Dutchess County, 1933-1939

Dutchess County 1933.39 PSF Dutchess Co THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON 11/5 1933 MEMO FOR THE PRESIDENT: Vincent Dailey say that Thompson called him from Hyde Park. Feels a little hurt be- cause he has no money for the election. Dailey says he hasn't any funds and thinks we can salve him down after the election. Dailey does think, however, that if some- body could come Increased across with $500 or $1000, it might put Thompson in a swell frame of mind. MHM Pul "4 15° The have and THE siso chr V 350 a on w to 2/3 pm nov MHIT HOODE AIRMAN HOMER W. QUERNERY SECT COUNTY COMMITTEE DUTCHESS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE ROOM " BARBAYON BUILDING as MARKET ST. N. N.Y. MissLeHand TELEPHONE ⑉ Y Office County HP Chairman youther co November 15, 1933 Colonel Marvin H. MoIntyre White House Washington, D. C. My dear Colonel MoIntyre: Kindly permit me to take this opportunity of expressing many thanks for the generous con- tributions through you from President Roosevelt. May I advise that I gave the check of $150.00, for the Town of Hyde Park, to Harold M. Clay, of Hyde Park, and the other check of $350.00 I applied to our County Campaign fund. Will you kindly express our thanks to our mutual friend, President Roosevelt, for these generous contributions. May I assure you that they were very welcome and helped us out wounderfully in our Campaign. With kindest personal regards, I remain Sincerely yours, James Townsend, Chairman JT BC JAMES TOWNSEND PSF Dutchess County COUNTY CHAIRMAN HOMER W. GUERNBEY SECT COUNTY COMMITTEE DUTCHESS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE BOOM - BARDAYOR BUILDING as MARRET NT., N. Y. TELEPHONE .... Office County Chairman may 5, 1934. The President of the United States Honorable Franklin D. Roosevelt The White House Washington, D.C. Dear ..r. President: Te have been watching with a great deal of interest during the past few months the activities of our Congressman, Hamilton ish and his antagonistic attitude toward the Administ- ration. Furthermore we believe that his attitude has not been entirely satisfactory to the voters of his district. It 1a my belief that at this coming election, there is n possibility of elect- ing the right kind of a Democrat. However, it must be a person who can ably represent his constituents and also must be able to help materially to finance his own CD paign. In thinking about the matter, I am reminded of the fact that in ti conversation with you last summer, you suggested my calling on Mr. Herbert Pell. I have been unable up to this time to find him at home at Hopewell Junction. If after giving this watter some thought, you should feel that Xr. Pell is possible timber for this position, would you be willing to 00 unicate with him? If however, you think him not suitable and have any other suggestions to make, we will be very much pleased to hear from you. Have felt perhaps that it might be possible to get Mr. Vincent Astor interested in the selection of a condidate. Te would greatly appreciate a reply at your earliest possible convenience. same, I remain Thanking you sincerely for Very sincerely yours James Townsend. AMES TOWNBEND COUNTY CHAIRMAN HOMER W. OCERNERY SECT COUNTY COMMITTEE DUTCHESS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE ROOM as BARDAYON BUILDING as MARKET ST., TELEPHONE ⑉ psF Office Comy Chairman N. Y. entry (I) polay December 3, 1934 Hon. Franklin D. Roosevelt, President White House Washington, D.C. Dear Ar. President: Kindly permit me to make a much belated acknowledgement of your contribution in the amount of One Hundred and Fifty Dollars (8150) for the Town of Hyde Park. This money was turned over to ar. E. Thomas Killmer, Chair- man of the Hyde Park Democratic Committee. With many thanks and with kindest personal regards, I sm Sincerely yours Townsend country PSF D (s) January 18, 1935. Dear Jim:- The President has your letter and 1s doing his best. Do not, of course, bring him into it in any way. Very sincerely yours, LOUIS McH. HOWE SECRETARY TO THE PRESIDENT Hon. James Townsend, Dutchess County Democratic Committee, 25 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, New York. PRIVATE January 18, 1935. Dear Herbert:- I know, of course, that many of the com- plaints by our Democratic friends are wholly unjustified, and, after four years of personal experience, that the Highway Department is reasonably free from political influence. Nevertheless, this being in my own county, I am interested in the fact that apparently the only farm to market road that is to be built in the county 1s in the town and through the property of the Republican County Chairman, Senator Bontecou! As you know, our engineer in Poughkeepsie has always been very definitely a Republican and, though he is an excellent engineer, his social and other affiliations are extremely close to Bontecou, to the rich Millbrook crowd -- all Republicans -- and to the Amrita Club in Poughkeepsie -- not all Republicans, only 97t%! If you check this up with the Highway Department you will be told that it is a pure coinci- dence. Don't bring me into, it for the love of Heaven! For four years I tried to get roads in Dutchess County for Democratic towns, but for years they were all built in Republican towns. May you have better luck! As ever yours, His Excellency Herbert H. Lehman, Governor of New York. doss TOWNSEND HOMER w. GUERNBEY COUNTY CHAIRMAN serv COCITY COMMITTEE DUTCHESS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE ROOM ⑉ BARDAYON BOILDING as MARKET ST., M. Y. TELEPHONE ⑉ Office County Chairman January 16, 1935 Miss Grace Pulley White House Washington, D. C. My dear Miss Pulley: It has been suggested to my by the Hon. Vincent Dailey that I communicate with you and ask you to personally deliver the en- closed letter to His Excellency President Roosevelt. Be assured that your kind attention to this matter is great- ly appreciated. Very truly yours James Townsend AMER TOWNSEND COUNTY CHAIRMAN HOMER w. GUERNEST - COUNTY COMMITTEE DUTCHESS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE ROOM " BARBAYON BUILDING as MARKET ST., POUGHHEPSIE, N. Y. TELEPHONE 1181 Office County Chairman January 16, 1935 President of the United States Hon. Franklin D. Roosevelt Washington, D. C. Dear Mr. President: Recently it came to our attention via the press that there is to be built, a Farm to Market road in Dutchess County. Upon receipt of this information I called on Vincent Dailey in New York and suggested that it seemed unnecessary and unfortunate to us that the State Highway Department could not select a road in some other part of the county other than in the Town of Wash- ington; and through the property of the Republican County Chair- man, Mr. Bontecou. After discussing the matter with Mr. Dailey, he immediately called Mr. Brandt, in Albany, on the matter and asked him to sub- stitute any other road in the county. Previous to that I called on Mr. Brandt personally and told him that in my opinion politics was playing a big part in the location of this road. He assured me that I was absolutely wrong; however, I have since learned from very reliable sources that it is just a repetition of the State Highway Department office playing with the opposition party. If possible, place yourself in my position for a short interval and have it suggested to you every day, by people on the street, of the hook-up between Bontecou and the Highway Department. To say the least, it is very hard to explain. If, in order for Dut- chess County to have this road, it must be in the Town of Washing- ton, then we would much rather not have any road at all and let it be built in some other county. It is only necessary to have pressure brought to bear on certain officials of the Highway De- partment to obtain such a result. I am ashamed to bother you with such a small matter but know- ing that you are familiar with the fact that our party has been discriminated against for years; and knowing that a word from you to the right people will give us this relief, I am taking the lib- erty of imposing upon you for this favor at this time. I assure you that your favorable consideration will be great- ly appreciated. With kindest personal regards, I am Very sincerely yours James Tormind James Townsend THE WHITE HOUSÉ WASHINGTON (2) January 16, 1935. MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT Vincent Dailey called me on the phone this morning to say that he has been in touch with Bennett and 1e now going to clear through Governor Lehman to make sure that there is no hitch. He said the appointment would go through in about two weeks. He then said while he was on the subject of Dutchess County he might just as well clear up several other matters. The first 18 in regard to a situation on the roads in Dutchess County. Mr. Townsend 1s sending you a memorandum about this. He said Fred Greene 1s coming down and will no doubt come in to see you and he wants you to take this matter up with him. Vincent Dailey says he has been trying to stop them from building a road through a Republican township but that the bids were opened yesterday. Vincent Dailey wants a letter from you to Dr. Parran - very prefunctory - as he wishes to take up the question of putting some Democrate into the State Hospitals in Dutchess County. sus MAILE Hanes THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON January 15, 1935. MEMO FOR MISSY Will you call up your old friend Vincent Dailey and say that I am very much upset because of the delay in carrying out the agreement to put in Mayor Spratt of Poughkeepsie as Tax Appraiser in place of Mylod. Tell him that Mylod and everybody else agreed to it and it has got to be carried out in good faith. Phil Mylod agreed to go out on July 1, 1934. Mark Graves 1s ready to do it. How about it? F. D. R. TELEGRAM The White House Mashington 14 PO JM 12 355pm Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Jan. 11, 1935. The President: Have heard nothing from our interview of Monday should have favorable action. James Townsend. TELEGRAM PSF Dutchers Country The White House hie (SC) (s) Mashington 41 WU JM 25 255pm Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Jan. 22, 1935. Louis McHenry Howe, Secretary to the President: Your letter received and understood. Greatly appre- ciate action on matter. Result of vital importance to future of Dutchess County. Please show message to him. James Townsend. THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON Private June 20, 1935. MEMORANDUM FOR HON. JAMES TOWNSEND I understand the present Director of the Division of Milk Control of the Department of Agriculture and Markets 1s a Republican. Also, I am informed that Dick Clemens is a candidate for this position. Is there any chance of getting a Democrat in as Director? F. D. R. Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt 6/9/35 from Mary P. Sheridan, Staatsburg, . Y. enclosing one to her from her brother in which he tells why 'r. Townsend, Chairman of the Dutchess Co. Committee will not endorse him for the position of Director of Division of Milk Control or the ept. of Agriculture and Markets at Albany. Says the man in this position at present as & epublican. Mrs. choridan believes that her brother, Dick Clemens, should be appointed to this position for the good of the Democratic Party. Inne I Jun pen June 9,1935. Staatshurg n.y Dear Mrs. Rooserell, after having heak heard the excellent of Mrs. Leach, and we should do in her telling us what order thold next the party the that election, it was through for I hope you as Rhoda our dear Huildy Prediding it may be through and he seeme to. have so many from you the inclosed inent people ass information, reach and may isting has been in he might see strumental in having when talking to many Lee the farmule he is the only Mr. Towngend why Democratic He was my the state new. one who will term at election part here of the to vote, Could not endorse my not and get believe that frocher. Please don't think is one off ction Mr. I am entering into Townsend raised will Perhape give some the incloyed in good reason it of than has the party this for any the forgnation. sorry to qn- may you is with for this the votes something with said as the farmer a Party not my brother to he reckoned that I am writing and I you will to this for me. Sincerely yours mary A. Sheridan Please eat. m.L THE ONONDAGA SYRACUSE NEW YORK June 9, 1936 LS car mary: divish to call your attention to the fact that me Townsend chairman of the D uteluss bo committee takes the position that he miel not endorse me for the hosition of Director of D uasww of with leontrol of the D eft of agrientture he has aumoned that will not and markets at albany but block my appointment if offered the host. The american agriculturist" magazine in the issue of June 8th carries Peter an interesting article by J. Fee G. Jen E. yeh referring to Kensile the present director. It states that Fee is a Rehuolican in a IS emocratic admistration and other interesting facts IN THE He is SYSTEM satisfactory NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. THE ROOSEVELT HARRISBURG, PA. THE PENN-HARRIS AKRON, OHIO. THE PORTAGE PHILADELPHIA, PA. THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ALBANY, N.Y. THE TEN EYCK FLINT, MICH. THE GURANT SEATTLE, WASH. THE OLYMPIC SYRACUSE, N.Y. THE CHONDAGA TUCSON, ARIZ. EL CONQUISTADOR BOSTON, MASS. THE BRADFORD ROCHESTER, N.Y. THE BENECA IN CANADA NEWARK, N.J. THE ROBERT TREAT NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. THE NIAGARA TORONTO KING EDWARD HOTEL PATERSON, N.J. THE ALEXANDER MAMILTON ERIE,PA. THE LAWRENCE WINDSOR THE PRINCE EDWARD 2 THE ONONDAGA SYRACUSE NEW YORK. to the new Commissioner but at the some time the brice to be haid the dairy faimer of this state for milk delived in may of this year nice he the loust me hand for that correshonding shooth since Control legislation was blace on the seatute in 1933. any group of farmers brown as the allied Independent book. due and myself hand been insistant in one demands for Federal bouthol over Inter- state mich and the Nail. adminstration at Hoslington are the to conduct a bublic hearing Ishale attend and uphold the on rualler at This June 13. adminstration & m Kelly by have and a local The Owondaga benty chairman banker by occupation sent for me last wich and assured me that IN THE SYSTEM NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. THE ROOSEVELT HARRISBURG, PA. THE PENN-HARRIS ARRON, OHIO. THE PORTAGE PHILADELPHIA, PA. THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ALBANY, N.Y. THE TEN EYCK PLINT, MICH, THE CURANT SEATTLE, WASH. THE OLYMPIC SYRACUSE, N.Y. THE ONONDADA TUCSON, ARIZ. EL CONQUISTADOR BOSTON, MASS. THE BRADFORD ROCHESTER, N.Y. THE SENECA IN CANADA NEWARK, N.J. THE ROBERT TREAT NIASARA FALLS, N.Y. THE NIAGARA TORONTO KING EDWARD HOTEL PATERSON, N.J. THE ALEXANDER MAMILTON ERIE,PA. THE LAWRENCE WINDSOR THE PRINCE EDWARD 3 THE ONONDAGA SYRACUSE NEW YORK. he and the men of his harty Democrat) mee socialy in favor of my selection for the D rectors job. so has hird muchael Lundigan head of the Dem. nwoen of the same county. dar Kelly also gase ne assmrance of the support of the D'bounell group of albany bounty. I was at Frankfort sy yestarday and called there upon Dac Bette Keely resides and he Dem. committee He has already is chairman of the Herkiner Co. indorse me in writing to you. Chman and because the appointment has not come through he suggested to me that he go to see the your together with I'm Kelly from Ouondaga and the O'bonnel men from ebang county. None of etase men em at all satisfied with Feleman's selection of Peter Jen s yele now me IN THE SYSTEM NEW YORK.OTY, N.Y. THE ROOSEVELY HARRISBURG, PA. THE PENN-HARRIS AKRON, OHIO THE PORTAGE PHILADELPHIA, PA. THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ALBANY, N.Y. THE TEN EYCK FLINT, MICH. THE DURANT SEATTLE, WASH. THE OLYMPIC SYRACUSE, N.Y. THE ONONDADA TUCSON, ARIZ. EL CONQUISTADOR BOSTON, MASS. THE BRADFORD ROCHESTER, N.Y. THE SENECA IN CANADA NEWARK, N.J. THE ROBERT TREAT NIABARA FALLS, N.Y. THE NIAGARA TORONTO KING EDWARD HOTEL PATERSON, N.J. THE ALEXANDER MAMILTON ERIE,PA. THE LAWRENCE WINDSOR THE PRINCE EDWARD 4 THE ONONDAGA SYRACUSE NEW YORK. made the appointment. There is they consulted when the Gorernor sufficient reason for etuse men warty leaders of state wide reputation) being in that regly frame of mind con this prominet as on every hand in each of thine such as Fee are lither hold one or receiving new appointments. This nice surely he detrimental to the barty in the fall campaign and loss of the Legislature if not corrected may had to the Democrate harty at of The farmers as mee as the mich dealers do not want do Fee and they and the bosses/hotical close friendship for the risident Iful want blemens. priving your t is your holital duty to call this slorming condition to his attention even the if do not succeed in oftaining appointment mentioned IN THE SYSTEM NEW YORK.CITY, N.Y. THE ROOSEVELT PHILADELPHIA, PA. THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HARRISBURG, PA. THE PENN-HARRIS SEATTLE, WASH. ALBANY, N.Y. AKRON, OHIO, THE TEN EYCK THE PORTAGE THE OLYMPIC SYRAÇUSE, N.Y. FLINT, MICH. BOSTON, MASS. THE ONONDASA THE DURANT THE BRADFORD