New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-03-29

William Barnes, ir., John f. LINDSAY
George Haswell and william n. S. Sanders,
The chief OF these was Mr.. Barnes, whose
refusal to answer questions as TO the col
lection from the state by his paper, The
Albany Evening Journal" Of sums FOR
printing which had not been done by his
paper. and as TO commissions from othAr
papers for state printing done by them, and
as 10 his acquisition Of stock in the J. E.
Lyon Company, which does a large share
OF the public printing, was taken TO the
courts and finally decided in Mr.. Barnes g
favor by the Court OF Appeals on a divided
vote The other cases were delayed by MS
case and were not carried further.
The report says that the business meth
DDS OF Albany city officials, by which large
sums OF interest are lost 10 the CITY, Illus
| trate practices in Albany which. II nor CO.
IusivA are Az least very profitable to the
/ friends Of public officials In business ana
politics" The hank balances are SHOWN 10
he unreasonahl large when the loss OF IN
terest IS considered, and the city debt IN
| creased about IS per cent in seven years or
! by S11H,42s72
IN Investigating the Mayor OF the city,
lanes II McEwsn. the testimony me re-
| port states. proved his connection with a
| coal company which receives 10 cents a
ton on all coal the company sells in Albany
and. in addition. ~ cents q ron on all "'ai
! that passes through the COMPANY coat
pockets" the company being connected
With the Delaware & Hudson Railroad
! COMPANY and owning two coal pocke's.
The rerort rehearses Mayor McEwens con-
rAotion with the Heidelberg Cement com
panv. the Municipal Gas COMPANY the NC
Even coal Company and rho r. Pawn
Sons Tobacco Company, all Of which tur-
uiah supplies 10 the city, There rs no pub
lie bidding Tor the coal and tobacco con
tracts THE committee charges Systematic
cross violations Of the Law on the part 81
the Mayors subordinstea.' and condemns
the settled policy OF segregation OF vice
Sinister Financial Practices.
AZ 70 the Controller. the report saws It
was testified that securities were not 'e'
noe,ted I'm accordance with the require
! r,ents'' Of the resolutions of the Board Of
Estimate and Apportlonment; that over
drafts against the city funds were made
warrants being drawn for Improvement
when Tn fact no special funds for these
! improvements were In existence sn' tna'
| the sinister pra ctices that we have pointed
out IN the financial department o. Albany
are uniustifed and insxcusable.'
The TESTIMONY az 10 the Gut that sec
| ,ion NJ Albany which IS devoted 20 pros
tirution. openly carried on, without moies-
tstion on the part Of the police or other
! officials Of the city" vas voluminous, in
con,royertjbIe and disgusting. IT was tes-
tiled that these conditions have existed
ever since the present Commissioner Of
Public safety has held ohice-aoout ten
-eare"
-rbc investigation II the Office Of the
! Commissioner of Public Works estanhsheo
! that that officer without any authority 80
FAR az the committee could ascertain USED
I the money OF the city IN laying consid-
cradle quantity OF pavement AZ cohsldei
abla errArse. outside Of the limits OF the
civ" and that there was =. universal VIC
l,,ioD" ~ the law g. to expenditures with
/ out public bidding
Public PRINTING Secret trust
After dealing m somewhat similar fash
! ion generally with the Board oil tducau''
the Board Of Estimate and Apporuohrue,'
and the Board ~ Contract and supply '"
all 81 which the Mevor appears TO nave
bAen the dominant figure on both SIDES os
,eusa of his connection with the coat com
many the gas COMPANY and the cement
cop,ran.- the committee took M the qnes'
ton Of printing. and here direct Folitca
comedian was found William Barnes, II.
! pAr,blicar state chairman and Reprblcar
leader IN the city and county of Albany
-
Journal Company. and he also owns one
fourth ~ the capital stock ~ the :. y
r.,.or Company. The public printing in fhl'
c'tv and county has developed into torn
! - rr'vate secret trust IN which Mr.. Bsrne'
Is y beneficiary Nth large interests III
not onI,. proits nv the public contract
-n,oh the Journal Company and the J. 5
LYON COMPANY have. but he also receive
p commission for public work done hv III
Argus Comranv On public contracts which
neitbar Of ms companies has And 20 Mr.
Barnes rrofts, coming and going 'Th'
gross expenditure Of public money in Al
tsnv for public printing is simply scan
dalyu-
n was clearl- proven that the Argu'
COMPANY I'D the printing work for tn
Common Council and vet paid the Journl
Ccmpanv IS per cent Of the amount u III
claims" .Ths Journal Company hal
rot the plant 10 do thie kind ~ work, am
deos not attempt f. one smploye ~ th'
Argus Companv testified that Mr. Barnel
dictated where the printing goes end thai
The Argus gives up 10 The Journal II
order % obtain the printing In 1910 th'
a., Argus Company paid the Journal Company
4 he a go NJ
The manager OF the Argus COMPANY ties
tined that for I've years last past "h'
Argus COMPANY printed for the Journa
Company duplicate copies If the various
parts Of these printed proceedings Cthe pro
ceedlnes Of III. Common Council" Thes'
duplicate parts. printed by the Argus Com
PAM from tbs original type from which Il
had furnished hundred copies OF the com
clere volume, were stamped with the i'm
print Of the Journal Company 60 as Z
make ~ talsel" appear that that company
had printed them. and were sold by III,
Journal Company - the city and charge
for as entirely new matter BY this ar
rangeruen, tho Argus Company receive
nearly twice the amount 81 IFS original bi,
for the work and paid the Journal Com
pany - per cent These transactions han
ipening year AFTER wear v'erc NJ course col
msive and anticipated" And Incidentally
Albany had 20 pay dearly FOR its publ,
printing The printing was also padded
by expanding or "loaAing' 90 that th,
cos' was increased from 22 Is 10 80 pei
cent for the benefit If the Journal Com
pany'
Officeholders IN Lincoln League
After paving attention TO the county Of
hcers the committee proceeds 70 toucl
again on matters political concerning IN,
Albany Lincoln League, formed IN 1875 sor
.. .tated IN lis certlhcatA ~ Lncnrnn.ati TIN