. Hayes was a men,
| her of the laws delay committee. Mr.
FIRST has frequently been commended
bv Mayor Gaynor as the ideal condem-
nation commissioner, having been
member of the commission which put
| through. the widening of Livingston
| street, Brooklyn. in record time.
Ernest Harvier was he'd of the Demo-
| cratic Union which started in as mem
! her of the fusion conference, but later
withdrew and nominated ticket of its
| own. with Mr. Gaynor at the head. He
was a member of the commission which
! had charge of constructing the viaduct
| of the New York Central Railroad
| through Harlem.
| Mr.. Mahoney was for some years the
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