ROCHESTER, N.Y. TUCSON. ARIZ, THE SENECA EL CONQUISTADOR NEWARK, N.J. THE ROBERT TREAT PATERSON, N.J. NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. THE NIAGARA IN CANADA THE ALEXANDER MANILTON ERIE,PA. THE LAWRENCE TORONTO KING EDWARD HOTEL WINDSOR THE PRINCE EDWARD 5 THE ONONDAGA SYRACUSE NEW YORK. insted to allend and sheak at During the hast month I was an open form meeting at the young Rehublican blue inLine falls. and 9am informed by such Men as Ruliard bounelly Corporation Someil of that city (Democrat) who actended the meeting that I did D emocracy a great good by being there as I was most landltory in my praise of Pres. Roosenett and others Irefused to comment whom Peter Ten Eych. This city mentioned above is in is still greaty in favor of my selection are that chairmen Doctor Keley Herhiner ks its so you can beainly for & rictor This place Degret that Sharent a copy of the Luite Feella Times which relm my shuch over right columns in their haper New Batum as some Deteless les prohagandist is trying to make IN THE SYSTEM NEW YORK.OTY, NY. THE ROOSEVELT HARRISBURG, PA, THE PENN-HARRIS AKRON, OHIO. THE PORTAGE PHILADELPHIA, PA. THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ALBANY, N.Y. THE TEN EYCK FLINT, MICH. THE DURANT SEATTLE,WASK. THE OLYMPIC SYRACUSE, N.Y. THE ONONDAGA TUCSON, ARIZ. EL CONQUISTADOR BOSTON, MASS. THE BRADFORD ROCHESTER, N.Y. THE SENECA IN CANADA NEWARK N.J. THE ROBERT TREAT NIASARA FALLS, N.Y. THE NIAGARA TORONTO KING EDWARD HOTEL PATERSON N.J. THE ALEXANDER MAMILTON ERIE,PA. THE LAWRENCE WINDSOR THE PRINCE EDWARD 6 THE ONONDAGA SYRACUSE NEW YORK material material of the fact that Ishoke at such an open form. Your Jen E you amounced at the last much advisory meeting of which board I am a member that is going to continue the present board for the coming are 15 members on the board 11 of year. For your information there which are still Republican In conclusion l mise to advise that Iregut deeply the attitude taken by mr. Jorknernd in our county as I am reliably informed that the entire D utchess bo Dem, g reciuing This apportment but chose b ownither are in favor of my other men mentioned have no me and charged to them objection to the for being given to your loving brother Did Elemen IN THE SYSTEM NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. THE ROOSEVELT HARRISBURG, PA. THE PENN-HARIS AKRON, OHIO. THE PORTAGE PHILADELPHIA, PA. THE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ALBANY, N.Y. THE TEN EYCK FLINT, MICH. THE DURANT SEATTLE, WASH, THE OLYMPIC SYRACUSE, N.Y. THE ONONDADA TUCSON, ARIZ. EL CONQUISTADOR BOSTON, MASS. THE BRADFORD ROCHESTER, N.Y THE SENECA IN CANADA NEWARK, N.J. THE ROBERT TREAT NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. THE NIABARA TORONTO KING EDWARD HOTEL PATERSON, N.J. THE ALEXANDER HAMILTON ERIEPA. THE LAWRENCE WINDSOR THE PRINCE EDWARD == TOWNSEND Sutches Co. PSF HOMER W. OCERNERY SOCHTY CHAIRMAN SECT COUNTY COMMITTEE DUTCHESS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE ROOM IF BARDAYON BUILDING as MARKET ST. POUGHHERPSIE, N.Y. PF TELEPHONE ⑉ Office County Chairman July 3, 1935 Miss Margaret LeHand White House Washington, D. 0. My dear Miss LeHand: On the President's last visit to Hyde Park I called on him and we discussed a matter pertaining to the Department of Agriculture and he suggested that he would call Commissioner Ten Eyok that day regarding it. I expect to see Mr. Ten Eyok the first of next week and I would very much like to know that the President has contact- ed him before I go to see him. Owing to circumstances I am compelled to take some immediate action as to my future and I am anxious to know that the President will contact Mr. Ten Eyck before the first of the week, when I expect to see him. Won't you kindly write me and let me know at your earli- est possible convenience 8.8 to whether or not he has done so? Very sincerely yours P.S. Would like to hear from you by Saturday if possible. James James Townsend Tomisend Thank you. J.T. DEZIOCK /OWNSEND HOMER w. GUERNERY SUNTY CHAIRMAN SECT COUNTY COMMITTEE DUTCHESS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE ROOM " BARDAYON BUILDING as MARKET ST., POUGHKKEPSIE, N. Y. TELEFHONE ⑉ Office County Chairman July 9, 1935 President of the United States Hon. Franklin D. Roosevelt White House Washington, D.C. My dear Mr. President: Since my recent talk with you at your Hyde Park home I have suffered a very serious loss to myself and family which of necessity makes my expenses greater and after having called on Mr. Ten Eyok yesterday and he told me that you had not yet 1 contacted him I am compelled to resign as County Chairman as I feel it is a greater load financially than I can carry. I am notifying Vincent Dailey asking to be released at once. I shall keep my office open a few days to close up some matters. While in Albany yesterday I had the opportunity of con- versing with the Governor regarding the Spratt-Mylod matter and to my great surprise find that he is the one who has been holding up this change. To the Democrats who have been active for the past two years and who are familiar with Mylod's past 1 connections with the Republican party it is beyond me to jus- tify the Governor's action and in my opinion whatever gains we have made for & clean Democratic party in Dutchess County will be lost if Mylod 1s not immediately removed. I want to express my appreciation of the very generous cooperation given me during the last two years by both yourself and Mrs. Roosevelt. With kindest regards, I am Very sincerely yours James Townsend presinal STATE OF NEW YORK PSF. the 8TH COUNTIES - DISTRICT DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS - File Dutchers COLUMBIA FRED'K STUART GREENE OUTCHESS SUPERINTENDENT ORANGE PUTNAM EIGHTH DISTRICT JAMES 5. BIXBY, DIST. ENG. ROCKLAND ULITER PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD WESTCHESTER P. 0. BOX 831, POUGH KEEP BIE, N. Y. POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y., Dec. 23, 1935 Colonel Fred'k Stuart Greene, Warrentown, Virginia. My dear Colonel:- Last Thursday I called at your office to give you a report on the road situation in Dutchess County, and having in mind that you will be away until after the holidays and that Warrentown is near Washington, it seems that perhaps I should give you this report by letter instead of waiting until your return to Albany. Probably Assistent Commissioner Lawton has reported to you that we carried out our assignment for the discussion of road matters in the Town of Hyde Park with apparent appreciation on the part of the Supervisor, and recently I discussed the construction of the Hyde Park-Wurtemburg-Rhinebeck highway with Surrogate Daniel J. Gleason who has for several decades spoken with considerable authority with regard to the sentiment of the majority party in this County. Mr. Gleason informed me that while he was no dictator of party position on public matters, it had been an established policy in this County not to allow political considerations to interfere with State road matters. On the other hand, he and the other officials of this County are convinced that you and the Highway Commissioner handle State Roads in the same manner, on a business basis, and without political considerations, so that with this standard of practice in mind he feels sure the County will desire to take & cooperative position on any construction allotment made by you and the Highway Commissioner. If this allotment for 1936 covers all of the Hyde Perk-Wurtemburg-Rhinebeck highway he believes that he is safe in assuring you that right of way maps will be received without objection by County representatives and that negotiations will be immediately started for the acquisition of necessary right of way. However, as there are about thirteen (13) miles of highway involved in this project, nearly all relocation, he states frankly that it might take all of this coming year to negotiate for the right of way on a basis which the County can efford, as it has been agreed for some time among the County leaders that its bonded indebtedness yexis semi TRADITS SIVIE DE mane of HOW Colonel Fred'k Stuart Greene Page #2 Dec. 23, 1935 of one and three-quarter millions shall not be increased, in spite of the unusual cost of relief, making it necessary to take care of highway appropriations out of current revenues without selling bonds or unduly increasing the tax rate. To buy rights of way for thirteen miles of road within 8. short period is a large order under these conditions, especially as there is some much desired reconstruction on route 22 on the other side of the County, where the old road is so unsatis- factory that through treffic is leaving route 22 to travel through Connecticut. Therefore, if the property owners on the Hyde Perk- Wurtemburg-Rhinebeck highway cooperate in releasing right of way at reasonable prices, this project can probably be released for letting during 1936, but if high prices are demanded or condemnation must be resorted to, probably this road cannot be built even with honest co- operation on the part of the County. If this latter situation develops, the motives actuating the County representatives might be suspected by some but I personally am convinced that this road will be treated on a strictly business basis, the same as any other. I might add that several years ago the Highway Commissioner offered to build the Billings - Poughquag highway, another road on the construction program, the location of which involved no political angle whatever, but this construction offer had to be declined by the County after right of way negotiations because of the excessive cost of the land Park-Wutemburg-Rhinebeck takings. highway will be put under contract during It, therefore, appears likely that whether the Hyde 1936 depends almost entirely upon what general cooperation can be secured from local property owners in the release of right of way. Very truly yours, J. S.BIXB JSB:EN DISTAICT give ENGINEER P. S. Attached is editorial from the Poughkeepsie Eagle with reference to the recent rumor of your resignation, which you will probably consider as somewhat unusuel coming from 8 newspaper in this city. J.S.B. PSF: Dutchess County POUGHKEEPSIE MAY Junior Chamber of Commerce 14 THE 8 WHITE 55 HOUSE 57 MARKET STREET EDWARD L. SCHRAUTH, Jr. CLARENCES RECEIVED CRAUER President SAMUEL ROSEN May 12, 1938 . Treasurer Recording Secretary ROBERT G. HILL P.S. Financial Secretary Hon. Franklin D. Roosevelt Hyde Park, New York Dear Sir: The Junior Chamber of Commerce, interested in the civic affairs of Poughkeepsie, has taken the respon- sibility of having the main thoroughfares of Pough- keepsie suitably decorated with college pennants and banners during Regatta Week. We feel that this will help add new life to a grand historic institution, the Poughkeepsie Intercollegiate Regatta. The city administration, through the Common Council, has placed in the 1938 budget the sum of $5,000, for the Regatta. This appropriation which was formerly raised by public subscription, to which you have been giving, will provide for the basic requirements of the Regatta. We are counting on you to do your part in helping us to put the Regatta over. Contributions should be made payable to and mailed or delivered to the Junior Chamber of Commerce, 57 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Thanking you for the support, I know you are going to give us, I remain, Most cordially yours, JUNIOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Edward L Schrauth Jr. Edward L. Schrauth, Jr. President. ELS:BCK Gen Core carrer 2 PERSONAL May 19, 1930. Dear Irvin:- I gather from the press that every community in the State of New York is trying to got some of the $30,000 appropriated for the celebration of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of New York's ratification of the Federal Constitution. You are the Doctor, but do please remember that New York's retification took place at Poughkeepsie! I an really interested not only because the actual place of ratifi- cation seens fairly important but also because By great-great-grandfather was one of the leading proponents of the retification. Enough said! As ever yours, Nonorable Irwin Steingut, 66 Court Street, Brooklyn, Nom York TREASURY department PROCUREMENT DIVISION issue OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR WASHINGTON May 27, 1938 3 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT: (Courtesy of Miss Tully) PSF Re: Rhinebeck, New York P.O. It is understood that the President desires to see the working drawings and specifications for the proposed Post Office building at Rhinebeck (which are now ready to be advertised) before the work is actually placed on the market for bids. The work will be advertised as soon as the Procurement Division 1s informed that the design, etc., as shown by the drawings, are satisfactory to the President. The names and addresses of the bidders will be furnished the President, as requested, just as soon as the bids are opened which will be about 30 days after approval of the design by the President. The competition for bids is open to any builder who may apply. The architect, Mr. R. Stanley-Brown, will communicate with Mr. Kannee at the Nelson House in Poughkeepsie early on the morning of May 30 for instructions as to whether he shall meet the President at Hyde Park or at Rhinebeck and at what hour. Mr. Stanley-Brown will be available at any time, and he will have with him all the working drawings and specifications. Included in a memorandum to the President under date of May 11, 1938, was the following: ***** attention is invited to the wish you expressed some time ago to have a legend-stone built into the exterior wall giving a brief description of the origin of the design of this building. In discussing this matter you gave & general idea of what you wished to have expressed on the stone and the following lines would seem to carry out that idea: 'This building (except the rear) is a replica of the exterior of that part of the Beekman House Is the constructed near Rhinebeck in A.D. 1700 by Hendrick Kip. Stone from the original structure has been UK used in the construction of this building'." If a decision has been reached in regard to this inscription, we would appreciate being informed of the President's wishes in the matter. The name and address of the contractor for the Federal building at Poughkeepsie is Silberblatt & Lasker, Inc., 25 West 45th Street, New York City. Director of Procurement TREASURY DEPARTMENT PROCUREMENT DIVISION FFICE OF THE DIRECTOR WASHINGTON July 6, 1938 h-r MEMORANDUM TO THE PRESIDENT: Re: Bids on Rhinebeck The bids on Rhinebeck were opened on the first of July and there is hereto attached & synopsis of the ten bidders. The lowest bidder, Thomas F. Moran & Sons Inc. of Waterbury, Connecticut, quoted such a low figure as to raise doubt as to his ability to satisfactorily ful- fill the contract. Investigation is being made as to his ability to perform prior to award of the contract to him. It is somewhat disappointing that the local builders from the vicinity did not enter the competition despite efforts to encourage them. Proposals were forwarded to 49 firms and agencies in advertising the job with the result above indicated. Director of Procurement 'SIS OF PROPOSALS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE POST OFFICE AT RHINEBECK 1 YORK, ALTERNATE PRICE A.-For substituting shingle tile in lieu of asbestos shingles for all pitched roof surfaces as shown and specified. No. Guar. 2% Bidder Amount. 1. B.$1500. Thomas F. Moran & Sons Inc. $42,578.00 41 Welton Street A.add 160.00 Waterbury, Conn. 2. B.$1200. Balsamel Constr. Co. $50,980.00 1 Anderson Road A.add 550.00 Bernardsville, N.J. 3. B.$1400. Sofarelli Bros., Ino. $52,643.00 Jamaica, N.Y. A.ded 500.00tel 4. B.$1100. Bergen Essex Constr. Co. $53,127.00 Belleville, N.J. A.add 176.00 5. 0.$1200. Vanguard Constr. Corp. $57,790.00 415 Lexington Ave. A.add 140.00 New York, N.Y. 6. B.$1600. Samuel Plato $58,900.00 Kokomo, Indiana. A.add 180.00 7. 0.$1300. Fred R. Comb Co. $59,989.00tel 2113 Chicago Ave. A.add 175.00 Minneapolis, Minn. 8. B.$1500. D1 Sandro Brothers $64,990.00tel Providence, R.I. A.add 160.00 9. B.$1400. Albert & Harrison Inc. $67,400.00 New York, N.Y. A.add 150.00 10. 0.