New-York tribune., 1921-06-19
Failure of Hylar1 Aids 10
Present Proper Facts
i'm Condemnation Case
Assailed by Comptroller
$4,000 Too High,
Company Admitted
Court, However, Not In
formed of Facts, Made
Award for $3.50, $50

Comptroller Charles L. Craig re-
newed his attack upon the Hylan ad-
ministration's financial transactions
yesterday, and in a letter to the
Sinking Fund Commission charged
that by an award for the purchase
Of the New York and East River
Company's property the city would
be forced to pay more than 100000
above its actual worth.
The operation of the ferry, which
piled between East Ninetieth Street
and Astoria, Queens, was permanently
abandoned by the company December
20, 1920. The city already owns the
ferry slip formerly used by the COM
pany on the Manhattan side of the
East River, and the property in ques-
tion is located in Astoria. The city
brought condemnation proceedings to
acquire the property.
The award recently made in the Su-
preme Court, Brooklyn, before Justice
Kapper, allowed the ferry company
$230.750 for the real estate and build
lLEo az aSlOIld- uc DOdIu O4 ESIl-
mate had appropriated s45, 900 for the
purchase of three ferryboats. Accord
ing to the records of the Board of Esti-
mate, quoted by the Comptroller, the
company offered to sell both the ferry
terminal and the ferryboats for $227,-
900 in August, 1920, and the proposal
was rejected by the city.
Opposed s17o,O0o Valuation
The Comptroller charges that in 1919,
after the ferry had suspended opera
tion, the company fled an affidavit in
proceeding brought by the Corpora
tion Counsel to compel the company to
continue, in which the company set
forth that the ferry terminal was as
sessed at s68, 600 and had been ap-
praised at $4,000, and the ferry boats
had been appraised at $4,000 addi-
tional, making a total of S170,000,
which, the company swore, ''to be more
than fair and reasonable value of said
assets"
The difference between the COM
pany's own estimate of valuation and
the award, including the additional
900 for the boats, would be $lo5,-
750
1T appears from the transcript Of
the stenographer's minutes of the trial
before Mr. Justice Kapper that neither
these proceedings, was brought to the
attention of the court" said the Comp
troller
The mandamus proceedings to com
pei the company to continue operation
were brought by the Corporation Coun-
sci in January, 1919. Apparently the
ferry company attempted a change of
front when it became a question of
fixing values for the purpose of con-
demnation proceedings this year. The
minutes of the latter proceeding, ac-
cording to Comptroller Craig, show
that the company called an expert,
Charles J. Farley, formerly employed
in the Dock Department, who testified
that the value of the property to be
taken was $2S2,457. Another expert
testified for the company that the val
ue was s2S4.456.
Worth SI910oo, Experts View
The city called an expert, Martin
McHale, who testified, after qualifying
as an expert, that the market value
of the property taken was $191,000
T. Allan, who qualified as a builder
and estimator, and testified that the
value of the structures was $92, ,666.
The Comptroller said that he had
suggested to the Corporation Counsel
that an appeal be taken from the
award, and understood that such an
appeal had been filed. The Comptroller
submitted his statement to the Sink
ing Fund Commission for consideration
before final action should be taken
toward paying the award or using the
money appropriated for the ferry
boats.
Corporation Counsel John P. O'Brien
was much incensed when the Comp
troller's statement was called to his
attention. He declared that the state
ment was prejudiced and did not in
clude all the facts