New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-19
MR.. FISH FIRES HOT SHOT.
A SCATTERING IN DEMOCRATIC CAMPS.

A SCATTERING. IN DEMOCRATIC CAMPS.
If THE AoUEDUcr COMMISSIONERS HAD oNLH
THOUGHT HOW Mr.. CLEvELANDs ExECU-
TIVE COMMITTEE MIGHT BE In.
voLvED. TIE RESOLUTION
WOULD PROBABLY
HAVE BEEN
TABLED.
The Aqueduct Commissioners were all In thcif
places at the meeting yesterday except General
Newton and Mr. Baldwin. Twenty-Five inspectors
of masonry were appointed-two of them being
veteran soldiers On the motion Of Mr.. Fish IL
was ordered that the veterans should be the first
placed on duty and pay.
An opinion from Corporation Counsel Beekman
regarding the question as to whether the retained
10 per cent on contracts and other money due
contractors could be used for the purpose OF
repairing defective work read. The Counsel
says that an amount sufficient to repair defective
work may be retained, but IL an unjustifable
amount was withheld the contractor would have q
cause Of action at law A motion that the chief
engineer be directed to act in accordance with the
opinion adopted
A STATEMENT FROM Mr. RIDGwAY
Mr.. Ridgway then offered the following states
ment which was read and placed on file:
Mr. President / notice that Of the daily papers
frequently charged that the engineers estimates for
ready s9 COO had paid for this work,
or $40 900 excess engineers estimates FOR
the information OF the public press which evidently mis-
apprehended msrepresened the facts wish TO state
there any made By the engineers
of the Acueduct Commission. The records show tbas
the engineers estimate approximate quantities for con-
sructng the Aqucduct viz: Sections to IA inclusive
amounts to so and the bids received for doing
the work were figured basis OF such approximate
quantities and the total for contracts which wre aerward
awarded for doing amounts TO sl3,s01 III So
The contracts therefore awarded az the sum Of
50 919 900 than the engineers estimates The
gneers' based actual quantities amount TO
500 81 332 So this be added the OF
constructing small gatehouses the East Branch Reservoir
Dam and other that has been done ana is ths
Of construction that included in the above
estimates and this will bring the engineers estimates close
to 000 The actual amounts paid to contractors
for all classes Of contract work the Aouedue' amount
352 23 and s19 ooo has been stated
MR. FISH MAKES A FEW INQUIRIES
Mr.. Fish offered the following resolution which
adopted:
Resolved. That the Civil Service Commission bs re-
quested to report to this Commission at its earliest con.
venience:
Tine number and names of applicants examined BY
said Commission for Inspection Of Masonry the
Aqueduct since September Z, 1885.
sThe number Of examinations and the dates thereof.
held for the position.
By the papers Of applicants for inspector on
Aqueduct rated in each case and ratings Of
each examiner.
4.The number Of and Of applicants certified
by said Commission to the Aqueduct Commission eligible
for appointment inspector and tho dates when
titled
Mr.. Fish then offered another resolution, the
object of which escaped the watchfulness Of the
provided for an inquiry as TO whether any Of the
sureties of Brown. Howard & Co., the contractors
Gr na Il sb pnss psHssed in tsss ss
he bad understood that Messrs. Brce and Thomas,
who, were sureties for Brown, Howard & Co., were
really partners in the firm. AS these capitalists
are principals in the famous Brice-Thomas syndi-
cate, the senior partner of which was on Tuesday
evening elected chairman OF the Campaign Com
mittee of the Democratic National Committee.
the announcement produced no little futtering.
DEMOCRATS ALARMED AT THE STATEMENT.
Ex-Judge Hawes, counsel for Brown, Howard
& Co., to explain that Brice and Thomas
had no interest in the contracts when they became
sureties, but that they were obliged TO take hold
Of the work to save themselves from loss Dir.
IIawes intimated that this became necessary owing
to the alleged failure of Columbus K Cummings,
one of the partners of Brown, Howard & Co., but
as Mr.. Cummings is the well known gas capitalist
millions of dollars Mr.. Fish was unable to see
how this could be- Mr. Halves finally said that
he would submit written statement in explana-
tion of Mr. Bricc'S connection with the firm.
After the Commissioners adjourned, to meet
to-day at p. m., Mr.. Ridgway accused Mr.. Fish
of bringing out the fact of Mr. Brice's alleged
interest of the Republican party To this Mr..
Fish replied:
There is no politics in the Aqueduct But it is IN
structive the change that has occurred In Demo-
cratic ethics. Two years ago John o Bren was deemed
unfit to remain head OF the Democratic State Com.
mlttee he Aqueduct contractor. This
Mr. Cleveland sends his private secretary from washing
ton with an order place in charge Of his campaign
chairman OF the Executive National Committee. one Of
the partners OF Brown Howard & Co.. the hrn which
records OF this Commission show has done most Of
the bad work discovered in the AQueduct.
WHAT THE RECORDS SHOW.
The records of the Commission show that tho
contracts for Sections 2, 3, and of the Aque-
duct were made on December 20, 1884. The con-
tractors were Watson ii. Brown, Columbus K
Cummings, William b. Howard, George Chambers,
Archie j. Mclean and Duncan ID. Mclean. Tho
sureties we're Calvin ). Brice, Samuel Thomas and
Fred A. Brown. The following oath appears at
tached to each contract:
State Of New York, City and County OF New.York
/, Calvin S. Brce, of New York City, being duly
sworn do depose and say that 1 householder In
said city, and reside at No 693 Fifthave In said city,
and that am worth the OF lin OF Section
Q $780, ooo Section 8, s146o00 Section 4. s1coooo
Section g. s57 Ooo) and above all my debts and
liabilities including my liabilities bail surety other
wise and over and above all my property which "
exempt by law from execution
CALVIN s. BRICE.
Subscribed and sworn to goth OF December. 1884
JOHN DELAHANTY. o.
Notary Public.
TAXPAYERS APPEAL TO GOVERNOR HILL