$1350. The English Constr. Co., Inc. $68,324.00tel 157 Plain Street A.add 145.00 Lowell, Mass. We certify that the above were all of the proposals received before, and each was publicly opened commencing on the hour stated in the advertisement for the above project. : : TREASURY DEPARTMENT Procurement Division Public Buildings Branch Opened 1:00 P.M. July 1, 1938. HNG Report of R. Stanley-Brown (A) PSF Wappingers Falls, N.Y. and W. Plath Dutco. September 8, 1938 "Ne interviewed Mr. Rice, the Pastor of the Episcopal Church, who is Chairman of the Board of Vestrymen, concerning the acquisition of a portion of Zion Park, owned by the Church, as a site for the proposed Post Office building. Mr. Rice expressed himself as being opposed to having the church give up any part of the property, but said that if it became necessary to do so, he would like to see the Government take a portion, fronting on Main Street, extending to South Avenue, so that the Church would retain 6. strip along Satterloe Avenue. He stressed the desirability of preserving all the trees on the property, and of interfering as little as possible with the park effect of that section of the town. "Re then proceeded to Poughkeepsie, New York, where we interviewed two other Vestrymen, Mr. Ronald F. Bogle, who is also Attorney for the church, and Mr. Fred Smith, who is County Clerk of Dutchess County. Both of these gentlemen expressed themselves as being opposed to having the church give up any part of Zion Park. "Mr. Bogle said, however, that it was 8. matter that ought to be decided by the parish- ioners and asked if & drawing of the proposed building would not be provided which might be exhibited in the church, where people could see 1t, and then be allowed to express their opinion as to the desirability of having it in what is now Zion Park. He further stated that if the Government felt it necessary to take & portion of Zion Park, he would suggest that condemnation proceedings be instituted, which could then be settled out of court. "Mr. Smith stated that while he was opposed to the project, that if the Government felt that no other site was available, that he would not be disposed to obstruct the sale of a portion of the property, provided the building could be so placed es not to injure the church site, or to destroy many trees. "We then proceeded to New York, where we interviewed Mr. Willis W. Reese, who appears to be the most influential of the Vestrymen. Mr. Reese expressed himself as being much opposed to having the church give up any portion of Zion Park. He asked if there were no other available sites in town. Mr. Plath explained that the only other reasonably usable sites which were offered were along Mill Street, where the topography was not ideal, the west side of the street sloping downward to the creek, whereas the east side runs into an embankment. Mr. Plath also advised Mr. Reese that the sentiment of the citizens north of the creek would be for Site #15 in the event the church failed to offer part of Zion Park. Mr. Reese then said that if the church had to give up a portion of Eion Park he would pre- fer to see the Post Office building so placed that as few trees 6.5 possible would be destroyed and so that the church would retain E. strip of land between the Post Office building and Satterlee Avenue, which was in accord with the suggestion of Mr. Rice. "All four Vestrymen we interviewed wished to have the matter postponed until all of the twelve Vestrymen could meet which they said would be early in October. Mr. Rice, Mr. Bogle, and Mr. Reese suggested that it would be of advantage if Mr. Plath and myself were present at the time of this meeting, to answer any questions that came up. "All of them spoke with considerable approval of the design proposed for the Post Office building and said they were glad the Government intended to erect & building carrying out the Dutch tradition of Dutchess County." R. Stanley-Brown Consulting Architect. E. Plath Post Office Inspector to file Dutating PSF Co September 39, 1938. MEMORANDUM FOR ADMIRAL PEOPLES I like the proposed design for the Wappingers Falls' Post Office 60 you can go ahead with that. In regard to the site - I, too, would prefer not to locate the Post Office in Zion Park but only on condition that Zion Church will agree to maintain Zion Park as a park and not to out it up in the future. In other words, it should be retained as an open space for & grow- ing community. The Post Office should be built on the east side of the Creek - not the west side. The Post Office should not be built on the side hill - in other words, west of Zion Park. The ideal spot for it is on Plot 424 if in addition we could get the south corner next to Reserve Place. Location #12 is not bad if the plot could be on- larged. Another good site would be the corner on East Main Street, east of the Methodist Church and across Main Street from lot #12. -2- If I am at Hyde Park next week, I would be glad to have your man come up there and I shall try to arrange to have Mr. Reese go with us to look over the properties. TREASURY DEPARTMENT PROCUREMENT DIVISION OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR WASHINGTON September 28, 1938 MEMO. TO COL. MARVIN H. VC INTYRE: Re: Enpoingers Falls The President is personally interested in the matter of the site and design of the proposed build- ing for Wappingers Falls. The situation is 68 net forth in V one page nenorandum attached, Inst para- graph. I would greatly appreciate if I could see him for not more than two minutes either here, or If you prefer, at Poughkeepaie - Ryde Park. Director of Procurement TREASURY DEPARTMENT PROCUREMENT DIVISION OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR WASHINGTON September 28, 1938 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT: Re: Progress report for Wappingers Falls, N. Y. Twenty-five proposals, per list attached, were received by the local Postmaster July 28 offering sites for this project in response to advertisement. The sites offered are located in various parts of the village, and as E whole are not considered very desirable by Post Office Inspector Plath. One proposal was submitted by Harold J. Walker, local real estate agent, offering the property known as Zion Park owned by Zion Episcopal Church. Accompanying Walker's proposal is an authorization signed by P. Alverson and R. M. Hunter, who considered themselves a minority committee of the church board, authorizing submission of the property for"a mini- min price of $25,000". Upon objection, however, of Mr. Ronald Bogle, 8 nember of the church board and attorney for the church, Mr. Walker withdrew the proposal. The only other site of possible consideration was offered by H. K. Guernsey, at $20,000, but not considered desirable due to high price, topography, and unattractive surroundings, is located on the east side of Mill Street about 200 feet north of Main Street While the citizens of Wappingers Creek will agree to the location of the proposed building on the Zion Park property, they feel that in the event the Church refuses to sub- mit the Park, or a suitable portion thereof, that the building should be located on Site AS offered by H. J. Walker at $15,000, and located at the extreme northern limits of the village. In view of the differences of opinion on the part of the Vestrymen, Architect Stanley-Brown and Post Office Inspector Plath jointly visited Wappingers Falls on Tuesday, September 6, endeavoring to straighten the matter out and to obtain a reasonable offer for the property. Report attached marked "A". The total amount available for the project is $77,000, and to construct a building containing the square feet of space desired by the Post Office Department & maximum of $15,000 only can be allowed for the property. There is hereto attached a map showing the sites offered, and a photostatic copy of a rendered draving prepared by Architect Stanley-Brown of which four of the Vestrymen spoke with considerable approval as carrying out the Dutch tradition of Dutchess County. The situation, therefore, seems to be dependent upon the meeting of the Church Board at their meeting early in October. In the meantime, however, it is believed that the design of the proposed building should be definitely decided so that & sketch thereof may be made, indicating verious locations of the building on Zion Park, es requested by certain members of the Church Board. Director of Procupement Wappingers Falls, N.Y., P.O. September 9, 1938 Authorized Limit of Cost under Construction Program, £70,000 . Act approved 6/21/38 Additional Amount allowable under 10% Augmentation Provision 7,000 Maximum Amount available for Site, Building & General Expenses $77,000 Estimates Allowable Ground Area 3400 s.f. Net Space Provided (Postal) 2600 s.f. Major Contract for Construction $47,000 Site-Maximum amount available 15,000 Reservations: Lock Box Equipment & Freight $3,150 Exterior Lamp 100 Shelving 250 Cash & Stamp Drawers 200 Planting 200 Furniture Lighting 250 Testing Materials 350 4,500 General Expenses: Drawings and Specifications 2,000 Office Expenses 2,000 Superintendence 2,000 6,000 Furniture 2,000 Contingencies 2,500 Total Estimated Cost of site, Building and General Expenses $77,000 The above estimates based on 8. part unexcavated ground floor, one story and part two story building with exterior walls of uncoursed field stone. BIDS RECEIVED AT WAPPINGERS FALLS, NEW YORK BID NO. OWNER OR AGENT LOCATION DIMENSIONS ASKING PRICE 1 H. J. Walker S/S Franklin 47' X 110' Agent 3 4,500 110' east of Market 2 H. J. Walker 3/8 Franklin 43' X 110' Agent 5,000 75' east of Market 3 H. J. Walker S/S Franklin 73' X 108' Agent Opp. Market 6,000 4 H. J. Walker N/S Prospect 50' x 137.5 Agent 5,500 100' east of Fulton 5 H. J. Walker S.E. cor. 62' x 112' Agent Market & 12,500 Fulton the 6 H. J. Walker Zion Park Approxi. Agent 25,000 300' X 300' 7 H. J. Walker N/S Main bet. 50' X 95' Agent 15,500 Mill & Spring 3 H. J. Walker S/S Main bet. 50' X 117' Agent Satterlee & 5,500 Resevoir 9 H. J. Walker w/s M111 bet. 50' X 100' Agent 4,000 Main & High . 10 H. J. Walker S.T. cor. 71' X 250' Agent 9,800 Main & Market 11 H. J. Walker W/S Mill bet. 111' X 100' Agent 11,000 Main & High 12 H. J. Walker N.E. cor. 126.5' X 163' Agent 12,500 Main & Messier 13 H.J. Walker N.E. cor. 50' X 150' Agent Main & West 14,000 Main BIDS RECEIVED AT WAPPINGERS FALLS, NEW YORK - 2 - BID NO. OWNER OR AGENT LOCATION DIMENSIONS ASKING PRICE 14 H. J. Walker N.E.cor. Main 100' X 100' $ 10,000 Agent & School 15. H. J. Walker S/S Main bet. 100' x 300' 15,000 Agent Church & West 16 H. J. Walker N.W.cor. Main 80' X 150' 8,500 Agent and West 17 Estate of N/S Main bet. 100' x 160' 7,000 B. Gilmore School & West Owner 18 H. W.Guernsey E/S of Mill 137' X 150' 20,000 Agent bet. Main & High 19 H. W. Guernsey S.E.cor.Mill 210' X 150' 23,000 Agent & High 20 H. W.Guernsey N.E.cor.Market 193.5' X 221' 25,000 Agent & Franklin 21 H. W.Guernsey S.W.cor. Main 228' X 128' 25,000 Agent & Gibens 22 H. W. Guernsey W/S of Mill bet. 135' X 95' 23,750 Agent Main & High 23 H. W. Guernsey E/S of Market 185.5' X 74' 27,000 Agent bet. Main & Franklin 24 Mary E. E.Carroll S.E.cor. Main 50' X 115' 14,000 Owner & South 25 Sweet-Orr E/S of Mill 112' X 160' 30,000 & Company bet. Main & High st r REMSEN AVE (NORTH) REMSEM N MAIN 12 MESICR AVE. (NORTH) MESIER ST. MESIER EAST METRODIST CHURCH 24 PARK ST. RESERVE PL. PARK X.C.P. SPRING ST 6 PELHAM ST. I I - 0 7 ST. L. SATTERLEE AVE. s ANDREWS PL. 19 18 25 ZION CRURCH DEPARTMENT MILL ST. BRICK II 22 9 ROW BANK MAIN 23 LAKE B,C. + MARKET TO ST. 20 2 13 3) 4 P.O. 0 pros DE 5 GIVENS AVE 21 SCHO 04 FOY AVE. ST. 14 WAY n is PAUR CF WALL k DRIVE AVE 1092 15 16 VILLAGE OF- 5th AVE 32 1 it AVE WAPPINGERS - FALLS- New YORKBLEACHERY is G ,Y 111 BIO w DUTCHESS PSF October 1, 1938. Dear Mr. Rice:- 1, too, hope that the Post Office Department will not find it necessary to take 21om Park even though, as I understand it, some of your Vestry rather favor the idea. I think it is important that if the Post Office does not take it - for it is without doubt the best site - Zion Church should make the property a permanent park so that 1t will not be sold for business purposes in the future. I hope to drive down to Wappingers Falls next week to look over other properties. Very sincerely yours, Rev. Maxwell V. Rice, Zion Church, Wappingers Falls, New York. 0020pes ⑈ ZION CHURCH WAPPINGERS FALLS NEW YORK September 29th 1938 my dear Wr. President, Zion Clrusch Park, given by her Irving grimell and Wr. William P. Clyde in 1907 for the protection of Zion Church, is being sought by the Post office authorities as a site for the very well designed new Post Office for Wappingers Falls. The Federal Inspector of Post office Sites seems determined how ver to place the building on the land purchased by Wr. grinnell and Wr. Clyde for the sole purpose of protecting the Church from any building. As you know. this property has been made note a beautiful park fn the village. and because of the unplied trust benefit r No Chunch and undeed of the Entire it has never been offered for sale at any price. ZION CHURCH WAPPINGERS FALLS NEW YORK It may interest you that our Sevin Warden, her. W. Willis Reese, happened lomet a few days ago Wrs. Perey R. Pyne, who is as you remember a nrice of Wrs. grumell, and told her of the desire of the Post office Department to oblaw part of this Park. She said ahe buew Uer. and wro. grumiall would feel terribly if the land were built upm. I fact that you will appreciate beenly the moral obligation involved in itis gift, and a therefore renture to ask that you will use your great niflunnce loadvise itu Post office authorities to choose another site. 2. shall always gratefully remember your own interest and your mo ther's is our Parish Centrumial four years ago. and I cannot refrain from sending you our profound gratitude for your splendid messages toth European powers ui the interests of hum anity and of Psace. 10 its high regard and faithfully yours Maxwell whice file that Ict 8, 1938 Dear mr President:- for the Courtesy you many thanks extended to me this morning m der the Con ditions which now exist I believe that if Colonel blark could wire me the message he telephoned to me on last Saturday, The the affect that he world not stand for a change of architects at this help me at the meeting late date. it would materially on Tens day when we expect the architects to make the selection of I am hoping that or account of the resistance which developed this morning that you will not permite the allocation of Grantmories on this Project until we have definitely selected the architest who will meet with the approval of the Federal government For your infromation after we looked at sites my opposition Tried to pursuade the representative of the State Dept to elimate the school in Hyde Park village This however was an couraged by him, due to the promises they had made in public I will be very further in this m matter, glade to confer with you should you care to telephone or write to me before you have for Washing ton with best regards I remain authur Sincerely Ed White RSF Dutechers TREASURY DEPARTMENT Co. PROCUREMENT DIVISION OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR file WASHINGTON October 24, 1938 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT: Re: Wappingers Falls We were all delighted with your decision, as contained in your memorandum of the 21st, and we will proceed at once to close with the owner of Site No. 24-1.e., the property located at the southeast corner of East Main Street and South Avenue, and lying across south Avenue immediately to the east of Zion Park - the site on which is located the garage on the corner and 8. vacant space between it and the fence to the southwest. Jeoplexplex Director of Proçurement. NAPPINGERS FALLS- & N ST. NEW YORK. REMSEN AVE (NORTH) REMSEM AVE MAIN ST. 12 MESICR AVE. (NORTH) MESIER AVE. EAST METRODIST Coorace ST. F 5 MESIER 24 RESERVE PL. prospect EAST ACADEMY ST PARK ST. PARK SOUTH I CXP SPRING ST 6. PELHAM ST. H I - 0 7 ST. is SATTERLEE AVE. s CHURCE ANDREWS PL. 19 18 25 ZION ST. STATE MILL ST. BRICK ROW It 22 $ BANK ACADEMY ST. T. MAIN CLAPP LAKE MARKET 10 ST. 20 I N is B+C 3 4 pros PECT 9 5 AVE. GIVENS-AVE WEST 1H SCHO 01 21 FULTON 3 FOY AVE. ST. x, SWAY w? 1 s st PULLE 3 FF WALL w K DRIVE ED. AVE is DUTCHESS AVE 16 it AVE WE w ST 1 AVE BLEACHERY DUTCHESS it I .Y Y PIDE w DUTCHESS 3 AR psr October 25, 1938. My dear Dr. Alvut:- I am interested in your letter but I can see from it that you have not all of the facts in regard to the situation in the Town of Hyde Park. For example, from the very beginning I have personally favored exactly what you are talking about - a great central unit covering grade and high school students, this unit to be placed near the center of the township, 4.0., somewhere in the vicinity of East Park. This also was Mrs. Rundall's distinct preference. You doubtless know what local feeling is. The people down in Fairview in- sisted on their own grade school. The people in Hyde Park village insisted on their own grade school. If a vote for centralisation near East Park had been held, the project would have been overwhelmingly defeated. The result was a vote for three schools. Because I happen to believe in de- mocracy and not dictatorship, I have gone along with the vote, though I have said before that I wanted one central site - not with twenty-five or even one hundred acres, but with two hundred acres, so as to make of it eventually a complete community center with swimming pool, golf course, etc., etc. In regard to an adequate site near Hyde Park village for a grade and high school, there just is not any. The two big estates on each side of the village are in the hands of trustees and are for sale as a whole - and if you know the geography of the township you will realize that it would probably be & mistake to put a central school on the New York-Albany Post Road, especially as there are phans for taking gare of a large annual increase in bus, truck and passenger car travel. Furthermore, the Post Road section of the town will probably not grow in population, whereas the center and eastern part of the town is very defi- nitely growing each year. I am glad of your interest