New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-04
WEMPLE'S CANAL TRAFFIC.
THE TRICK BY WHICH HE SOUGHT TO EvADE
RESPONSIBILITY.
REIINoUsHING A CLAIM TO PROFITS ON ONE
CONTRACT HIS VIEW OF WHAT MAKES
OFFICIAL DECENCY AND INTEGRITY.
tBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUSEI
A

CONTRACT HIS VIEW or WHAT MAKES
OFFICIAL DEcENcY AND INTEGRITY.
lBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsEJ
| Albany. Nov. 3.-Controler Wemple Yesterday
furnished TO the newspapers. through his organ
mere, The Albany Argus" copy of his stipula-
uon not to take any share of the profits of the firm
OF William B. Wemples Sons m its contract to fur
nlsh motors for the canal locks which have been
heightened. The sum which the firm received
was $4,000. Below is copy of this stipulation
OF Mr. Wemple that all the profits of the contract
Shall be taken by his brothers:
i hereby assign and release TO Nicholas Wemple and
nilam H. WeInple, all my interest and claim which
l have or may have had IN and to proposal and
contract for work and material for the furnishing
OF machinery for the locks of the Erie Canal entered
and me- and dated on or about tho eighteenth day Of
august 1883, and have received nothing upon or
1y y, reason thereof and having had no substantial
interest therein or IN the proceeds thereof, now
consent that they take that contract and execute the
same upon their own responsibility and at their own
making any consideration therefor
In witness thereof, L have hereunto set my hand
ana SEAL this 26th day OF september, 1888.
EDWARD wEMPLE.
In presence Of GEORGE II. BIRCHAI1~
The reader Of this document naturally inquiries
Who is Birchall?' The reply can be found in
Controller Wcmple's list Of his clerks IN the Con-
troller's Department. Mr.. Birchall has charge of
the canal accounts. He is also a notary public;
and this was doubtless one Of the reasons
why he was called away from his
desk to attest Controller Wempe's signature:
~ Is furthermore reported that it was Deputy
Controller Westbrool, lawyer, who advised
Controller Wemple that by signing such a stipu-
lation he would escape from an liability to i'm.
peachment and removal from Office. One can
imagine Controller Wempe saying to Deputy
Controller Westbrook:
=" See here,' WestbroolS I want you to help
me at getting around the law which says that
no State officer shall be interested pecuniary in
State contract. You know that Elnathan Sweet,
jr, the president Of the Hilton Bridge Company.
gets contracts 10 build canal bridges and that
get sub.contracts from him. No one can say that
L have State contract in such case; for, Of
coulse, 1t is obvious that the States money
mains for one second in Sweets pockets before
it reaches mine, but now 1 o contract in
sight where my firm can do business directly with
the State. How can my firm of William B. Wem-
pies Sons take the contract and not get into
scrape?'
why, sign stipulation that you will not
take any of the profits of such a contract one
heaB Westbrooh reply. Then the stipulation was
drawn up Birchal was called in from his desk in
the Controllers office, and Mr.. Wemple affixed his
signature to the stipulation. Some voters, at
least, even in the Democratic party, will be
shocked to know that State officer thus en-
deavored to dodge the law prohibiting such action
by him. AS The Albany Evening Journal Of
last night well says
Mr.. wemple must be aware that partnership can;
TIE SS S. Of pross hs' O sssS su@ Work t dns he h2g an
The s1 ana ans Sr aGa S other % sa1 sSas s
Sartnership was dissolved for few hours is silly
Nor could Controller wemple escape from the
awkward position of auditing that Dill OF the frm
Of William B. Wemple's Sons. There is no record.
cut down the bill rendered by Nicholas Wemple
and William H. Wemple his brothers, as mem
bprs of the firm Of William B. Wemples Sons
for furnishing these motors H2% a many ysmSe se,S 81
SONS? Is one set inscribed, Contracts with the
State through third parties" in which Edward
Wemple has royal share IS anothet not set In H.
which Edward Wemple files stipulation that ms
brothers shall have all the profits surely 1t Is 10
be feared that a clumsy bookkeeper might some day
mngle the two accounts and Edward Wemple take
icnGrantlv the money derived directly rom the
State But there is only one thought among yot.
ers about this matter, that it Is scandalGus tnat
State officer should be compelen 10 niaKe IKE. Suc o
an explanation of his conduct. No man wlth an
acute sense Of official honor would nave taken
either sub-contracts for state WORK, or nave PCT
mittcd his business firm to faRe & MI,, hs weaker
than this statement by Mr.. Wemple:
The firm Of Wemples Sons has Furnished @ macnhS p1d
10 many parties among Others 10 thc Hll3n IN,
Company Tho Hilton Bridge COMPANY. mas ohn hd
some bridges for the State. but me S'aIe nas ~
no part whatever in the transactions penwceu Inn, u
drm OF William b. Wempc's Sons ana inc s, III, nIl'vn ~,
Rridce Company and the firm OF William Is. MenRle }
sons has had no part whatever In inc
between the Hilton Bridge Company ana IN" suios
The Hilton Bridge Company personally pad Ncnpic III,
SONS for what they bought, the same as any o'n'i
individuals.
No man with delicate sense. OF ofliclal re-
sponsibility would offer any such eNcIS'. ~
simply Is that, as long as there was mld,leIa1 1
between himself and the State Treasury ne @ Iau
perfect right to take such contracts But ms h9w
about the embarrassment OF auditng ,,i ,ne oii' ID
Of the middlesnen or those OF William ID.
Wcnple's Sons Was there not d;ln"r ,tiag ,1ss
fine auditing officers judgment might De dISapleu =:
by his own personal and pecuniary interest hIa IN
the matter Mr. Wemple furnishes one valu"pIo qIo
statement in his attempted eXplanatloh' he
says: ~ 1. 1907 nc Com
troller the firm had furnished m"ferlaiS ior
II WAS an old custom then with Mr., Wemple
70 get canal contracts from his poliuca niE, aIiE,
James Shanahan, the Supcrlntendent o, Iupmo Io
Works. PERHAPS it is not to be wondereu aD tlosS
he dslilxed to surrender such pr0it'iDie ousfJ oIfJ
upon his election as Controller. But ne wonna rna
have better chance of reelection as OohUoNo'