New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-09-30
THE URfRgES AyD rifRS,
rFJOiNDER OF THE CITIZENS N'9C, IN'.'' ~
,u srrnFT-COvMIssIONEE MILAN.
Crrtzfys' ASSOCIATION or NEW-1oEK,t
No sis Broadway, sept %, 1908.

81 ACi'- orb:
SIM The Citizens Association has found IN
te daily papers Of the 25tn inst communication from
, ortiu. 10 be IN answer 90 the letter OF the Assoc
tor addressed 10 YOU on Aug 2f last and published 10
rho ,Jty prcss three weeks after mat dutc'
J. Tie Association stated that IT appears nom ! VII
records that IN one year, eHdne July 1. lsCo, l0u sp
7ey 70 ion repairing ~ piers ron tdie that sV' IA
he labor thus paid for expended in reaJhs o'n
thanking on piers other than those 81 hut you uo ~
state how many which piers these otheI az ~
do MOI dcv thai the rochcrS a,d records ~ yyi" Deput
mciL from which the Association got jS Iul i ,,
show only the n piers Ia have boon rep'l'u, i'N ~
ma meution whatever uf the old plauBfle tcialu' d,
TIe Es,Ociatton stated at frenl the same records
il appears that you purchased oy su.n ~ ~ u.s. a.. "a
feet OF lumber and paid for the rate OF 50 ana 80 80
ne tborsand feet when the rc0 price Of SAID Timber III
the market only So PER huus,iu, ~ ~ 10
ait,npt 10 xculpate yourself from TINS serious charge
except 10y PUBLISHING detached % ~ fy "m
Der merchants thS thcy cannon anoIu =" iUi 80, !"
Der at any price " but who price they aude 70 IS
not stated by fhem nor by you IN your n
Before MAKING the charge the Association hquTcd o
fine very lumber dealers Of whom you purchased mat
maena who informed The ASSOCIATION that th'p pre-
Tor such lumber was only 80 inc As'oCiaio ~ 1I,t ,
10 he more certain, applied 10 an experienced dock
builder who is ANA has becA ior many years -
engaged in repairing piers ana Wharyes Tor 1t,
this city, who stated mat the prce nc pId iut tne u
Der he used only So II thus appears thai u ue
city only which pays for its lumber the 0vtchHgc "i 10
and So 50.
T. The Association charged that it appears from yonr
record, that Won pad S65 % for labor n repairing me
said piers with the material above mentioned ana mat
this was gross cNtravagance beng at tnG rte o, "ut
S Of labor for laying - worth OF plank inc As>o,a-
also charged That you had thus pad $5S for laying
every thousand feet o1 pl~klng Wheh INC cH5lon.,y
price among XpcrenCCd dock builders was ana i AZ e
most. only $40 for laying Il thousand fecl
Hj,t, nee times as much for the work as it
ought cost aud that where You spent $500 rs
for Labor YOU should only have spent SOO You attempt
to explain this vast disprOpOrOn by saying that some OF
this labor was devoted 10 reaying old plank on some
records also that the ordinary cost oil
laying the new plank IS neeeSSry uepie ' t I,I
quadruped. The Association would observe 10 you tnat
If your statement TIE truet the cost IN every case mas
been quadruplcd-you should Sul have spent only $500
and this leaves 100000 unacc0uhted Io AZ 10 uu t'
ment that there other piers beside the q named m
your vouchers on which some labor was expended III re
laying old plank. the Association submits 70 you ,.t u
this true yet that as tho main bulk OF your repairs
with 1889 feet Of new lumber on q peers c3nd ohE
cost 5000 few dosuory repairs IN relayhE Od lhDtf
other piers could not possibly ABSORB tue o'hcr S'oo'
G. The Association charged that while you claim TO
have Land 1898 feet Of lumber on the piers, ~ TACT
more than $3.50 feet OF 1t could be iound lhero reg.