in the problems of rural and suburban education. My interest in them began when I first went to the State Legislature in 1910. Very sincerely yours, Dr. Edmand J. Alvut, Supervising Principal, Pine Plains Central School of the Central School District No. 1, Pine Plains, N. Y. PINE PLAINS CENTRAL SCHOOL OF THE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT No.1 PINE PLAINS, N.Y. SOMUND de ALVUT, SUPERVISING PRINCIPAL October 20, 1938 The President Hyde Park on the Hudson Now York Dear Mr. President: A fellow citizen and Dutchess County neighbor, I am writing you also as an educator in the interest of the children of your town and neighboring community (Hyde Park). Having followed the Poughkeepsie newspapers very closely and having talked and dis- cussed your school situation with several people in your pro- posed district, I am taking the liberty of writing this letter to urge you to use your influence for the constructing of two instead of three schools in your proposed centralization. Hyde Park should have a combined grade and high school, from grades one through twelve. Fairview people are very will- ing that this high school unit should be located in Hyde Park and that the Fairview children should be transported to Hyde Park Incidentally, we have two large busses making trips of twenty miles morning and night, four which travel sixteen miles, and two which travel twelve miles. No have had no objections from the parents on this score. Of course, you would not have half this distance to travel in your centralization, and the people would readily become accustomed to this system, as have our people. State rules usually prohibit the construction of & separate auditorium as opposed to the inadequate flat floor combination auditorium-gymmasium, unless the school has an initial registration of eight hundred and fifty. It would be very regrettable to pro- hibit your community from having this auditorium, which could be used as a community center as well as a school auditorium. It is also an extravagant waste of money to construct three schools, which, under proper conditions, indicate three separate gymnasiums, three health rooms, three principals, three health nurses to examine the children on entering school in the morning, either three music teachers or one music teacher who would devote approximately one fourth of her time traveling between the three PINE PLAINS CENTRAL SCHOOL OF THE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT No. 1 PINE PLAINS. .Y. EDMUND - ALVUT, SUPERVISING PRINCIPAL - 2 - schools, and many other duplications of & similar nature. However, I an not 50 much concerned with the one hundred to one hundred seventy five thousand dollars that might be saved by the construction of two schools, as I an with the benefits of which the children of your communitywillbe forever deprived. Modern education utilizes auditorium activities extensively. Witness the program being done at Nyack, New York, by Miss Frye. When a school has a combination gymmasium-auditorium such as we have in our own school, it ultimately is used exclusively as eith- or a gymnasium or an auditorium, thus depriving the children of the benefits of one or the other of these facilities. I understand the people of Hyde Park and the people of Fair- view are both agreeable and favorable to the erection of two schools. The only obstacle seems to be in the securing of a. proper site. (Incidentally, the construction of the two schools instead of three schools would not only pay for this auditorium but would also save 8.8 much noney as the auditorium would cost. May I earnestly plead with you to use your influence to se- cure a proper site within reasonable distance of Hyde Park? Is it too much audacity to suggest that B. portion (say fifty acres) of some of the beautiful sites along the river, adjacent to and including your own estate, be made available, whether at a reas- onable price or as a gift, to the community? Some of these people would undoubtedly be willing to benefit the community in this manner. The purpose of this letter is not to be meddlesome in anyone else's affairs, but as a doctor is interested in the health of the people in his community, as an educator I an interested in the education of the children in our community. The plot should contain at least fifty acres in order that the children might have ample freedom and plenty of room to carry on activities such as they might be able to use in later life. For example, we need more of golf, bowling, archery, tennis, badminton, swimming, and such sports as people enjoy PINE PLAINS CENTRAL SCHOOL OF THE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT No. 1 PINE PLAINS, N.Y. ROMUND do ALVUT, SUPERVISING PRINCIPAL - 3 - in recreation and leisure in their after life, as opposed to such sports as football, basketball, and baseball, which (with the possible exception of football) I do not oppose as inter-school contests, but which have not value and are impossi- ble as leisure time activitie in later life. You are doubtless aware that the Van Hornesville Central School (Owen D. Young's home) has two outdoor swimming pools, one sixty by twenty-five feet, with a depth of three to nine feet, and a smaller, shallow pool for beginners. One of the requirements for graduation from this school is that of being able to swim. You doubtless know that a new central school is being formed at Salisbury, Connecticut, which has a plot of one hundred twenty five acres. Dr. N.L. Engelhardt, nationally known education- al consultant and Professor of Education at Columbia University, tells us that we need approximately one hundred acres for E. modern high school, if it is to fulfill the needs of preparing the children for proper citizenship. Your deep and sincere interest in the formation of this school district has been noted by people of Dutchess County through newspaper reports. With your aid and with the marvellous Federal Grant, your Central School district and building should be the finest in New York State. Wappingers Falls is doing & parallel project to that of your community at the present time. They are concentrating their entire sum of money on one magnificent unit. May I frankly say that three small units would compare very unfavorably with one such unit, and that you personally will share in the condemnation laid upon you by the people when the two systems are compared? May I again urge upon you the necessity of positive and urgent action on this matter, to secure the fullest efficiency and the greatest good for the children and people of your communi- ty? Mrs. Rundall, District Superintendent of Amenia, is working very hard and conscientiously for the good of your town and county. PINE PLAINS CENTRAL SCHOOL OF THE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT No. 1 PINE PLAINS, N .Y. EDHUND 4. ALVUT, SUPERVISING PRINCIPAL - 4 - She is totally unaware that I an writing this letter, but I do not believe I shall meet her disapproval for doing the same, 8.8 I believe she favors a two instead of a three unit plan. I' assure you that I an at your demand at any time for B. conference with you and Mrs. Rundall, or with any representa- tive members of your community, at your convenience, if you care to have me go more in detail in regard to any matters contained in this letter. Thanking you as an educator and as a fellow citizen of Dutchess County for using your most important influence upon this matter, I am, dear Mr. President, Yours sincerely, E.J. Ahret E. J. Alvut P.S. In case it is impossible to obtain land by purchase or condemnation, why could not land be leased for a period of ninety-nine years, or by giving it for use as & school site as long as school is maintained in the building? When the building is no longer used as a school site, then 1t would be allowed to revert to its original owner. This has been the case with several of our rural schools in our own district, which we have just closed. EJA:VF PSF a file Dutohs THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON October 25, 1938. MEMORANDUM FOR JIM TOWNSEND Homer Guernessy is anxious to have a little additional work. He gets about $30.00 a month now from H.O.L.C. cases. Do you think we should give him occasional work for F.H.A. or U. 8. Housing Authority? F.D.R. PSF TELEGRAM Date file 5WUAB 27 N.L. The White House Mashington Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Oct. 28, 1938. The President: Hyde Park site and school voted Hairland site voted Fairview sites voted down. Talk with Board after vote. Board thinking will try to solve problem soon. Best regards. Arthur E.J. White. PSF FEDERAL EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATOR OF PUBLIC WORKS WASHINGTON October 39, 1938. CONF IDENTIAL MEMORANIUM for the President. Hyde Park Schools Colonel Gilmore reports this morning that at the meeting last night, a favorable vote was taken for the three schools. The sites selected for Hyde Park and East Park were those which you considered favorably. Two locations at Fairview were voted down but there will be another vote taken on the cleanest location next Saturday. It is evident that your talk with Mrs. Rundell last night had 8 very good effect because it took some of the stiffness out of the school board when you refused to turn the heat on Colonel Gilmore as they expected you to do. The State Department of Education is cooperating to the fullest extent and will furnish the Board with a list of ac- ceptable architects which will not contain the names of Schulter and Morris (the latter was formerly Knappe's partner and has since fallen out with him). We are trying to have Knappe retained as a consultant. E.K. Burlen E.K. BURLEW For the Administrator. TELEGRAM NA1107WUAB 69 N.L. The White House file Mashington Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Oct. 26, 1938. The President: Reference to our telephone conversation last Saturday. Meeting held this afternoon BWA representatives present. Opposition refused to take their advice 80 no action taken. Miss dook and Sluyter contracts taken to New York by PWA representatives. Hydepark Village petitioned board to go ahead with architect who filed the original application ignored -- Village stands strong against opposition and would rather decentralize than go ahead under these conditions. Arthur E.J. White. TELEGRAM WH Private Wire. The White House file Washington, D.C., Nov. 3, "ashington 2 WX 11-3-38. Con PSF Telegram for the President, Hyde Park. Hyde Park Board approved Sluyter for East Park Junior Senior High School without any consultant. Also approved Cook for Fair View. From the list submitted by the Department of Education of New York it selected Graham of Middletown for the Hyde Park Grade School. We have a recommendation from Colonel Gilmore for you. rescission of allotment. Will withhold action until I hear from E. K. Burlew, For the Administrator. PATRONS ARE REQUESTED TO FAVOR THE COMPANY BY CRITICISM AND SUGGETTION CONCERNING m SERVICE 12019 CLASS OF SERVICE This is a full-rate WESTERN SIGNS DL - Day Letter Telegram or Cable- NM - Male Manage gram unless in de- NL - Number Letter ferred character is In- dicated by . suitable sign above or preced- UNION LOO - Deferred Cable NLT - Cable Night Latter Ing the address. WLT - Wesh-End Latter NEWCOME CARLTON, PRESIDENT + c. WALLEVER, may VICE-PRESIDENT The fing time M abown is the data line - full-rate telegrame and day letters, and the time of receipt at destination - shown - all - in STANDARD TIME Received at QM11 15= AMENA NY NOV 22\910A Y MINUTES IN TRANSIT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT= FULL-RATE DAY LITTER LAST NIGHT BOARD VOTED ALL THREE SCHOOLS BE CONSTRUCTED OF FIELD STONE EVERYTHING PROGRESSING NICELY= MAUDE SMITH RUNDALL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. 823AM. file PSF Butehps WESTERN UNION GIFT ORDERS SOLVE THE PERPLEXING QUESTION OF WHAT TO GIVE PATRONS ARE REQUESTED TO FAVOR THE COMPANY BY CRITICISM AND SUGGESTION CONCERNING ITS SERVICE 12015 CLASS OF SERVICE This is a full-rate WESTERN SIGNS DL - Day Lener Telegram or Cable- NM - Night Manage pm unless Ics de- NL - Night Latter ferred character is In- UNION LCO - Deferred Cable dicated by a suitable sign above or preced- 1130. NLT - Cable Night Letter Ing the address. WLT - Week-End Lener NEWCOMB CARLTON, PRESIDENT J.C. WILLEVER, PIRST VIDE-PRESSENT The filing time - shown is the date line on full-rate telegrame and day letters, and the time of receipt at destination M shows on all manage, to STANDARD TIME Received at QM44 20= HYDEPARK NY NOV 22 200P PSF Du.Co MINUTES IR TRANSIT PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT= PULLIMATE DAY LETTER EVERYTHING COMING ALONG NICELY 1130 PM LAST NIGHT FIELD STONE WAS APPROVED ON ALL THREE WILL START SOON THANKSGIVING GREETINGS= :ARTHUR E J WHITE. 122P. WESTERN UNION CIFT ORDERS SOLVE THE PERPLEXING QUESTION OF WHAT TO GIVE STANDARD FORM No. 14A APPROVED BY THE PRESIDENT MARCH 10. 1926 FROM The White House file Mashington TELEGRAM OFFICIAL BUSINESS-GOVERNMENT RATES - - 45758 November 23, 1938 ARTHUR E. J. WHITE, ESQ., HYDE PARK DUTCHESS COUNTY NEW YORK DELIGHTED TO HEAR THAT GOOD PROGRESS IS BEING MADE AND I FEEL CERTAIN THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL BE PROUD OF THEIR WORK FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT file but.cs December 27, 1938. Dear Arthur:- I an glad that the excavation work has started and that the plans for the building are under way. You are right about the proposed fee for legal services. The simple fact is that it should be based on the work done by the attorney and not on any percentage basis. I do not believe the total mumber of hours spent on the legal work will total up to any large mumber. It is too bad about that garage next to the school. There seems to be no way to stop it, as there is no residential soning, but it 10 high time that the Town Board had a soning survey made because before we know it the main street of unattractive. the village, and the lots near xt, will be very By the way, in any soning plan there should be provision that no building recommended hereafter should be placed nearer than ten feet to the sidewalk line, 1.8., about twenty feet back from the ourb. the day will come when the Post Road through the village will have to be widened in order to permit parking on each side and three or four free lanes for traffic in between. Happy New Year to you all. Very sincerely yours, Arthur R. d. White, Esq., Violet Avenue, Hyde Park, Dutchess County, I. T. Dec 18,1938 Violet ave 1ty de Park n.y. Dear mr President:- I received y our letter of Dec. 15 with deep appreciation inwhich you give me a great deal of Credit for our new Central school project about to be started. I must state here that I taking as compared with the time and only took a small part in this under- efforts you yourself and others devoted towards this worthy cause. Bids were received on Dr.15 and work given to the lowest bidder subject to P.W.A approval for excavating on the Haviland site and Bradly site also demolition, grading and filling in on the Village grade school site. Bids were as follows. millbrook n of } 1ty de Park Grade School _4 990.00 E. toughtaling Lith grow sand & Usavel- High School - -2000.00 " " -- " Fairview -1900.00 These Contractors will start work on these projects monday. Dec. 19.1938 #2 Dec 18,1938 after bids were awarded mr Halpin asked the Board for 1½% of total cost of all three projects as his fee which I thought was outrageous. I told mr )dalpin that the Board would discuss this matter alone before rendering a decision to which he was agreeable. I immediately got in touch with mr Hennedy of P.M.A and put the matter up to him who notified bol. Gilmore of this abourd for mr Halpin until I am notified fee. I will not sign any contract will by P.W.S. as to what amount they pay 45% towards. another the Trun Board members is to stop matter which I am fighting with the construction of a garage on Kirchner Ave adjacent to our village school property This garage is for milk trucks, tractors, gasoline, ltc. mind you in a residential district and Elmer run Wagner told me that mr Halpin instigated and sold this property for 500 to the #3: Dec 18,1938 milk Concern for the pur pose of building a garage you would think, school board would have notified mr Halpin as attorney for the us on this sale in or der that we could have protected the school and the community. When I was told by some of the town board members that nothing could be done as there was no restrictions, Itd them that it was about time the Town Board got busy on zoning our Community to protect the peoples interests I am open for sug gestions and any. thing you can advise me to do to stop the construction of this noisy, eyesore, oil odor, garage next to our school will be greatly ap preciated To date all that has been done is the installation of water line into property. Kirchner Ave. Shool CArAgE POST Rd. PosT Rd. #4 Dec 18, 1938 In regards to the architectural I will indeavor to see what can be design on the village grade school done although mr stuyte is very cool towards me. also your suggestion on landscaping is a good one and we will bear it in mind. my next chirty is to get in touch with the board and the Architects inor der to hold down the