New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-08-22

| that the Bridge might not be finished Deiore
the end of next year or even later has exasper-
ated them. and they have the best OF reasons
for being exasperated. Time after time they
have been deceived by the assurance that the
narticular appropriation asked for would he
sufficient for the object to which it was to be
applied. Time after time they have been be-
cuiled by false promises, while the Bridge
managers plunged their hands deeper in their
pockets. With the enormous and constantly
increasing debt which has been heaped upon
them for this scheme they are in no mood to
listen to excuses for longer delay. President
| Murphy and his supporters seem to think IL an
! all sufficient answer to complaints 10 lay Ihe
blame on Mr.. Sellers and the Edgemoor Com
pany for not supplying the steel. But VINO
were responsible for the contracts which per-
NIT Mr.. Sellers to send on the steel at MS
lesurel Mr.. Murphy and the members OF the
executive committee have never explained now
! it happened that those contracts were Drawn
up without imposing one cent of penalty on the
contractor no matter how long he might wait
before fulfilling it,
There will be a special meeting of the Bridge
trustees to-day. 1t is time for them to act, ana
to act with energy. The day for sentiment ana
for dawdling has gone by. If some one would
offer a resolution demanding the designations OF
| the officers of the company who have proved so
Wretchedly incompetent, he would earn the
approval of his fellOw-citizens. If they were
sensitive TO the Indignation of the communities
whose confidence they have betrayed tuey
would have resigned long ago. But IL Iresi-
| dent Murphy and his clique must remain In
| control, at least the company should have an
! engineer who will not treat the trustees with
| insolence. The trustees are the representa-
tivcs of the men who pay for this work. TACT
which Mr. Roebling seems sometimes to have
| ignored. He appears to have thought that II
| Mr.. Murphy and Mr. Kingsley found no fault 1t
was of very little consequence how the people
| of the two cities felt. Mr. Roebiing is an en-
cineer of distinction, and has sacrificed the
best part of his life and his health to this work
! Devotion to duty always deserves honor, but
| the public would be better pleased if Mr. RoeD-
ling's impaired health or some other cause had
not made his estimates so many millions OF
dollars out OF The way. 1t Is certain that the
company should now have an engineer-in-chicf
who will bend every energy to pushing forward
the work, who will get the Bridge finished M
the earliest possible day, and at the least adj
dtiOnal cost for which honest, substantial con-
struction can be assured. If Mr.. ROebling Can
do this and can show a spirit of decent regard
for the wishes Of the trustees and of respectful
readiness to give information which they are
entitled to have well and good. If he cannot,
another man who can should be put in his place
| Immediately Let Mr.. ROebng he retired on
pension if necessary. 1t would probably
| have resulted in great saving of money IL
President Murphy and those intimately asso-
| ciated with him had been retired on big pen
sions long ago and men of the right sort had
been put in their places. This is the day for
sharp decision and vigorous action. Let the
contracts with the elusive and evasive Mr..
Sellers be annulled, if they cannot be enforced,
and new ones made that can be. Even If the
change causes "a large present loss 1t Will he
better and cheaper in the end than to allow the
work to drag on for two or three years longer,
or until the price of steel declines so far that
NJ. Sellers will be willing TO keep his pledges.
| An engineer that will get on and contracts that
will be carried ont must be had or the enter
prise should be abandoned altogether.