ing 10000 feet lumber missing 10 tIS charge YOU i
cIposC denial; giving III defense what puIp0rt 10 nc
extracts from reports OF Sarvc,s mace 10y your spct
tendCnt, engineers, aud dock builder, ana ehpanlus
that although the missing 10000 feet IS not 10 h' per
ccivcd by Inspection II Is lao &c su'''r ~
thc piers IA other words thai the PlanhnS Is Iin
double. II IS enough 10 say oil TINS ingenious cApNua
ton that the surveyors OF THIS Association male an
allowance OF - TO Ptl cent "a All oaSCS lO Vo' "
plauktug. and their estimate Was hascd on tIal allu"
auce. But il Is possible TO settle this question dchntH
ana for that purpose the Association h"" prCloseS ma
yOu shall appoint person TO meet another parry
selected by the Association That these TWO hl Glucose
curate evidence Of the amount Of lninbcr lmd $500,
adaVIts annexed 10 your answer 10 appears That out
half piers aud 60 full picrs owned by The city you
- OF them that they kept in good condition by you
More. that while spent the year ending July l. 1865
Ss H. 10 repair Il piers only r. ont oil this number are
now so certified to be- in COCA condition What prevented
your obtaining certificates nom all the others, since you
hadcerthcates already drawn up and ior sg
nature among CsseCs and others may be easily ulcred
one OF the parties applied to 10y your department to sign
scented To- HIM to the Association This gentleman held
Gam sS@a %S COM a1a e a a1' h, ,e o @
which consequence OF tho neglect OF your department
he was compelled 10 make himself As inducement TO
procure his signature IL utimatcd 70 hun hy your
department thai ms claim woudb paid But The Associa-
ton Will submit 10 you few illustrations OF The man
ncr IN which have done this TelsiiHg as an cAlana
ton (Which sou have neglected 10 mako OF how tho
money wasted. One OF the dumping boards used by
Tho SrCctt leaning Contractor found 20 De out OF
pair. Has superintendent employed competent deck
builder TO estimate what The repairs Wouid coat The
dock-Buildcr estimated them 81 SEQ and agreed 10 do
them Tor that sum. The superintendent then apphcd 10
your department 10 know II hc mistt proceed 10 nave
them done tl.t price. our department refused per
mission and immediately sent o.! WormCn (whose daily
wages average s. 81 10 81 to The dumping board and kpt
them there about four weeks to do repairs estimated at
only SO. This statement IS made to the Association by
ing Contractor in has letter annexed 10 YOUR answer
speaks OF your piompneSs and satisfactory pc1ormapce
OF the repairs II would DC sinEnalH th Eu worm ol
work had not been properly performed by ~ men ioi
The inspectors " the Assoo.aou In their Investigation
Of the condition ~ the piers ana the work done tcc ad
ample opportunity 10 observe the mode hy which your
bills Tor lahnrcis ontsulptd any just proportion 10 lne
repairs made. Upon one pier on !hc East River where
NJ WOlk, one inc NfOin NiOh
on m stated that C could take two men aud do the labor
OF eeht 81 your tinpoN,s, oh a"hSr ioi ~ W. i'St
ldVcrlhc inspectors saw sank :" apoT l'i 90 your
men who arrived at the pcI al go o'clock Tine foreman
of the work trimming the ragged ends OF
some ~ tbe pankue on the per Nme c "lhcr slA men
sat idly 10y pie of lumber watching the operation.
In the course Of hour the four men having cut and
fitted new plank INTO one oil the places needing repair
the foreman called the roll Of the ten WOIknen, ana dis
tools, put on their coats, and go h"h" The Nhhnhstr
Of the pier who also signed letter ancAt9 10 youi AN
sven told the Inspectors OF the Association that that was
the way the Corporation work was done"
And now the Association would sci You right respect
IrCheusiyc and safe" plan presented to the Lc
gisature by Mayor Hoffman Tor rebuilding
days Of the Legislative session proposed act was miro
duccd, by which certain city officials would have The
splendid job OF erecting an entire set Of new piers ana
wharycs harbOr. The details Of the work and the
expenditure for were 10 be cit 10 them they were 10
unlimited number of years an unlimited sum IN HE Hg
ercgate 10 do such rebuilding. Tho Association that
iObs Would thus be iuau2uratrd aud that before il Was
completed tlOO $4,000 Of debt would Ice fastened on
the citizens of New-Nork This "cOnpTcAcnsNe," but
not Wso nor safe plan was therefore opposed By the
Association IN the discharge Of MS duty 10 defend the
the CITIZENS Association has done 10 secure comptthtn
Sve system OF wharvcs and piers for our city, isenoush
that for several 10 has dbOfcd 10 Ohde the
management o; our wharf property to the REPRESENTA-
lives OF the great shipping and commercial interests OF
our city on the 3Oth 81 October, 1861 call Tor meet
ing issued by the Association, nunenusly hged by
our leading shipping merchants, manufactures, ana
change. Nov. 5, 1867, and well attended
byOur merchants At this meeting large committee
was appointed composed Of the MOST prominent men In
the city, including merchants, manufactures, banker
urists aud engineers. 10 prepare bill To be lesentedto
the Legislature. such bill prepared by the Com
nittee and the Association. and IN II the charge ~ the
wharyes and piers given 10 ten citizens representing
the commercial and shipping interests of ths city. VIZ
John Taylor Johnston Samuel sloan, Jeremiah T.. Robin
son John :. Williams David DoWs seymour J.. Hustled
Francis W. G.. Bellows Cornelius n. Garrison. George NJ
S Y Sl and Rroyt and IN, Controller OF tIis civ
liz X
pers To persons who would rebuild them Ia uniform
and durable shape. The city aud The aNpayCis were
not To be one dollars for such rebuilding and
the Improvement DE effected private capital aud en-
terprZc were 20 accomplish all Ihis act received The
support Chamber ol Commerce, the ShiI-OWnCft
Association. the railroad companies. the steamship Ines