cost of these projects which I am sure will be below the estimated lost. I Can assure you that mr Kennedy and myself are kuping a close watch on every thing and will keep you well informed as to what goes on. Iremain, Best wishes for the seasons greetings Very Sincerely yours, arthur E.d. white TABULATION OF BIDS AUTHORIZED OF No. THE STATE 2806 COORET OF NEW YORK STATEMED ARCHITECT ADDITIONAL Excavation, Rough Grading etc. for the Fairview-Viola School Town of Poughkeepsie, I. Y. P. W. A. Docket + N. Y. 1903-F December 15, 1938. Section 43 Unit Base Bid Certified Prices Bidder Bid Bond Check Thomas Bocchino Poughkeepsie, N. Y. no Bed DeStefano & Malo, Hyde Park, N. Y. m Bid Victor Costansi Inc. 42490 #2 Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 5% # / Lithgow Sand & Gravel Co., Millbrook, N. Y. 200 H.E. Millis, Amenia, N. Y. 5461 5% $300 J. H. Molloy, West Albany, N.Y. MBil Poughkeepsie, Sand & Gravel Co. Poughkespsie, N.Y. 278 5% 39cmgds 1. A. Shafer Const. Corp., $3152 Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 5% Spoor-Lasher Co., Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 4975 "150 This is to certify that the above is an exact and precise tabulation of bide received this fifteenth day of December, 1938, on Contract #1 P. W. A. Docket #N. Y. 1903-F, Section #2 Date of Bid Opening December 15, 1938. Clerk Board of Education TABULATION OF BIDS RECEIVED AT HYDE PARK, NEW YORK Project No-1903-F. Section 1 DECEMBER 15th, 1938 - For CENTRAL JUNIOR-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING AT EAST PARK, NEW YORK. CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1, TOWNS OF HYDS PARK POUGHKEPSIE, CLINTON & PLEASANT VALLEY, DUTCHESS COUNTY, NEW YORK. RO EERT R. GRAHAM - ARCHITECT - MIDDLETOWN, NSW YORK FOR EXCAVATION WORK Name of Bidder Address BASE BID COSTANZI, V. J., INC. 1-7 Brookside Avenue Poughkeepsie, New York $2,682.00 (2) J. A J. CONSTRUCTION CO., INC. 270 41st Street No Bid Brooklyn, New York LITHGOW SAND & GRAVEL CONSTRICTION CORP. Millbrook, New York $2,000.00 (1) MALOT, JAMES H., INC. R. F. D. A No Bid West Albany, New York MILLES, H. E. CONTRACTING 00??. Amenia, Now York $2,972.00 (3) ROCHS CONNELL & LAUB 3662 Shaw Avenue No Bid Cincinnati, Ohio SALTSMAN, W. G. Highland Mille $3,200.00 New York SHAFER, W. A. CORP. 3 Cannon Street $3,882.00 Poughkeepsie, New York From James Townsend file Under gus Tounsund PSF Dutchess Board of Supervisors Co. Butchess County 1939 In the Matter of The Investigation of the Office of the Sheriff of Dutchess County by a Special Committee of the Board of Supervisors of Dutchess Coun- ty, Appointed Pursuant to Resolution of That Board Adopted Dec. 6, 1938. REPORT of COMMITTEE PRESS OF THE BEACON NEWS Report of Special Committee to Inves- tigate and Report Upon The Office of Sheriff of Dutchess County. TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF DUTCHESS: The undersigned committee, appointed pursuant to resolution (No. 202-A) adopted by the Board of Supervisors of Dutchess County on the 6th day of December, 1938, "to investigate and report on all matters in relation to the discharge of his official duties by the Sheriff of Dutchess County and the presentation of any or all bills for the expenses of the Sheriff's office, and to examine any persons as a witness upon any subject or matter relating thereto", respectfully reports: Pursuant to the authorization in said resolution contained, your com- mittee employed Mr. Charles W. U. Sneed as Special Counsel. With the authorization of this committee, Mr. Sneed employed Mr. Nathaniel Rubin as his assistant counsel and Mr. Frank H. Ensign and Mr. Alfred E. Bourne as accountants. In February, 1939, counsel opened an office in the Dutchess County Court House and continued their private investigations and examinations through the months of February and March. The committee held open, public hearings in the Surrogate's Court Room at the Dutchess County Court House from the 4th day of April, 1939, until April 20th, 1939, and heard the testimony under oath of the witnesses called upon subpoena before the committee and also the testimony of the sheriff and many of his assistants. The stenographer's minutes of such hearings and the exhibits marked in evidence at such hearings are filed herewith. From the testimony and evidence so adduced, this committee has made certain findings and reached certain conclusions thereon, and herein makes its recommendations based thereon: Sheriff's Office and Staff. The office of the Sheriff of Dutchess County, as in all counties in the State of New York, is a constitutional office. Article 9, Section 5, of the Constitution of the State of New York pro- vides that the sheriffs of the counties shall be chosen by the electors of the respective counties once in every three years and as often as vacancies shall 1 happen; that the sheriff shall hold no other office; and is required to give security. A sheriff may be removed only by the Governor after a hearing upon charges. The present sheriff, Dwight R. Sedgwick, took office January Ist, 1937, succeeding Hiram C. Carroll, who held office from January Ist, 1934, to December 31st, 1936. The present sheriff, upon taking office, appointed the said Hiram C. Carroll under-sheriff. By Section 182 of the County Law of the State of New York, the sheriff is authorized to appoint so many deputies as he may deem proper, not ex- ceeding one for every three thousand inhabitants of the county. By the census enumeration of 1930 the population of Dutchess County is declared to be one hundred five thousand, four hundred and sixty-two (105,462), and pursuant to the provisions of the County Law above cited the Sheriff is given authority to appoint thirty-five deputies. Notwithstanding the above cited limitation by law upon his power of appointment, the present sheriff has appointed one hundred and eighty-four (184) deputies, who are still holding office, all of whom are appointed with full power except three appointed with limited powers. The last mentioned three are special deputies. The sheriff, in his testimony and by his statement, undertook to justify these appointments in excess of the number permitted by law, by stating that he deemed an emergency to have existed during his term of office, which, under Section 182-a of the County Law entitled him to appoint additional deputies. He stated that emergency to be the traffic conditions in the county and an emergency arising from the fact that a considerable quantity of milk was transported through the county. The provisions of Section 182-a do not, in the opinion of this committee, have application to the situation existing in Dutchess County; nor do they authorize the appointment of the deputies above mentioned. If there did exist such an emergency as would permit appointments of special deputies under Section 182-a, such appointments must be made for a limited period, as provided in that section. None of the above mentioned appointments were made for a limited period. It is the opinion of this committee that the sheriff has exceeded his powers in the appointment of deputies in excess of thirty-five. It is the rec- ommendation of this committee that the sheriff be instructed to revoke all appointments in excess of that number. Your committee has found that the sheriff in the selection and appoint- ment of deputies has made no inquiry or examination into their qualifica- tions; but has appointed as deputies such persons as are recommended to him, without regard to the record of the appointee, his character or other quali- 2 fications. In many instances the appointees were unknown to the sheriff when appointed by him, and some are not known to him at the present time. This committee recommends that the sheriff be required to carefully investigate all applicants for the office of deputy sheriff and in advance of their appointment to procure from each of them sworn answers to questions relating to such qualifications and to their previous records. By the appointment of a deputy sheriff the appointee, upon qualifying as such, becomes legally authorized to carry weapons and is not- required to procure any other permit or license to do so. Some of the present deputy sheriffs so authorized by their appointment to be armed could not otherwise have procured a license to carry weapons, for the reason that they have records of conviction of crime. In those instances where the sheriff desires to appoint a man who has a criminal record, for special work, such appointee should be designated a special deputy only and appointed for that particular purpose, to do par- ticular acts, under the provisions of Section 182 of the County Law. Such an appointment would not authorize the appointee to be armed. We recommend that the Board of Supervisors inform the sheriff that it will refuse to audit any bills for services rendered by any deputy sheriffs in excess of the number authorized to be appointed by law; and that the sheriff be instructed not to pay or to incur obligation to pay any deputies in excess of that number. Permanent Employees. In the division of the work of the sheriff's office there are three depart- ments or staffs: The Sheriff's Staff, the Jail Staff, and the Court House Staff. Sheriff's Staff. The regular employees of the sheriff's office and the annual salaries paid them are as follows: Incumbent Office Salary Dwight R. Sedgwick, Sheriff, $ 7,000.00 Hiram C. Carroll, Under-Sheriff, 3,000.00 (Office now vacant) First Deputy Sheriff, 1,900.00 Reuben Whisple, Deputy Sheriff, 1,800.00 John R. Hulsapple, Deputy Sheriff, 1,800.00 Martin Hicks, Bookkeeper, 2,250.00 Henrletta Diamond Stenographer, 1,200.00 $ 18,950.00 This staff, other than the sheriff and under-sheriff, is primarily engaged in the civil business of the sheriff's office and the keeping of such books and records relating thereto as are kept. 3 Jail Staff. The regular employees in the jail and the annual salaries paid them are as follows: Incumbent Office Salary Henry A. Wicker, Jailer, $ 2,250.00 (Suspended October, 1938) John P. Martin, Assistant Jailer, 1,650.00 John Von Knoblauch, Guard, 1,200.00 W. E. Morse, Guard, 1,200.00 W. G. Brower, Guard, 1,200.00 F. K. Gallagher, Fireman, 1,200.00 W. P. Clinton, Guard, 1,200.00 Frank Ross, Guard, 1,200.00 J. A. Millard, Cook, 1,200.00 Fred L. Leggett, Engineer, 1,750.00 Two Matrons at $3.00 a day 2,190.00 George Dieta, Assistant Jailer, 1,160.00 $ 17,400.00 (Note: Of this last employee the sheriff testified that the reason he had not made him a regular deputy sheriff was that he was a justice of the peace in the county and hence could not be appointed a deputy sheriff. He has been given regular employ- ment at the jail.) The sheriff has testified that in the last year the matrons have both been steadily employed because there have been female prisoners in the jail at all times throughout that period. Court House Staff. Incumbent Office Salary Henry Phillips, Engineer, $ 1,500.00 Harry Graham, Janitor, 1,200.00 Percy West, Janitor, 1,200.00 Elmer Rice, Janitor, 1,200.00 Francis A. Andrews, Elevator Operator, 900.00 $ 6,000.00 In addition to these regular employees, there has been expended for extra employees in the several departments above mentioned in the year 1938 the following amounts: Sheriff's Office $5,553.60 Jail 713.50 Court House 1,687.44 $7,954.54 Of these employees, other than the extra employees above mentioned, and other than the sheriff and under-sheriff, all are deputy sheriffs except the two matrons and three of the male employees. 4 Both the committee's auditors and the County Treasurer have testified that the total of all moneys paid out and disbursed charged to the sheriff's account for the last three calendar years are as follows: 1936 1937 1938 Jall $ 39,294.53 $ 47,398.53 $ 47,635.76 Sheriff 31,705.95 35,177.37 39,345.64 Court House 24,702.27 27,926.42 25,154.24 Totals $ 95,702.75 $110,502.32 $112,135.64 The sheriff complains of the reflection upon the administration shown by this comparison in two respects: First: That each year there are paid bills audited after the first of the year for supplies, etc, purchased before the end of the previous year. Second: Items are purchased by other officials and charged to the sheriff's account without his requisition. In the first objection we see little or no merit for three reasons: (a) no books have been kept by the sheriff showing the commitments made at the time of the purchases and, hence, the statement could only be accurately made on a cash basis as above made; (b) the amount of such carry-over of obligations from one year to another is substantially offset by the unpaid commitments at the end of the year; and (c) such complaint has no appli- cation except for the first year of an incumbent's term, for the reason that thereafter the incumbent would and should be responsible for all the pur- chases whether paid within the second or third year of his term. The second objection, that other county officials than the sheriff at times incur obligations charged to his account, has some merit, although the aggre- gate amounts involved are relatively small. This committee recommends that that practice be discontinued and that no items be charged to the account of the sheriff except those which have their inception in an order signed by him. Highway Patrol. During the term of office of Sheriff Hiram C. Carroll there was organ- ized a uniformed force among the deputy sheriffs and a system of highway patrol of the roads of the county by the members of the staff in the county automobiles. The expense to the County of Dutchess of maintaining this highway patrol cannot be accurately ascertained for the reason that no records have been or are kept by the sheriff from which that information can be computed with reasonable or approximate accuracy. 5 Under this system, the seven automobiles owned and furnished by the county for use by the sheriff are from time to time sent out on the highways to do patrol duty. One of the regular salaried members of the sheriff's staff and one of the other deputies are in each of the cars while on this service. The patrol has no regularity, but is intended to meet the traffic con- ditions from time to time as deemed advisable by the sheriff or the under- sheriff. At some times all cars are so used for patrol duty and at other times a less number. The extra men in the cars, other than the salaried members of the staff, are compensated at the rate of fifty cents an hour. The sheriff or under-sheriff, or, in their absence, the jailer, directs the cars to patrol whichever road or highway it may seem to him at the time to be advisable. It is asserted by the sheriff that this patrol system has greatly reduced the hazards of the road and that the number of fatal accidents has been reduced by reason of this patrol. Though it is not unlikely that this pátrol system has to some extent alleviated the hazards of traffic, by restraining excessive speed and correcting insufficient lighting equipment, etc, yet it seems to be largely a duplication of the work done by the New York State Police, who are constantly patrolling the highways of the county. In the opinion of this committee, the benefits derived from this system of highway patrol, as operated in this county, are not commensurate to its expense to the county. There are but three other counties in the state which maintain a high- way patrol system separate from the State Police; and those counties are ones in which are located large cities. In some of those counties the patrol is con- ducted by a county police force composed of carefully selected, efficient, trained and schooled men, and they are required to keep careful and accurate detailed records of costs and performance. In undertaking to compute for this committee the cost of maintenance of the patrol system in Dutchess County, the sheriff's office was unable to inform our accountants of any of the costs, other than the amounts paid to the non-salaried deputies employed on those trips. There was not available any record of the amount of gasoline consumed, the number of miles tra- versed by the automobiles on patrol, or any of the other elements which entered into the cost to the county. The county automobiles are all insured for fire, theft and liability; they carry special equipment and are outfitted for this patrol work; the cost of automobile parts and repairs, hereinafter mentioned, has been high; and the amount of gasoline and oil consumed has been large. What part of these costs and what portion of the depreciation of the automobiles are properly attributable to the patrol system and what part to other activities in which the automobiles are used cannot be ascerained from the records kept. 6 The above mentioned information furnished by the sheriff's office to the committee and covering the two calendar years of 1937 and 1938 informs us that thirty-eight uniformed deputies in this work were paid the sum of $1,619.00 for three thousand two hundred and thirty-eight (3,238) hours of service on patrol. For the purposes of comparison, the committee procured from the New York State Police records of the number of State Police stationed and operat- ing in Dutchess County and the number stationed and operating in Orange County during those two years, and the