COMMISSIONERS OF

THE CITY

THE SINKING FUND OF

OF NEW YORK.

Proceedings of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund at a Meeting held at the Mayor's Office at 4 o'clock P. M. on Friday, January 11, 1895.

Present-William L. Strong, Mayor; John W. Goff, Recorder; Ashbel P. Fitch, Comptroller; Joseph J. O'Donohue, Chamberlain, and William M. K. Olcott, Chairman Committee on Finance, Board of Aldermen.

The Comptroller presented the following certificate of the appointment of Hon. William M. K. Olcott, as Chairman of the Committee on Finance of the Board of Aldermen :

OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN,
No. 8 CITY HALL,
NEW YORK, January 11, 1895.

I hereby certify that Wm. M. K. Olcott was appointed Chairman of the Finance Committee of the Board of Aldermen, at its meeting on January 8, 1895.

Which was ordered on file.

WM. H. TEN EYCK, Clerk Common Council.

On motion of the Comptroller, the Honorable William L. Strong, Mayor, was appointed Chairman of the Board for the ensuing year.

On motion of the Chamberlain, Richard A. Storrs was appointed Secretary.

The minutes of the meeting held on December 24, 1894, were read and approved.

The following communication was received from the Board of Docks in relation to the purchase from George H. Budke of certain wharf property on West street, near Perry street :

CITY OF NEW YORK-DEPARTMENT OF Docks,
PIER "A," NORTH RIVER, BATTERY PLACE,
NEW YORK, January 3, 1895.

Hon. WILLIAM L. STRONG, Mayor, and Chairman of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund :

SIR-At a meeting of the Board of Docks, held this date, preambles and resolutions were adopted offering to purchase from Jeremiah Pangburn, agent, the property of George H. Budke, on westerly side of West street, beginning at the intersection of the northerly line of Perry street, extended, with the westerly side of West street, and running thence northerly 89 feet 6 inches more or less, etc., for the sum of $450 per running foot front on West street, subject to the approval of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, as provided by law.

This offer was served upon Jeremiah Pangburn, agent, on Saturday last, and in case it is not accepted within ten days, it is the intention of this Department to transmit the papers to the Counsel to the Corporation, with the request that he institute legal proceedings to acquire the property by condemnation.

This Board therefore requests that no further action be taken upon the agreement heretofore entered into between the said Jeremiah Pangburn and this Department, which agreement is now before the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund.

Yours, respectfully,

ANDREW J. WHITE, President pro tem.

Discussion followed, in the course of which the Comptroller suggested that the Dock Department be requested not to begin condemnation proceedings until the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund could look further into the matter of this purchase.

The Chamberlain moved that the matter be laid over, and the Dock Department requested not to transmit the papers to the Counsel to the Corporation to institute legal proceedings for acquiring the said wharf property by condemnation until further notice from this Board.

Which was agreed to.

The following communication was received from the Commissioner of Street Cleaning for amendment to lease of premises No. 150 Elizabeth street (Minutes of December 18, 1894, page 569):

DEPARTMENT OF STREET CLEANING ---CITY OF NEW YORK,

NEW CRIMINAL COURT BUILDING,
CENTRE, WHITE, ELM AND FRANKLIN STREETS,
NEW YORK, January 7, 1895.

Hon. WILLIAM L. STRONG, Mayor, Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Sinking Fund :

SIR-I request the Board of Commissioners of the Sinking Fund to modify the resolution adopted December 18, 1894, consenting to and approving of the leasing by the Commissioner of Street Cleaning of the premises No. 150 Elizabeth street, by striking therefrom the sentence, with the privilege of a renewal for three years at the same rental," for the reason that the lessor is unable to give a renewal. This was understood at the time the premises were selected.

Respectfully,

W. S. ANDREWS, Commissioner of Street Cleaning.

On motion of the Chairman of the Committee on Finance, Board of Aldermen, the request was granted, and the Commissioner of Street Cleaning authorized to take the lease without privilege of renewal.

The following communication was received from Judge George L. Ingraham, calling attention to the serious inconvenience in the work of the Court of Oyer and Terminer that has arisen in consequence of the use of rooms in the New Criminal Court Building by the Health Department and the Department of Street Cleaning :

SUPREME COURT-JUDGES' CHAMBERS,
NEW YORK, January 11, 1895.

SIR-I understand that the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, who have authority to designate the departments that shall occupy rooms in the Criminal Court Building, have given to the Health Department and to the Street Cleaning Department offices in this building. I have now been holding a Court of Oyer and Terminer here for upwards of two months, and I wish to call the attention of the Board to the serious inconvenience in the work of the court that has arisen in consequence of the use of the rooms for the departments named.

At times large crowds assemble about the court building looking for employment in the Street Cleaning Department, so that it is almost impossible to get into the building. The trial of criminal cases requires a large number of jurors and witnesses, who are compelled to attend the various courts held here, and it is the cause of much confusion and serious inconvenience to have a court-room surrounded with hundreds of persons seeking to obtain employment, making it difficult for jurors and witnesses to find the room to which they are called.

There has also been much complaint of the fact that in this court-house, which many people are compelled by law to attend, the Health Department should be engaged in cultivating and examining cases of the most contagious diseases, and thus exposing those compelled by law to come here to such diseases. I have been informed that the physicians in charge of these departments of the Health Board have stated that this position is entirely improper for the purpose for which they use the building.

I certainly have no desire to cause any additional expense to the City, nor prevent the rooms in the basement of the court-house from being occupied for municipal purposes; but in view of the purpose for which the court-house was built and is now used, it seems to me that the two departments that have been allowed to use this building are the two that cause the most serious inconvenience and interference with the court work. I understand that the Recorder has had some practical experience since he has been here of the effect of these uses of the building, and I hope that some arrangement can be made by which the present interference with the court work can be avoided.

I take the liberty of addressing this to you as Mayor, and asking you to present it to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund. I have the honor to be, etc.,

GEO. L. INGRAHAM.

To his Honor the Mayor.

Discussion followed, participated in by all the members of the Board.

Whereupon, on motion of the Chamberlain, the Mayor, Recorder and Comptroller were appointed a committee to examine and report upon the subject.