New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-24
FORCED TO BUY FROM FAVORED FIRMS.

CONTRACTORS COMPELLED TO GET MATERIALS FROM
MR. THoMPsoN's FRIENDS.
The manner in which large sums of the citys
money have been and are being expended 10 DehehI
the political and personal friends of the Com MS
sioner of Public Works is illustrated by the state
ment made to a TR BUNE reporter by George W.
RAYMOND manager in this city for the firm OF Gus
g. Cor slime manufacturers Of vitrihed dram and
sewer pipe at Rochester.
Mr.. RAYMOND said: THE manner in which the
CITY has been and is being robbed and defrauded at
every turn has been well shown up and denounced
by The TRIBUNE, which deserves the gratitude of
every taxpayer in the city. l have been wei ac-
nuainted with the methods of the Department OF
Pnblc Works during the whole of Mr.. ThOmpsons
term of office, and can safely say that during the
entire time not one manufacturer OF supplies and
materials used in that department in this clty-e1-
cepting of course, the few fayOrites OF those In
authority-haS been allowed to furnish the contrac-
tors with anything, although many were ready TO
do SO at much less to the cityin cases Tar
less than one-half the paid the favored firms.
and to furnish better material at that No con-
tractor is allowed to purchase what he needs from
any but the favored one and if he does order from
Others the materials or work will not be accepted
by the engineers.
"All supplies of drain and sewer pipe, inverts,
etc, must be purchased of George w. RAIDER Il Co.
successors to j. Nelson one of Boss weeds favor
ites-at a great deal higher prices than many firms
in the city are willing to furnish them for. All
1nanhole heads etc, mast come from Maurice b.
Flynn; all bricks from Roe IL Denman-and on
to the end of the chapter.
81 have been told by dozen contractors that
they were obliged to buy of those firms named or
have their work rejected and they subjected to
loss.
7 n r,iir fr,1 Nv
because they attempted TO do good work for the city
and to purchase their materials where they could
get the best for the least money. This work
rejected for no good reason and il caused their ruin
~. Delenovese, a large contractor, who is now
building the sewer in Eleventh-ave. between Sew
enty-sixth and Eighly-sixth-sts directed
where 10 buy materials and bought them
Ill he found that he getting only about 600
bricks while paying for 1000"
flames Eyerard, another contractor, agreed with
Otis & GOrslne for certain sewer pipe to be raid in
Seyenteth-street between First-ave., and avenue
A. but Engineer Toule forced him to break his con-
tract and purchase the pipe of RAIDER Co. In order
TO test the matter Otis GOrslne delivered the pipe
In Seventieth-sts, and it was rejected by Mr..
Towle. The same pipe was then removed to Sew
entieth-st., between Second and ThiId-aves.,
to Contractor John McCabe, and examined by MIR.
Towle himself, who, on being told that it came
from RAIDER d. Cos, accepted it,"
"Favorlte contractors have frequently drawn ali
the money coming TO them under the completed
contract long before the work had been completed.
For instance, in the sewer contract for One-hun-
red-audfOrty -sixth-sts., and st. Anns-ave James
W. 0'Grady was the contractor, and when liens
were flied in the Finance Department of the
city to secure payment for materials furnished
and labor performed, it found that
the money under the contract had all been
drawn although under the statute about six weeks
were vet allowed in which lenr could be filed. In
the suit which followed and which was tried before
Jerome Buck referee, the defence put in by the
ity aud OGTady was that the certificate of the
engineer that the contract was completed constitut
ed an acceptance by the city. This was opposed by
the argument that acceptance by the city must be
by the department having charge of the work and
not by the engineer, and the referee so decided ON
last Monday.
In all the cases mentioned know that the city
had to pay from 90 TO 100 per cent more for the
work done than would have been necessary under
an honest system OF letting contracts