New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-11-27
OUR LOST COMMERCE.
TaMMANY ADMINISTRATOR OF THE
DOCKS

DOCkS
,rs Ru1Nors Effect UPON THE SHIPPING IN
rERrsTS OF NEW -YORK-FINE DOLLARS Lost
ON EVERY TUN or MERCHANDISE-A PROMPT
REFORM URGENTLY NEEDED.
That the members of the Dock Department
have directly appropriated for their individual benefit
any OF public moneys shat they have shared tn"
profits the fraudulent contracts made, has not been
explicitly proved. but that they have expended large
without improving the commercial facilities OF this
port removing the existing evils is s'lfFNiden'.
On the 81 of May, 1870. the Department was or
sanizcd with powers to provide "the best method
mpro, the front and barbor OF the CITY OF
New York Il. new system Of wharNes piers, COCKS.
basins. and slips which should accommodate the com
mcrcc Of The y and barber and the fut ire expansion
th, ro aud rrovnc for the transportation OF freight
along the whole front" The wharf property had
boon for wears one Of the principal for augment
lux the powr. the Ring marnates. II leased Ivy
Them r,arr al eNtortona,e rates. OF moderate
charges wcr, urd by the payment "f bonus before
hand or course the amount paid for IT. use, which was
most -riou, Graw back to Trade. was Glwhys NOR" than
double. AID often five times ~ great - fhr d"hn' re-
,rlved 10y thc city.
The Committees az ilc l. c~tnrc appointed In 1867 10
.,annuc into the cuiuiIon Of ~iIrvc> reported that
i.cy iogni Io WoorLaN,1cd administration Of law or
ordinance cuEt,uilr directing this m,Hcn-c prop
,rty; at jh sips fast film; up from the sewers
ol III, ;iy aud the luhIc rndnn&crcd lay the accuuu-
we're o,>! iuccd and entirely Inadequate Cor tho
proper ~ l.>,iN at al charge of uerchamdi~" and that
rccaud ci tlgdc were ~Gt rnG and nnpIorlny
I,lirf. H. :io.o' Commerce. ma r. port upon he
same M. 'c'. ,.ia.
'rl, Va. '"w'nc',"" f "nr "H c"ns,','nE ~ NOR"
tau thIc" fonts. 81 &C. ~ the hole country,
>..c'"i uj'rn wrah. NARROW and uncovered piers,
VA .,Gu:d pr"' cu 1" mrrchind>c from sun, IRE,
ro storm. and tIctt. From This exposure there saiNo-
GtC, V:ut,J,ir under tn" present system,
,d Ie,S are Greatly aggravated by the fact
Il ali ~, t.t> lIf
II ic;tcd at di>ia'rr from the mp
i,, -, i,uIs i ,l, co.n,ncr.c OF The mort j. ~ elected
" uua,c,,. AL c\p nsivc carriage. ami. IN '"'s "'
:ro,.> o.G IL ;n' i"r icsnm M. a. nl' 'Hi vr
NJ d. r.. ul :" tie lie liiicn Of bu-lIr s. hich
follow troir Iuc.,Y. warehouses adtdu,c nom the
~lplluc. hen oI ndinc fac iliir> arc taLcn mt" ar'
'o,t. COM - ""u~y here N'c IN respect '"'lla;'
,Iaurricc. m,ahAe", insurance. lr"hcrIS'. sale de-
livery. c,utrn- in. "'ti'u, w'r h"n'l'-, 'Wlm"h,,
t"'n"nT N,i.". Smh--ue plano" NIX. ana NP"S''' "
the WEALTH."
arcIndy Il, C,.noui.trc u-' led The Widening of
tu., eI.ci crr tie front, she construction OF
-c saN. ava h hrilGnc al wharNcS supported J.! iron
,Iuuu., Win WJ:rl"I>cs II "ur STONES tht on. ana
II ans ho.I lee ,Jriird oul Nv private enterprise.
VIE, t'r 4 ,.a D';Ir'nrut WAS "rcLuiz" 7. hH'h ~
g., ,,"rie lld icen 'uadc. aud The p1h rr"i">"d Us
a. ,lai.rr o rec had be-, ~ approved i'N hry
cmir, and merchants The ASSERTION "HH
made 10y 80, 80. Ti,tS"n ~ Cow !L,In, i Gd"l aDd
nuiuc,oh. other u'chant tia" II II could hc carried ont
>5wr u N"uld bc saved ON al! ;od- shipped from
N,a \ url whNcs. TUe mailer fHlr prescribed 10
NE DcIItEcl, AMI private m"niH '"Iiul c'rd 7" ii"
rd with the nnpru,c mcnls al once. GEar1nicr~ were
ni. red that the ciy should mcur damage. ana dat
!ic city property trqurcd should hc paid The"
,iiion- how rr served only 81, "f dcfrd They
acre o,l0>c "a that tenet of Tamnany iilli whI,h
uru>, Ii. all mIruN ncis except hose nad IL ia"
-. oi tin corporation. which IN; 4" l"~~"r
la, approximations and swindlIu: tcon1Iic'~ 1&c
proposition therefore. hcld III bci an,r 80 Ion: that
considered Iti,c tcd. The Depart ,n ""A year
drI,hrat,, expanding meanwhile rOInr hundreds Of
iuyS pf
th,rchy ai!or,ng opportunity 10 the COZ rnW Tam
nuy employees 10 plumber and o>eirharSc III u" r own
peculiarly fucie manner. Tho plan OF Improvements
ended upon really of little momcHt {" the Beard
provided they had the nani ulatlOn OF the l> and the
nded by the Committee Of tlc Chamber
Of Commerce. adopted April Is, 1871.