number of arrests in those two counties made by the State Police. In the four summer months of June, July, August and September, there were fourteen (14) State Police stationed in Dutchess County and sixteen (16) in Orange County; the motor vehicle arrests in Dutchess County in 1937 were two thousand two hundred and seventeen (2,217); and in 1938, two thousand six hundred and twenty-six (2,626); whereas in Orange County those arrests totaled three thousand five hundred and sixty-eight (3,568) in 1937 and four thousand nine hundred and eight (4,908) in 1938. The penal law arrests in Dutchess County were four hundred and sixty-one (461) in 1937 and in Orange County were six hundred and eighty-seven (687), in 1938 in Dutchess County, four hundred and twenty-seven (427), and in Orange County, nine hundred and fifty-two (952). Notwithstanding that Orange County is larger in area than Dutchess County and has a larger population, it would appear that about the same number of State Police were stationed in each county in proportion to the amount of highways; yet the arrests by the State Police in Orange County were far in excess of those in Dutchess. From this it might seem to be reasonably concluded that the patrol system in Dutchess County was a dupli- cation of the work done by the State Police in other counties and that the cost to Dutchess County of such system was one which was being saved to the taxpayers of other counties. This committee is of the opinion that a considerable amount of money would be saved by the County by discontinuing the highway patrol system and that the withdrawal of the patrol system from the highways would not increase the hazards of the highway, if the patrolling thereof were left to the State Police. The highway patrol system should not be continued in Dutchess County, in any event, without requiring that a detailed record of all items going into the expense of the patrol be kept; a careful report of every patrol trip be made on forms furnished for that purpose, showing car mileage, trip route, time consumed and activities; the cars be operated by the salaried staff only, and the expense of the additional uniformed men in the cars be eliminated. The cost to the county for the uniformed service for the fiscal year end- ing October 31, 1938, was $5,360.24, in payments to those uniformed men ranging from $4.50, to some men, to as high as $737.00. This is an expense which other counties of the state are avoiding and which should, in the opinion of this committee, be eliminated in Dutchess County. Sheriff's Band. Under the present administration there has been organized, through the activity of three or four members of the sheriff's staff, a musical organization known as the "Sheriff's Band". Funds were raised for the purchasing of equipment for this band by holding what was termed "Sheriff's Office Ball" at the Arlington High School Auditorium on April 22nd, 1938. For this ball there was printed and issued a rather elaborate program, in which were carried over five hundred paid advertisements; and tickets therefor were sold by the members of the sheriff's staff and deputies. The proceeds of this ball exceeded $2,500.00 and furnished not only sufficient funds to outfit the band but left a surplus which was partly used by the sheriff to finance other social activities and games of the members of the staff and of the deputies. The balance still remaining is in the hands of the sheriff and is applicable, as he has testified, to any purpose to which he or the committee may desire to put it and does not belong to the band. This band gives no service to the County of Dutchess. It answers no purposes other than social, Though several of its members are deputy sheriff's, many of them are not; yet when operating as a band they are per- mitted by the sheriff to wear the insignia of the sheriff's office and are uni- formed similarly to the uniformed force. In the opinion of the committee, this band should be discontinued as an adjunct of the office of the sheriff of Dutchess County and should not be permitted to use its name or influence. The committee disapproves the method of raising money which permits the deputy sheriffs, who patrol the roads of the county or perform other police duties, to sell tickets or solicit advertisements from the citizens of the county or from others. Such practice has been disapproved in other localities and should not be allowed in this county. It is noted in examination of the various expenditures made by the sheriff's office and hereinafter referred to, that in all known instances the goods so purchased, since the time of that dance, were purchased from the business people who advertised in the above mentioned Sheriff's Ball pro- gram, some of whom conduct their business outside the county. Though 8 this may be purely coincidence, it suggests the possibility of a practice detri- mental to the best interests of the county. The commitee recommends that the sheriff be instructed to discontinue the use of the title of his office and of the insignia of his office by this musical organization and the use of the county property for its meetings. Automobiles. The office of sheriff of Dutchess County became a salaried office under the provisions of Chapter 82 of the Laws of 1903. Under the provisions of that law, all fees as a peace officer, excepting mileage, became the property of the county and the salary of the sheriff was fixed at $4,000. This act was amended by Chapter 377 of the Laws of 1932, which be- came effective January 1st, 1934, and provided that the compensation of the sheriff should be fixed by the Board of Supervisors and that his salary should constitute his only compensation, and that all fees, both civil and criminal, should belong to the County of Dutchess. That act provided that the Board of Supervisors should purchase at the expense of the County, for the use of the sheriff and his deputies, such number of automobiles as it should deem necessary, which automobiles should be and remain the property of the county until sale or exchange by order of the Board of Supervisors. Under the provisions of that act, the County of Dutchess did purchase automobiles for the use of the sheriff and thereafter from time to time those automobiles have been replaced. The witnesses have testified that the average life of these automobiles in the work done by the sheriff's office is approximately three years. The sheriff has testified that the members of his staff are permitted to drive the cars to their homes because they might at any time in the night be called upon to perform official duty. Some of the men so using cars travel a considerable distance to their homes. It would not seem necessary that all men be held upon call at all times. No adequate system of recording the costs and expenses of these auto- mobiles is maintained and no records of the individual cars are kept. Near the close of the hearings before this committee the sheriff pre- sented to the committee a compilation of the disbursements made in his office, prepared by the bookkeeper in that office from data procured there and in the office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and the office of the County Treasurer. This compilation of figures is not sufficiently com- prehensive to be satisfactorily accurate. It is based only upon the purchases made in the calendar years and paid in that year, and does not show the commitments made for supplies received within that year and not paid for within the calendar year. The committee required its auditors to furnish a statement of the actual cash expenditures in each year as there is no record kept of commitments made until the bills are approved for audit. However, using the above mentioned compilation of disbursements re- quired by the sheriff, we find that therein the sheriff has allocated to the cost and maintenance of the automobiles the following amounts: 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 New Cars $ 2,207.20 $ 600.00 $ 2,038.70 $ 1,331.53 Gas, Oll and Grease 1,681.68 1,643.72 1,849.97 2,491.95 2,448.55 Auto Insurance 940.35 795.60 746.65 742.23 745.79 Car Repairs 447.29 962.75 1,070.30 1,659.56 1,552.02 Tires and Accessories 767.87 432.44 511.29 477.58 356.98 Insurance (Jail) 169.45 132.25 180.08 123.44 122.77 Repairs (Jall) 28.60 18.20 359.62 130.98 275.62 Gas and Oil (Jall) 26.74 63,51 356.05 382.33 324.24 Tires and Equipment (Jail) 129.40 $ 6,269.18 $ 4,648.47 $ 5,203.36 $ 8,046.77 $ 7,157.50 Emergency Truck and Equipment 2,800.59 $ 9,958.09 It would appear, though such costs have not generally greatly increased since 1934, that in both 1937 and 1938 the costs were greater than in 1934 when the new cars were first purchased. In the purchase of the supplies above mentioned no attempt was made by the sheriff's office to procure competitive bids from the dealers. The sheriff has, throughout the period under investigation, purchased gasoline and oil in small quantities at the market price, less taxes which the county is not required to pay. The men driving the cars were furnished credit cards and purchased gasoline when needed from two companies who advertised in the Sheriff's Ball program. The sheriff's office has purchased its automobiles without competitive bidding and from those dealers the sheriff selected. In one instance within the present administration of the office, an auto- mobile was purchased from a garage in Pawling, which garage property is under contract of sale to the present under-sheriff and is stated by that under- sheriff to be operated by his son. There is some testimony that a consider- able part of the automobile repairing was, within the period in question, done in this same garage. From the figures so compiled by the sheriff, it appears that in 1934 the sum of $2,207.20 was expended for new cars, in 1935, $600.00, in 1937, $2,038.70, and in 1938, $1,331.53, and, also in 1938, $2,800.59 for an emergency truck and its equipment. In the year 1937 there were purchased supplies under the heading of "Hardware" to the amount of $1,399.01, and in 1938, under the same heading, $1,581.46, charged against the jail. No such amount of hardware was used 10 in the jail. No adequate explanation of this item could be given, except the conjecture that a considerable part of the materials so classified were not actually hardware, but items purchased from hardware dealers, and that a considerable part of these items was equipment for the automobiles. The cost of any such items is not included in the above quoted figures. It appears to your committee that many of these purchases and expen- ditures have been made without due regard for the best interests of the county. They are largely subject to the same criticism hereinafter made as to purchases generally, in that there was no competitive bidding, and, more- over, that no attempt to contract for such supplies and materials for any extended period was made. If the continued use of automobiles by the sheriff is to be approved, the county should require that the repairs be made at the flat rate established by the manufacturers for the particular cars in use. The gasoline and oil should be contracted for on a maximum and minimum consumption basis, after competitive bidding by the various companies engaged in that business in the County. New cars should be purchased only when authorized by the Board of Supervisors, after the car to be replaced has been condemned by the Board or its representatives, and should be bought by the Board on a com- petitive basis. Purchases. The system of purchasing for the sheriff's office must be severely con- demned. It is conducted in a most haphazard manner, without any sufficient safeguards to protect the interests of the county. It has been most inefficient, extravagant and wasteful. The practice that has been followed permits members of the sheriff's staff to report to the head jailer supplies and equipment which they stated were needed. The head jailer would thereupon in lead pencil fill out an order form in triplicate. This order form was addressed to a seller and upon it was written the quantity of the articles ordered, without any price and with no detail or specifications of the quality of said articles. One copy of this order was kept in the sheriff's office and two copies were given to the vendor. Thereupon the vendor would ship the goods to the shériff and bill him therefor at a price which he fixed without conference with the sheriff. No record was kept of the delivery of the goods at the sheriff's office and the only office record made was the entry in an indexed book, made at the time of the receipt and approval by the sheriff of the bill for the goods, and the bill filed in a bill cabinet. This book did not, in most instances, itemize the goods and served merely as an index to the filed bills. No record was kept of the delivery of the goods; no one in the office was held responsible for the approving of the bill; or for the checking of the 11 bill as to quantity, quality or price with the goods delivered; and no con- tinuous inventory was kept of the supplies on hand. The system is open to every criticism which could be made of any establishment purchasing goods and supplies in such quantities and at such costs as those purchased for the sheriff's office. In the year 1938 the total expenditures by the sheriff's office, outside of salaries and payments made to the deputies, exceeded $54,000, and yet no system of control of these expenditures, other than that above mentioned, was established or in force. The results of such a loose system are manifold and apparent. The several instances traced out by the committee show profits to the vendors entirely unreasonable and exorbitant. Many of the purchases were made in violation of the direct provisions of the statute. Section 238 of the County Law provides: " in case any purchase or contract shall involve an expense exceeding two hundred dollars, it shall be let to the lowest responsible bidder, after public advertisement such as the Board of Supervisors shall prescribe." Section 184 of the Correction Law of the State of New York provides that no article manufactured or prepared by the Department of Correction of the State of New York "shall be purchased from any other source, for the state or public institutions of the state, or the political divisions thereof, except uni- forms for the inmates of the State Camp for Veterans or of the New York State Woman's Relief Corps Home, unless the Com- missioner of Correction shall certify that the same cannot be fur- nished upon such requisition, and no claim therefor shall be audited or paid without such certificate." The sheriff of Dutchess County did not procure such certificate of the Commissioner of Correction, but nevertheless in the years 1937 and 1938 purchased over $3,000 worth of bedding from a single vendor, one C. D. Sire, at a price which was 181% in excess of the price at which goods of a like or better quality could have been purchased from the Correction Department. In every instance of such purchases, with the exception of one, the amount involved exceeded $200.00. This particular vendor, C. D. Sire, when called as a witness before the committee refused to testify upon the ground that his testimony might tend to incriminate him, and later, upon being advised by counsel that he should answer the questions addressed to him, stated that he could not recall where he had procured the merchandise he had sold to the county, though his sales 12 had been as recent as October, 1938, and testified that he could not recall the prices he had paid for that merchandise. His testimony discloses that he was acting only as a middle man, that he did not manufacture the goods sold to the county, that he did not carry a stock of merchandise on hand, and that his primary business was that of a dealer in undertakers' supplies. It seems incredible to the committee that such a man, without any bank account, without any residence within the State of New York, with a ficti- tious address as his place of business, selling at such an exhorbitant profit, should apparently have control of all of the business in bedding purchased by the sheriff, to the exclusion of all local merchants and the Department of Correction of the State of New York. Nothing in the sample of the mattresses purchased from him would indicate that the quality recommended the article and he himself testified that the filling of the mattress was merely "shredded clipping". "Q. Clippings of what? "A. Different cotton materials." These mattresses this man sold to the sheriff for $11.85 each, whereas mattresses of the same size, covered in the same material and filled with Sea Island cotton, could have been purchased from the Correction Department of the State of New York for $4.00 each. A somewhat similar situation was developed in the purchase of soaps and disinfectants from one William Montfort of Wappingers Falls. In this instance again, the business, apparently excessive in amount and at excessively high prices, was done almost exclusively with this one seller, who was neither a merchant nor a manufacturer, nor the agent of a manufacturer. He took the orders for given quantities without price and then filled the order in \ many instances by direct shipment from the