54 N.Y.S. 279 | N.Y. App. Div. | 1898
This action was brought to recover for certain work done by the plaintiff for the defendant as an electrical expert. There is substantially no dispute as to the facts. On the 20th of May, 1895, the board of fire commissioners passed a resolution to invite the attendance of an electrical expert at a meeting ■to be held on the 21st of the month. The plaintiff was present at that meeting. Subsequently the plaintiff worked as an electrical ■expert for the city, under the direction of the board of fire commissioners, 126 days, for 37 of which he received payment at the rate of $10 a day. He claims that he was employed by the board of fire commissioners to do the work for that price, and he brings •this action to recover his compensation for 89 days, the remainder of the time during which he worked, and for which he was not paid. The defense was, substantially, that the plaintiff was not employed =by any competent authority to do this work. During the time that the plaintiff was at work there was not upon the record of the board of fire commissioners any entry of the resolution pursuant to which he was employed, but on the 22d day of July, 1896, a resolution was passed by that board reciting that on the 21st of May, 1895, Calaban had been employed as an electrical expert at $10 a -day, and that at that time, on account of the absence of the secretary, no minute of said employment was made upon the minutes •of that meeting, and amending the minutes of that meeting by -adding to them the statement that by resolution of the board it was duly determined that E. A. Calaban be employed as an electrical expert to aid the board in the investigation of the bureau of ■fire-alarm, telegraph, and fire appliances, his compensation to be at the rate of $10 a day. This resolution was offered in evidence upon the trial. It was objected to by the defendant but its objection was overruled, and the resolution was received. In addition to that, the president of the board of fire commissioners testified to the passage of the resolution for the employment of the plaintiff-, substan
The evidence objected to was therefore competent, and properly received, and the judgment and order must be affirmed, with costs. All concur.