New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-28

Ring. and the city officials have far less excuse
for their action than those of the State had.
And there is no especial consolation to the tax
payer in being told that the city contracts 10
not take so much of his money at time as the
canal contracts usually did. Ten of Commits
sioner Thompson's 1899 orders mean about the
same thing to the taxpayer as Slu,ooo con-
tract, and it would probably be found that tne
losses to the city under this unbalanced Diu
system far exceeded those brought upon inc
State by the Canal Ring within similar periou
of time.
In looking over the old Canal Ring hgures'
we are imI rcssed with the comparative ihoueI"-
ton of the contractors, who were neverth eie e,
thought to have pretty good appetitcs for puon'
money in their day. In the Port schuyler con
tract. which was let at $4,000 for part OF inc
work and on which the payments amounted 70
1855. 900, the contractor agreed 10 90 l'ooo
cubic wards of rock excavation nj %Z yard
He was so well satisfied with this rate that ne
did 10000 yards. In list of 80 OF Commls-
siOner Thompson's contracts, when mas Deeh
printed in THE TRIBUNE, we fnd-throwlng
aside the Onc-ccnt and ten-ccnt bids-only one
contract as low as 81. The rule is nearer 81,
81 and even So. To John Slattery Mr..
Thomson paid the extraordinary price on one
contract of $50 a cubic yard; to j. w. OGrady,
$50. We doubt If any of the canal contracts
will show parallel TO this.
The contrast between the old Ring prices for
earth excavation and those Mr.. Thompson has
been paying is striking enough. For example,
in q contract on the extension of the Chenang0
Canal the contractor bid for 10000 cubic yards
of earth excavation at 40 cents-about fifteen
cents over the then market price. He induced
the officials to raise the price arbitrarily to 50
cents and then joyfully shovelled out 49,, 900
yards, or induced the inspectors to certify to
that amount The contractor in one OF the
Blacl, Rock IIarbor contracts thought it a com
Portable feature in his contract that excavation
was paid for at 45 cents cubic yard. Upon
the lower lock at West Troy the contractor dug
out-or the officials said he dug out-3O, 900
cubic yards of earth at 80 cents. In the bort
SCHUYLER contract the price ut which 10000
wards of earth were dug was % cents. This last
was considered then and there fair price.
How do Mr.. ThOmpsOn's prices compare with
these lie is paying John Brady on one con-
tract eight dollars a cubic yard for digging dirt;
and Michael Finn and d. X. Gallagher nearly
as much-$7 90 and s. 50 respectively. Here
are some others of Mr.. ThOmpsOn's prices per
cubic yard for digging dirt To Hugh Duffy,
So O5 John Brady, 50 20; WIG. Reilly, 81 90
J. Baird, 81 10; John Brady, 81 10; John
Klnsley, 81 John Phclan, % cents G. ID.
Miner, 50 cents; II. Tone, 50 cents; j. W.
O'Grady, 20 cents. Such prices would have
made the mouths of the old Canal Ring water.
The contracts let under the Department of
Public Works are unbalanced to a degree
which seems most eXtravagant in comparison
with the canal contracts. In the latter there
was often a certain degree Of what might be
called harmony in the unbalancng. But Com
missioner ThOmpson's contractors seem To have
been troubled by no Scrupcs. Michael Finn bid
81 30 "a cubic yard for digging dirt and 30
cents a cubic yard for taking out rock. The bid
was accepted So was u. X. Gallagher's bid of
So 80 per yard for earth and one cent per yard
for rock so also John Bradys bid of So per
yard for earth and Onc-q quarter of one cent per
yard for rock. For rock excavation Mr..
Thompson accepted bids running from one cent
to $50 per cubic yard for timber from one cent
for n thousand feet to $50.
Is Mr.. Thompson an imbccilc that he did not
know what these unbalanced bids mcant7 In
every proposal he reserved the right to reject
any and all bids "prejudicial to the public in
terest" That he did not do 80, but accepted
such bids as these, is a fact IN the highest degree
disgraceful TO him as public officer.