New-York tribune., 1889-10-30
PRICE THREE CENTS.
WEMPLE'S CANAL BRIDGE
1T SHOULD FORFEIT HIS OFFICE OE CON.
TROLLER FOR HIM
NEW LIGHT ON THE CEILIN6.FRAUD MEMBEh
OF THE CANAL BoARD-DoING CONTRACT


WORK CONTRARY TO LAW.
Rochester, Oct 30 Special. Edward Wempls,
the State Controller, who in connection with the
big ceiling fraud has acquired reputation so
spirched with plaster that no amount Of shaklngj
busting and rubbing has been able TO clean 10,
has been bidding for other honors no less ques-
tionabe and no less peculiar to his Democratic
methods. He las been engaged in the bridge
building business for the State, and his SUPER
nuous energies have been devoted to canal
bodybuilding in particular. Now, under
the laws OF the State of New-Yors
this is Illegal, so that the ControlIer
not only is not an eligible candidate for re-elec.
tion but, according TO the law, is not legal
Controller; since he has, according TO this same
oublesome law again, forfeited his office.
Here is the law in reference to the case. 40
contained on pages 7O1 and ZOE, First Volume OF
the Seventh Edition of the revised Statutes.
Section 1856 of Chapter lsl. laws of ls4S
No canal commissioner, other member OF the Canal
Board or superintendent engineer or person holding any
appointment under the Canal Commissioners or any OF
them, under any superintendent OF repairs or o'hef
officer OF the canals shall hereafter become nteeste1 N
any hydraulic work dependent on the canals ior supply
Of water become interested in any line OF boats reeu
ary navigating the canal shall. either Directly OF h'
directly become Interested any contract the canals as
otctoF surety oerWe either In his own name OF III
Of any other person. or shall Directly or lh'
directly, derive benefit from the Ordinary OF 'Ns''
ordinary expenditures the canal beyond his essohea
compen saton and any canal commissioner, memper Oh
the Canal Board superintendent or engineer OF pers"h
holding any appointment under the Canal Commissoners
or any OF them, under any superintendent OF To
pairs or other officer or the canals shall at any time here
after become interested dye any benefit - Aforesaid
he shall forfeit his office or appointment
Mr. Wemple, by virtue of the Office OF Con-
troller is member OF the Canal Board, together
with the Lieutenant-Governer the Secretary OF
/ .t a
| State Engineer and Surveyor and the Super
| intendent of Public Works Mr.. Wemple is also
a member of the firm of w. b. Wempe's Sons,
contractors, of Fultonyille, and this firm has
been engaged in constructing the big iron lift canal
! bridge in West Main-st. of this city.
The bill for the construction OF the bridge was
| passed by the Legislature last fall, and the aco
| providing for the work is found in Chapter 35l or
! the laws of ssS. firm of local contractors,
! Weider & Mcmahon, received the contract they
being ostensibly the lowest bidders. The bridge
has never been satisfactory and as
something was wrong with the machinery, an IN.
vestigation started and this proved eres.,
deal more than was expected to be proved
1t was found that while the local contractors lad
constructed the masonwork and the Hilton Bridge
| Company of Albany, had done the ironwork, tho
| Wemple firm had manufactured material and had
furnished the machinery. The motors, which are
especially defective, seem to be source OF pride
to the Wemple people, for to-day one Of the firm
re fcrred prominent contractor Of this place to the
cylinder motor of the Main-st. bridge as one OF
the firms, and TO another motor in Fort Plan as
| an example of water-wheel motor In operation
| The foreman of the Wemple firm was IN tins
city while the bridge building and superintend-
| ed its construction Controller Wemple himseI was
here from April 10 10 April l2 and maze Ife-
quent visits to the bridge. m
| Rut
| bridges but bad bridges. Owing to the defective
| machinery travel has often been interrupted the
| bridge being suspended in the air Experts de-
Glaze that the plans and specifications prepared
! under the SUPERVISION of the State Engineer dld
not provide for the proper weight the bridge was
| to sustain and were so much IN
error that several bridge firms and motor manu-.
factuFers refused TO bld for the work declaring
that the bridge when finished would be failure
| and unsafe Several accidents have already taken
| place, because the bridge was not on line Wltn
| the roadway. But Chapter 536, Laws OF 1885,
require that copies of the plans and proposals
for construction of iron bridges be submitted
TO. and approved by, the Canal Board, and
the Controller is member of this Board. The
work is paid for, il is interesting TO know, on the
warrant Ol the Controller.
| 1t is understood here among contracting firms
that the Wemple people also furnished the motors
for the Brocllport Canal bridge, for one at Clyde,
for the West-st. bridge in Syracuse and for ons
| in Utica.