New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-06-06
BROOKLYN WATER FRAUDS.
THE RHODES PATENTS.

Much surprise is expressed that the Brook"
Ign Board Of City Works in s oppressive system OF op
eratons permitted by the new charer 10 CON
tnue Its mode OF proceedings, and that the
are retained In Office until January 1870 IL Is s'eu
by taxpayers that II tho recent revelations Oh i'S
OF fayortism and oppression had been MADE sooner o
Board would have been abolished its powers abridged
and the Commissioners removed when the new ohar'er
became law In addition to the fayoritsm tha' pre-
walls In tho purchase Of sewerppes, stopcocAs anu
rammers 1t appears that large amount OF money GA
pended yearly for The water mains when arc useu W
distribute the water throughout the city by tne Doau
of CITY Works, which has this exclusively IN
charge. The pipes or mains are OF Nar'ou'
Sizes and Of three qualities or degrees OF suensu
Proposals for their purchase are not au'or'ou' ~
three frmsconssting respectively Of friends OF tue
three Commssionersare invited to send In proposals
for furnishing tho pipes The whole matter OF specimen
tions proposals. and awards is conducted III inc most
secret manner; only these three firms are per''eu
see the specleatOns or to offer bids for furnishing the
pipes and the usual method OF combination Is
TO by the favored firms, who agree to unite IN
the pipes. This combination makes the oiuunk i"i
as far as competition is concerned, for 1t might as wen
he done nv ono firm as by these business allies The
bids and contracts are drawn to afford opportunity
for fraud The money for the payment for these pipes
IA drawn in gross amounts by the Board OF City morA
from the Controller and payment made upon inc cer
Acate of an employee OF the Board who states that Cer
tain mines have been received Three qualities OF pipes
and FIVE or six sizes have TO DO iurhlsheu'
The pipes which have been LAID may have
heen Of tho poorest quality and tho smallest
size, and the payments been made accordhHy'
vet upon the books OF the Department there may dc
chargedas it is claimed is actually the iaet III many
oases-arger amounts paid for the hrst quarry ana ior
larger sized pipes OF the pipes are hidden from
view In the streets, and taxpayers calling IN question
the correctness OF their taxes the cost OF laying te
ppea have no means OF asceraining tho facts oil the
The same contractors who do the work under the
BOARD of City Works had the contracts under the Nassau
Water Board DULY one contractor has been permitted
for years TO lay pipes The gates and sopcocks are all
furnished by company, and new patent nre NY
dran-inferor to the old onehas been adopted by inc
Board and placed in different localities throughout ING
city at nearly double the COST This Is done Tor the eSp
eia benefit Of Mr. Rhodes who controls the patent IL
frequently happens that persons require large pipes ana
bvdrants extended into their premises with the
view of using them for shipping and other purposes.
This work can only be done by John H. Rhodes'
not officially as Water Puryeyor but individually ana az
plumber The bills for the work are In his nanle' ana
when payment made he gives receipt Yet the pipes
are said TO belong city, and the fire MIGRANTS are
suspcousy Of the pattern those paid for by the
city, The men who lay the pipes are in the employ OF
the Water Board. and they occupy their time between
doing Mr. Rhodes's private work and performing the
work Of the city The tools which are used belong TO
the city All this Is in consonance with private con-
tract which John II. Rhodes has made individually
with the Board OF City Works, through John H. Rhodes
Water Purveyor Of the Board
Reporers of TIE TRIBUNE have been engaged for sew
eral days in obtaining particulars from plumbers of
the encroachments Of the Board Of City Works. What
has been CLEANED has been furnished reluctantly as the
plumbers dread to the dispeasure Of the Water
Purveyor who. the slightest pretext refuses them
permits TO make connections between residences aud
the streets, or to do ordinary plumbing work More
than 40 plumbers were visited All the late measures OF
Mr. Rhodes, the Water Purveyor, meet with their I'M
qualified disapprova The patent watercock, for which
he receives royalty from the McNab aud Harlan Man
ufacturng Company this city, which has the exclu
sye right make It, especially exctes the derlson OF
practical plumbers who that II is utterly unsuited
for the purpose. and s moreover easily tempered with
Again 1t can only be used where the pipe is exposed
ana vet It bursts readily freezing, ON account OF It's
thin walls Some curious circumstances narrated as
To the manner OF the introduction OF the
cock certain brass hnisher IN BROOKLYN
previous to the introduction OF this COCK
had submitted other kinds TO the Board which were
found satisfactory accepted and stamped by order
of Mr. Rhodes. As soon however, as the latter intro
dueed his patent stopstOek Others were permitted
IN he used and the manufacturers OF the other cocks
were requested not 10 attempt to dispose OF their stock
ON hand under a penalty. They went to Rhodes and
stated their case, but the Water Puryeyor was mex
orahe and the cocks were not used The absurdty OF
the whole matter is apparent when 1t Is recoected that
Rhodes Is a member OF the Board Of City Works. and
passed the cocks which he serward refused to accept
The cocks cost s. since the revelations
THE tribune have been reduced in price to 81 TO- The
kinds formerly In cost 81 80 In spite Of the fear OF
Rhodes entertained by the plumbers the latter purchase
the cocks only when necessary and keep no stock on
hand and several refused to have anything what
ever to do with them having others made according TO
designs which experience has shown to be adapted for
the purpose Some Of them are plumbers whose high
standing In the business and known probty would make
them gerOus enemies and they are not molested
Yet they dare not act openly in the matter Owing to
all these causes the cocks have not had large sale
as was originally designed.
The Water PHrveyor, too has patent rammer. for
bounding down earth In filling excavations. The ram
mers formerly in OF wood with bar OF lead
sunk through the middle Their form at the base
broad and circular. The weight Of these from eight
to ten pounds they could be welded easily cost less
than the new ones and found TO pack the earth
firmly The new rammer the of which, like that OF
the cocks Is compulsory is and oblong at the
base like brick, weighs q pounds, and costs than
the other Practically, too, 1t is clumsy and useless.
Comparatively few of them are in use plumbers
absolutely refusing TO handle them at ALL When they
were introduced attempts made enforce the rule
compelling their use, whereup0n many OF the smaller
plumbers became frightened and purchased them.
The older plumbers and those doing larger business
were firm In their oppOsi ion TO the OF them the
rule Is not as vigorously enforced formerly
CARDS the Weather plumbers In the case OF the small
plumbers however the rule receives rigid inter
probation now ever and several VI them who have
not provided themselves with the rammer have been
officially informed Of their neglect In The matter the
thcaton being accompanied with O threat OF fine
Suspension OF license IN OF noncompliance with the
order. The plumbers indignant the injus
tce OF fOistng patent hammer on Them than they
in reference the stopcOck business Ia the former
.lgua nVnga In
the latter they reimbursed for any additional out
lay by their employers. Tue senior member OF Of
the oldest and DestknOWn plumbing firms In Brook
lyn said 10 tho reporter: 1.-THE patent cock
matter concerns the public, but not We
IL. md for akea