For year and half this Department, has had
authority over all the wharf property, without rcm"N-
ine one Of the cAaCtons on commerce.
Tlo Increase ought to decrease the proper
sonae cost Of tIau>;ctine it, hut tho result the re-
verse. Tho at the prc-' Ut time VI n,"rng and
shipping tln "f mcrthaud,so TO the West
finu this port will exceed that "i Mc years
,eo 10y than s.; Boston, Philadelphia and
Baltimore. by reason of their better infringement
{. Id WIN, t,gc arc exempt from. tins increase
and are pr,tcti cally cost Of transportation
concerned 500 miles nearer the West" In TINS
les the cause the dec line Of the trade Of III" port I'll"
creased and the decreased Transportation On
The canals aid railroads of Ncwlorh. and Va" absolute
n~si The sugar. cones anu WOOL me ~
o,urc goods rc theft ana weather Is J"-LS great
4, IL was wears The haror master, -tcNcd"Ic and
long ,lncnian plumber the ships they come tn port.
Tn, hant. III former days rents hS per from
some Ring official at who-e beck aud call h un>l remain.
and Is ohargcd the under III" "rneD Dock Depart
Icut as when under the street tuEnu> >i'n"r aud his
icputy William VI. Tweed IN lSr5 the rent received
rom l. wharf pio" riA Amounted TO s:7?4I3 81 Ac
.rlinc to he Trctsurcrs report Of the Dock Depart
mt the amount received from The same properly from
Ma, d. 1870. Apri' 80. ls;1 WAS sioh a. which, h""
,cr includes Ii2U,5 collected 10y the Controller from
ht rents Of lsCg making The actual amount received
or $50 <2?a - ,:'?1 " les III >;n than col
c,tcd aud paid over h, Tweed I~.i. That the cny
.ould rand at hr revenue ~ tn, property Is
VI little nome compared wilt lie innrI M rtd upon
.nirrcc IN IN, Preparation vi 'h' i"n' IA o,,ary
The frauds
In 1sG; IN. n,,inl"r ~ TINS Winch i,--'i III"
yhar,cs of III" cy WIS I@l'.' !'''nmins the state
,,ut TINT au ~ r-,,ssrv .Apcn" - lev bad Mha f.r
WIS caused each al these. h -i">> an"un lost ""uld
q. S,a.a;7l2 IL would have +rn far better for the
,roApert, Of the cit, n the Dock ID rtnrnt had sold
,onds for that aomni. and di id the pr"",c. Imone
he mc,nlers oi lay Iuc d.a>i"u>y n''dt.s
AK upon conuncirc. But 'h- mann"r ia" Enc
Aisle. AAuDN nO anlnaly in ud"r {" effect a.
hrft- The last report o The L', Ia "i al" -
.rtnlcnt shows that tn luun.gr ri N'"-f"rh ~ de
leased c.lc9 tui, below the preceding year. Tie I"iH
manage of the rr, ~ 1914 Wa q!; ;,Ii,,. "N
aus mere than he number of t,> Ir-t IN .N9. a> of
81 tun over Baltimore aud l,,>'"r. years
viii drive every lun Of si.IlnDG ii"ir oar ruit.
But startling thc-r fact. arr. the policy winch
ne Department proposes Cor The iutLre >t
,,,r,uuc They prol"> Widen the >tlcr; 4loI,. he
water f,out, bald The Wal ,lri tlr pnI, (Which
n, Engineer .siInMi.S will cost s-npm@U Tor nl.r,j
aid charge rent on the pef> "u'''.rn; 10 pay the
interest," on IN. cost and eihhing-Iund mat will
,,y the whole in twenty ,oii- 1h-, they is max
No the wharf property -' sustaining. and NIL give
ey free wharfage In due cour~- of tim" They do
,n,,posr to allow any warehouses ~ he erected
III the whsrvcs as l., tie Judgment - This Department
20 build or permit private enterprise 7" bni.
,,elouse. wonld " IN effect cortrate athc prop.