manufacturer, who upon collect- ing the price paid by the county paid over to Montfort what was termed his "overage". In all instances this so-called "overage" was, in the opinion of this committee, an excessive and exorbitant profit. Again, in this instance, the purchases exceeded in most instances $200.00 in amount and there was no competitive bidding to protect the county's interests. As reported to the committee by the accountants, the aggregate of the purchases of soaps and disinfectants was as follows: 1937 1938 Sheriff's Office $ $ 62.96 Jail 3,433.17 4,286.37 Court House 3,233.97 1,348.34 $ 6,667.14 $ 5,697.67 13 An interesting feature of this phase of the investigation was testimony to the effect that, from the viewpoint of the seller to Montfort, the right to supply these articles to the sheriff's office was deemed to be Mr. Montfort's business and that, so long as he continued to procure orders from the sheriff, the manufacturer would not sell direct to the sheriff. There is testimony that orders for these supplies were procured by Mont- fort not only at the sheriff office, but on occasion at the private home of a member of the sheriff's staff where Mr. Montfort was received socially. It is the policy of the law of New York State that public officers shall not be interested as seller in the sale of articles to the public office or depart- ment that he officially represents. Section 1868 of the Penal Law declares it to be a misdemeanor for a public officer to become voluntarily interested individually in a contract which he, in his official capacity, may make, or take part in making. In 1937 Sheriff Sedgwick purchased a Ford automobile from the Carroll Garage at Pawling. This garage was then under contract of purchase by Under-Sheriff Hiram C. Carroll and operated by his son. During the past two years the sheriff's office has had its automobiles repaired at various times at this garage and has there at times purchased Standard Oil Company gasoline. On February I, 1938, the sheriff's office purchased a barrel of liquid soap (65 gallons) for $146.25 from the Pawling Hardware and Iron Company, a closed corporation in which Under-Sheriff Carroll was one of the five owners. Most of the purchases so made in the past two years were made upon orders signed by the head jailer, Mr. Henry Wicker. Mr. Wicker testified in relation to the system of purchasing used by the office, and stated that, under the direction of the sheriff, he issued orders for the purchase of soaps and disinfectants, bedding and other supplies, all without fixed or agreed price, and that it was probably Mr. Hiram C. Carroll who suggested to him that he place the order for soap with the Pawling Hardware & Iron Co. Because these purchases and contracts were made during the term of office of the present sheriff, it cannot be said that they were made in violation of the letter of the law. They are, however, transactions in opposition to the spirit of the law, which intends that all public purchases shall be made with no interest other than that of the public influencing or likely to in- fluence the selection or price of the article purchased. Your committee seriously condemns the system of purchase of supplies and recommends many modifications in the practices of the sheriff's office: (a) The sheriff should be personally and solely responsible for the issuance of the written orders for supplies. No bill should be audited except 14 upon orders personally signed by the sheriff, or, in his absence, the under- sheriff. (b) No replacement equipment should be purchased until the article to be replaced has been condemned by the committee of this board and such condemnation certified in writing. (c) This board should provide for and require advertising for bids ón supplies costing in excess of $200.00 in amount as required by law. (d) All supplies purchased of articles manufactured by the Correction Department should either be purchased from that Department or the consent of the Commissioner of Correction procured to purchase them elsewhere. This board should not audit bills for goods purchased in violation of this requirement. (e) Goods should not be purchased from any member of the staff, or from the family of any such member, or from any corporation or co-partner- ship in which any such member is interested. (f) All supplies should be received by one employee acting as a receiv- ing clerk and should be entered in a receipt book kept by him, showing the date of delivery, the goods by items, and from whom received. Such em- ployee should check the deliveries against the invoice, when received, and so indicate on both the invoice and his receipt book. (g) There should be maintained a continuous inventory, showing all articles on hand and all withdrawals from the store room. This inventory should be the responsibility of one designated member of the staff. In the opinion of this committee, such a system would greatly reduce the quantity of many articles purchased and the price of those purchased would likewise be greatly cut. By requiring that all deliveries to the sheriff's account be made at the sheriff's office, such a system of inventory and checking could be made accurate and the commitments made by the sheriff's office kept in control and at any time ascertainable. Bookkeeping and Records. The system of bookkeeping maintained in the office of the sheriff is, in the opinion of this committee, entirely inadequate. The records kept in the civil department, representing the collections on executions, etc., seem to have been entirely sufficient and accurate. Moneys collected in this service are segregated, with receipts and disbursements itemized and accurately kept. This account is balanced each month. The other records in the sheriff's office, covering the expenditures made by the sheriff, should be entirely revised. The records of the purchase of sup- plies should be set up as hereinbefore stated under that heading. 15 Throughout the office of the sheriff, the office of the County Treasurer and the office of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, the attempt has been made to segregate the various items of expenditure under the three headings of "Sheriff's Office", "County Jail", and "County Court House". The records of these items as now handled and recorded have led to much confusion. Items are frequently charged against one of these divisions which should properly have been charged to another. All disbursement records for all of these departments should be kept in one itemized account book, showing the time of purchase and the time of the delivery of goods; each purchase should there be allocated to its proper department, and one person held responsible for so doing. Chapter 82 of the Laws of 1903, hereinbefore referred to, entitled, "An act to make the office of Sheriff of Dutchess County a salaried office and to regulate the management of said office", as amended by Chapter 377 of the Laws of 1932 and Chapter 165 of the Laws of 1934, provides that it shall be the duty of the sheriff, subject to the supervision, control, approval and direction of the auditing committee of the board of supervisors, to purchase and provide all furniture, implements, materials, foods and supplies, of what- ever nature, necessary for the operation of the jail, etc., and, further, that the cost of the same and any necessary expense of the sheriff in providing the same shall be county charges to be paid by the County Treasurer, when the same shall be certified by the sheriff and audited by the auditing com- mittee of the Board of Supervisors and payment directed. That act further provides: "The said sheriff shall keep a correct and itemized account of such costs and expense in a book or books provided for that purpose at the expense of the county. Each item of account shall specify the date at which it was incurred, to whom paid and the purpose for which it was paid." That act further provides that the board of supervisors may provide a fund for the payment in advance of the audit of bills and accounts; and by resolution authorize the county treasurer to apply such fund in payment of such bills on the approval of the chairman of the auditing committee of the county. It provides further that the chairman of the auditing committee must transmit to the auditing committee at its next quarterly meeting, for audit and allowance or disallowance, any such bills, and that the sheriff shall be liable to the county for any item or items contained in a bill or account so paid in advance of audit which shall be disallowed and rejected by the com- mittee. The provisions of this statute have not in practice been followed. The book kept by the sheriff does not disclose the information required by the 16 statute. The fund so authorized to be disbursed upon approval of the com- mittee chairman has been turned over to the sheriff for expenditure by him, instead of by the county treasurer as prescribed by the law. The so-called emergency fund has been kept in a bank in Pawling in the sheriff's name and subject to withdrawals by his checks. The law should be obeyed and the method of withdrawal from this fund therein provided should be the method used and followed, or the law should be amended to permit the present practice. We do not find that practice detrimental to the county's interests. There should be maintained in the sheriff's office a system of bookkeep- ing, in which a record shall be entered in accurate items of all goods ordered and the price agreed to be paid therefor. Such entries to be initiated upon all orders when placed. Such books should be so columned as to show the date when contracted, the delivery date of the materials so ordered, the date of approval of the bill therefor, and the department to be charged therewith. Entries should be subdivided into the various headings either as set up in the statement furnished the committee by the sheriff at the close of the hearing, or, more properly as set up in the statement furnished to the com- mittee by its accountants and received in evidence herein as Exhibit 19, consisting of nine sheets. Illicit Stills. Your committee heard considerable testimony from various witnesses relative to the conduct of the sheriff's office in connection with reports to that office of the operation of illicit alcohol stills in the county within the last several years. One of the witnesses, one Chalmers Becker, a deputy sheriff until October, 1938, when, upon notice to the sheriff of his indictment he was suspended, refused to testify before the committee upon the ground that such testimony might incriminate him. By direction of the committee, the stenographer's transcript of his testimony given on April 19, 1939, before the United States District Court upon the trial of the indictment against said Chalmers Becker and others, has been read into the record by this com- mittee. Such transcript of the stenographer's minutes is filed herewith. Scoralich Still. Before this committee one M. Burr Reynolds, a farmer of Poughquag and lifelong resident of the county, testified that upon finding the water in the stream through his farm polluted and soapy, he telephoned to an upstream neighbor by the name of Scoralich and complained to him of that condition. Reynolds testified that Scoralich in effect admitted that there was a still operating on his farm which was causing the condition of the water and 17 agreed to have it stopped. The condition of the water became better for a short period thereafter and then worse. Whereupon, the witness testified, he wrote a letter to the then sheriff, Hiram C. Carroll, complaining of the condition of the stream and stating that condition was caused by a still; that his cows would not drink the water and that his milk production had dropped off considerably. That letter he sent on July 10th, 1935, and addressed it to Mr. Carroll at Poughkeepsie, marking the envelope "personal". In the letter he advised Sheriff Carroll that Scoralich had been down to his place. Immediately after sending that letter the witness was called upon by a man from the still, who said to him, "You are the one who made the com- plaint that we are working up at Scoralich's". After discussing the condition of the brook, this man said to the witness, "Thank you for the way you handled the case". This man undertook to pay the witness for the damage done his milk production and offered to pay him money in addition to that damage. In that conversation the witness, speaking of his letter to Carroll, said to the representative of the still that in the letter he had complained of the condition of the stream and not the still, to which the still representative replied, "That's right", and also said to the witness, "Whether you know it or not, you have done us a favor. When we get in wrong it costs like hell." Sheriff Carroll admitted receiving this letter when it was sent to him, but denied that he had given any information of its contents to the still operators. The fact remains, however, that for over a month after the letter was written to Sheriff Carroll the still seems to have continued in operation. Hoag Still. A witness before this committee, Carl Jensen, a poultry farmer of Pough- quag, testified that the stream which ran through the farm of one Philip Hoag ran through his farm and that the farms were less than a mile apart. That in the Fall of 1936 one of his neighbors, Walter Reynolds, informed him that he thought that there was a still in operation on the Hoag farm and told him that he saw smoke every morning rising from a wooded hill on that farm; that there were trucks running all night, and that he had heard the sound of metal workers, like pipe fitters or steam fitters at work on that farm. This occurred before the middle of October, 1936. On the next Sunday Jensen went up in the woods on the Hoag farm and looked for the still. He came across a mash dump in two large excavations, one of which was filled and covered over with dead leaves and the other, partly full, was "smoking" at the time, with a four inch cast iron pipe running along the ground to the dump. "I could see it was a great big business and an expensive setup". 18 The next morning, Jensen testified, he went in to see the sheriff, Mr. Hiram Carroll, met him in front of the court house and told him he would like to speak to him privately. They stepped into the court house and Mr. Carroll took him to one side and the witness told him he had discovered a big still. Mr. Carroll, according to the witness, showed him a paper upon which was written the name, "Philip Hoag", and said, "Is that the man?", to which the witness replied, "Yes". Carroll said, "I want to be sure. I hate to go there and get fooled." The witness offered to show him the way and stated that there was nothing to hinder their finding the still, that under the cover of the woods he could lead them to the still, and the sheriff could sur- round it before anyone knew that they were there. That still was raided about ten days later by the New York State Police. The day after this conversation with Sheriff Carroll, this witness testified that "Big Al" Resnick, one of the principal men in the still operation, came to his place, told him that he was a new neighbor and would like to get acquainted. He said, "I am running a still. I don't expect to make much on it, but I want to circulate a little money in the neighborhood. I could slip you a little money, about $10.00 a week. The witness testified that he refused this money and Resnick left him with the remark, "If you don't touch me, I won't touch you". Later, other neighbors who apparently had been receiving some money from the still people, undertook to intercede with and placate the witness. Under-Sheriff Carroll denied Jensen's testimony relating to the conversation at the court house. Thomas J. Cunningham, a deputy sheriff for several years, testified that on a Sunday prior to the election in 1936 he had been at a trap shoot in the neighborhood of Poughquag and had seen some smoke coming up from the trees to the east of the Hoag farm. The following day or the next succeed- ing day Mr. Cunningham testified he told Sheriff Carrol of what he had seen at the Hoag Farm. "I told him I saw smoke coming up from in back of the Hoag farm. It struck me as out of the ordinary". He was told by Carroll "to watch for it when I was that way". The witness George Harwood, who at one time had been employed by Sheriff Carroll as an "under-cover man", testified that the day before the Hoag still was raided by the State Police, he observed trucks in the neighbor- hood of the Hoag place and told Mr. Carroll about it. On Election day in 1936, November 3rd, the New York State Police were informed of the existence of this still in the afternoon of that day. The troopers left their headquarters to raid the still at eleven o'clock that night and raided it about one o'clock on the morning following, November 4th, 1936. 19 That morning at about daybreak Sheriff Carroll called Deputy Sheriff Thomas J. Cunningham on the telephone and instructed Mr. Cunningham to meet him at Gayhead. At Gayhead Mr. Carroll got out of his car and got into Cunningham's and drove over to the Hoag place. Someone else drove the Carroll car behind them. When they arrived at the Hoag place the State Police were there and had raided the Hoag still. Mr. Cunningham testified that when he and Sheriff Carroll arrived at the Stormville Corner on the way to the Hoag still another car came in the opposite direction and "we stopped and other people got in with Mr. Wicker into that car". They were Mr. Harwood and Mr. Veith. The Mr. Wicker referred to was Henry Wicker, the jailer, and Mr. Veith was a deputy sheriff. Saccomando Still. Miles Carroll, one of the deputy sheriffs residing at Pleasant Valley, testified that on a Saturday night in March, 1936, with Deputy Sheriff Claude Arnold he went to the Saccomando place at Washington Hollow, having heard some rumors of a still along that road, and when about. opposite smelled the odor of molasses. They saw a truck, with license plates covered, go into the Saccomando place. They later that night made an inspection and saw evidence of a still being operated in the building on that property- men working around the building bringing stuff out and dumping it, etc. They remained until about eight-thirty o'clock in the morning. Miles Carroll then left Arnold at his home and went to the sheriff's office in Poughkeepsie. On that morning all of the uniformed men of the sheriff's staff were having their picture taken and were assembled about the sheriff's office. Miles Carroll was himself in uniform. After the picture of the staff was taken, Miles Carroll reported to Sheriff Hiram Carroll and to Major Ehrenberg, then the under-sheriff, in Mr. Carroll's office, what he had seen at the Saccomando Farm. The door of this office was closed and the three men, Miles Carroll, the sheriff and the under-sheriff, were alone in the room. The sheriff then told Miles Carroll to go back and check the traffic and get the license numbers of the trucks and how many came in and went out and what time the shift changed. Sheriff Carroll told him to make further observations, get more information, and that they would later raid the place. He thought they would raid it on Tuesday. Miles Carroll went back to the Saccomando Farm at eight o'clock Mon- day night and remained until two o'clock Tuesday morning. He observed a lot of activity about the still premises, four or five trucks were there, the still was dismantled and the trucks loaded with still equipment drove away. He followed some of the trucks on the road to Brewster, where they crossed the county line on the Stormville Mountain. He recognized two of the trucks as belonging to the Orlich Brothers. 20 Miles Carroll went back to Poughkeepsie about daylight and reported to Sheriff Carroll when the latter awakened. Miles Carroll testified that he had heard rumors of the operation of the still which later proved to be this Saccomando still for about two weeks before he discovered it and reported it to the sheriff. Deputy Sheriff Claude Arnold confirmed the testimony of Miles Carroll as to the discovery by them of the Saccomando still, but was not with Miles Carroll when he informed the sheriff about it. Arnold testified that Miles Carroll returned to his house on the Pleasant Valley Road in the noon hour on that Sunday and told him that Sheriff Carroll had instructed Miles Carroll to return to the Saccomando Farm on Monday night; and had informed him that the sheriff's office would raid the still on Tuesday. One Ernest Wells, a colored man, then living at Washington Hollow, testified that he found the Saccomando still and told Sheriff Carroll about it on a Wednesday night in Poughkeepsie. He testified that Sheriff Carroll gave him ten dollars. He further testified: "Not very long afterwards, It was a snowy day, I know" a man came down from the still and said, "I'll give you twenty-five bucks if you go back to West Point". Under-Sheriff Carroll testified that it was this colored man who first told him of the Saccomando still on "Saturday evening" and that he gave Wells two dollars. No raid was made on the Saccomando still, though admittedly the sheriff had knowledge of its operation on Sunday forenoon, while the entire uniformed staff of the sheriff's office was assembled, and yet, the still con- tinued to operate and did not move out until Tuesday morning. Considerable testimony has been given relative to the relationship be- tween one George Harwood and the sheriff's office. This George Harwood is under indictment in the Federal Court as one of the conspirators in the oper- ation of stills in Dutchess County, which indictment includes the operators of the above mentioned stills. That indictment is now in trial before Judge Leibell in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. In May of 1934 Hiram C. Carroll, then sheriff, appointed this George Harwood a deputy sheriff. That appointment was continued until June, 1935. Though Harwood never filed his appointment in the office of the county clerk, it was not until the Spring of 1935 that Mr, Carroll ascertained that it had not been filed. Harwood had previously served a term in the State Prison at Dannemora, which fact, Sheriff Carroll testified, he did not ascertain until April of 1935. 21 There were marked in evidence six verified bills by Harwood, dated from May 17th, 1934, to December 13th, 1934, aggregating $384.45. Harwood testified that these bills were typed in the sheriff's office and presented to him for signature by Sheriff Carroll. "Q. By whom were they presented to you for signature? "A. Sheriff Carroll. "Q. And in each instance did you receive the compensation from him as stated in these bills? "A. Possibly. "Q. By that answer do I understand you may have received it, or did you receive more? "A. I believe I received compensation for my services. I was paid at various intervals. I never signed a county payroll. "Q. You did, however, sign these bills and swear to them? "A. That's right." The explanation given of these payments by Sheriff Carroll is that Harwood was acting as an under-cover man, working on the A. B. C. Law violations, and that he personally paid the money to him and made out the vouchers against the district attorney's account and had them approved by the district attorney. Mr. Joseph Samuels, proprietor of the Hendrik Hudson Hotel in Poughkeepsie, testified that George Harwood had a room in that hotel from May 8th, 1934, to June 6th, 1935, that he charged $10.00 a week for the room, a total of $560.00; that he was instructed by the then under-sheriff, Major Ehrenberg, to charge the account to Sheriff Hiram Carroll personally and did so; that he had been paid by Sheriff Carroll $300.00 on that amount and that Sheriff Carroll had agreed to pay him the balance. Sheriff Carroll at one time during the period that Harwood was in the hotel, when asked about payments, told Mr. Samuels, "He won't be there much longer, so wait until he is through". However, Harwood stayed in the hotel eight or nine months thereafter. Harwood testified that he had never had any personal transactions with the sheriff, but there was introduced in evidence a check on the Poughkeepsie Trust Company (Exhibit 38), made by George S. Harwood to the order of H. C. Carroll, dated December 3, 1935, in the amount of $1,000. This check was endorsed by Sheriff Carroll and deposited in his bank account in the Fallkill Bank on the day of its date. Notwithstanding the check is on George Harwood's own bank account in the Poughkeepsie Trust Company, Sheriff Carroll testified that it was a 22 loan to him by Mrs. George Harwood. Sheriff Carroll testified that he had borrowed $1,250.00 in this way from Mrs. Harwood and that he had paid back all of it except $150.00, which he had agreed to pay at the rate of $50.00 a month for three months. Though it is impossible to state from the evidence adduced before the committee that the sheriff's office had any connection with these stills in a direct way, yet there is sufficient proof to seriously reflect upon the efficiency of the office in restraining the operation of these stills and in confiscation of their equipment or the arrest of their operators. In each instance the sheriff's office, as well as members of the sheriff's staff, knew of the operation of the above mentioned stills for some period prior to the discontinuing of the still, and in no instance did the sheriff's office, acting upon this information, raid the above mentioned stills, confis- cate the still equipment or make arrests. The one raid seemingly organized by the sheriff's office against the Hoag still, of the operation of which the sheriff's office had had information for upwards of a week, apparently was not organized and was not con- ducted until after that still had been raided by the State Police. As the raid by the State Police on that still was at one o'clock in the morning, and the sheriff's men were not called together for a raid until five o'clock in the morning, sufficient time, of course, elapsed for information about the raid by the State Troopers to have been given and received. The instance of the Saccomando still shows clearly that the sheriff's office was not active and vigilant in its actions against the still operators. In that instance, with the uniformed staff on hand and information brought to the sheriff's office by one of the deputies, the uniformed men were per- mitted to disband and no raid was planned until the second succeeding day. Within that time someone apparently informed the still operators of the planned raid, as they dismantled their still and carted it away in trucks, without interference from the sheriff. Your committee considers the still situation, insofar as disclosed by the evidence adduced before the committee, to be so serious a reflection upon the efficient operation of the sheriff's office as organized at that time, as to require the recommendation that, for the good of the service, the resig- nation of present Under-Sheriff Carroll be requested and accepted. Committee Recommendations. I. That the Sheriff revoke all appointments of regular deputy sheriffs in excess of thirty-five (35). 2. That the Sheriff be required to carefully investigate all applicants for appointment to the office of deputy sheriff, under oath, as to their qualifications and records. 23 3. That the Board refuse to audit bills for services of deputy sheriffs in excess of thirty-five, and that no such bills be audited until the sheriff shall have filed with the board a list of his deputies so reduced in number. 4. That the highway patrol by the Sheriff and his staff be discontinued. 5. That the "Sheriff's Band" as such be discontinued and that the sheriff be instructed to discontinue the use of the title of his office, or the insignia thereof, or the county property by this or any such organ- ization. 6. That this Board disapprove the practice of raising money by the sale of tickets or advertising space by the members of the Sheriff's staff as such, or by any other officers or employees of the county invested with police powers. 7. That members of the Sheriff's staff be not permitted to use the county's automobiles for personal uses. That not more than two automo- biles at a time be away from the sheriff's office in the over-night possession of members of the staff not on duty. 8. That the Sheriff be required to personally sign all orders or requisitions for purchases, and be not permitted to delegate that function to any member of his staff, other than the under-sheriff in the absence or disability of the sheriff. 9. That the Sheriff be held personally responsible for the issuance of orders and requisitions for all supplies and the same must in every in- stance be in writing, stating quantity and price. That no bills be audited unless accompanied by such "written order or requisition. IO. That the repairs to automobiles should be made at amounts not in ex- cess of the flat rates established by the manufacturers of the respec- tive automobiles. II. That all gasoline, grease and oil be contracted for on a maximum and minimum requirement basis, after competitive bidding. 12. That new automobiles be purchased by the Board of Supervisors, and only for replacement of aútomobiles which have been condemned by the Board. 13. That no replacement equipment be purchased unless and until the article to be replaced has been condemned by a committee of this board and a certificate of such condemnation be signed by the chairman or authorized member of that committee. 14. That this board provide for and require advertisement for competitive bids on all supplies costing $200.00 or more; and prohibit the prac- tice of small quantity purchases to avoid this requirement. 24 15. That articles manufactured by the Department of Correction of the State of New York, and required by the Sheriff, be purchased from that department unless there be procured the consent of the Commis- sioner of Correction to purchase elsewhere. Bills for goods pur- chased in violation of this statutory provision should not be audited by this Board or its committee. 16. That no articles be purchased from, and no contracts for supplies or repairs be made with, any member of the Sheriff's staff nor any of the family of such member, nor any co-partnership or corporation in which such a member is interested. 17. That all supplies received by the Sheriff be received by one employee acting as a receiving clerk and be entered in a receipt book kept by him, showing the date of delivery, the goods by items and from whom received. Such employee should be required to check the deliveries against the invoice when received and so indicate on both the invoice and his receipt book. 18. That there be maintained a continuous inventory of supplies and equip- ment, showing all articles on hand, all withdrawals therefrom and all additions thereto. Such inventory should be the responsibility of one designated member of the staff. 19. That all supplies and articles purchased for any department be re- quired to be delivered to the Sheriff's office and be recorded as herein recommended. 20. That the Sheriff be required to maintain in his office a system of book- keeping, in which a record shall be entered in accurate items of all goods ordered and the price agreed to be paid therefor. Such en- tries to be made upon all orders when placed. Such books should be so columned as to show, also, the delivery date of the materials so ordered, the date of approval of the bills therefor, and the depart- ment to be charged therewith. 21. That in such book or books the prices of the several items be carried out into classifying columns, headed as set up in the statement of the committee's accountants in this proceeding (Exhibit 19), appro- priate to each department. 22. That the Sheriff completely reorganize his staff to promote the faithful and efficient administration of his office and that in that reorgan- 25 ization he appoint another under-sheriff in the place and stead of the present incumbent. ALL OF WHICH IS RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED. Dated, May 11th, 1939. LEONARD J. SUPPLE, Chairman JAMES D. MACPHEE EDWARD B. TEWKSBURY LAWRENCE A. DELANEY CHARLES A. KOEHLER Special Committee to investigate Sheriff's office 26 FEDERAL EMERGENCY ADMINISTRATOR Datches. OF PUBLIC WORKS WASHINGTON JAN RECEIVED 15 THE 2 WHITE ww PM HOUSE '39 January 16, 1939 MEMORANDUM for the President. With reference to your memorandum of January 13, nothing as yet has come in regarding the legal fees for the Hyde Park school but before any payment is made, it will be necessary to have the approval of the Washington office. I have flagged the matter 80 that when it reaches here for consideration, we can be guided by your views. I may say that PWA never allows fees on the percentage basis on the larger public works projects, and in any claim for more than $1,000 for legal services, a statement of services rendered and the time required must be submitted for administrative consideration here. E.K. Burdew E. K. BURLEN, For the Administrator Attachment THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON January 13, 1939. MEMORANDUL FOR HOLL. CBENT K. BURLET I think you might let Colonel Gilmere mor that the legal fees in the Hyde Park school matter should be kept to a minimum. I understand i.. Halpin insists on one per cent of the total cost, which would be $12,000 or $13,000. As a matter of practical common sense, : should say that is far more than ninety per cent of the lawyers in Dutchese County make in the course of whole year -- sn: the amount of level word 1:1 this carticular case could not have meant more than a total of one month's time. On the mervit, an off-hand asserd fee of between $3,000 130 24,000, = :.: : FNR PSF Ju.Co. January 28, 1939. Dear Mrs. Rundall:- I - glad you want to go ahead with bringing Staatsburg senior and junior high school children into the consolidated district. I - reasonably certain that the present Staatsburg school would, is a few years, fill up with enough grade school children to make it an sconomical proposition. I wish I could give you some suggestions about overcoming Harry Barker's opposition. thy not try to enlist the support of some of the ministers, the priest and the superintendents of the nearby estates - Huntington place, forwer Mills' place, etc.? In the long run it would pay everybody to have this done. Very sincerely yours, Mrs. Maud Smith Rundall, Amenia, New York,