New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-28
A WITNESS WITH A MEMORY.
THE CORPORATION COUNSEL PULLS OUT
PLUM.
MORE FRAUD AND CRIMINAL cARELEssNEsS
UNCOVERED IN THE DOCK DEPARTMENT.
INVESTIGATION


was successful in bringing out more damaging
testimony regarding the peculiar methods adopted
by Dock Commissioner Matthews. as treasurer of
the Board. and Engineern Chief Greene in obtain
ing supplies and giving orders for dredging and
other work
The opening evidence Of the day related 70 the
pier on the Harlem River at One -hundie5l-and.
forty ninthst, which during construction on the
Departments plans last winter fell into the river
after s35, 900 or 900 had been extended upon
it, Charles L.. Adams. of the firm of Wilson,
Adams & Co.. the of the property told
how Engineer Greene objected to the plans which
the firms engineers had prepared. and compelled
the owners to put up the structure in accordance
with plans and Specifications furnished by his
lGreenes officers. The witness thought that the
part Of the pier which had not fallen was likely
to topple over at any time. This cOndItion Of
affairs Mr.. Adams said. because Mr.. Greene's
plans were experimental. and not practical The
pier was upon the firms private property. bat the
Dock Department claimed the right TO prescribe
the kind of pier and mode of building.
The star witness of the day was Francis r.
Moon the chief clerk of the Dock Department.
PIE proved to be one of the few officials Of the
Dock Board called in this proceeding who had
knowledge of what went under his observa-
tion and could intelligcntly answer the questions
put TO him. Mr.. Moon was obliged to admit at
the start that although the rules of the Depart
ment required him to give bond he had not
done so, and he said that no one had sought 10
enforce the rule Acting Secretary Miller, who
had been promoted from Il 81 500 place to sue
coed ex-Secretary kemble, and whose salary was
now SO, 000 had not been required to file a bond
either, although the same regulation applied to
him.
Nobody looked after the leases Of the Depart
ment, Mr.. Moon said The duty of seeing to
them developed upon the secretary, but no at
tention had been paid TO it, The leases took
care of themselves. Mr. Clark drew from the
witness the fact that he the young man who
drew up the treasurers ORDERS and Moon said
that he had drawn up thousands of them. Some
times even this formality dispensed with as
in the case of dredging at West Washington
Market where the :" order was sent after the
work had been done. The Union Dredging
Company was the contractor in this case Indeed
little dredging was done by anybody else for the
Dock Department Within the past three years
the Union Dredging Company had received not
less than 100000 from the city, but the dredg-
ing contracts of all Others for that time would not
exceed $4,000
Mr. Moon confirmed the unconscious and blunder
ing testimony of ex-Secretary Kemble respecting
the way Secretary Matthews and Engineer Greene
purchased supplies. Mr.. Greene would send his
requisition for lumber, cement, piles or whatever
| might be wanted to Commissioner Matthews, with
| the names of firms Mr.. Greene thought the proper
ones indorsed upon the requisition. The witness
transmitted notices to the firms usually from two
to five in number) requesting bids for the ma
terial required to be sent in by certain day.
rbo
the bids were often called for on the day suc-
ceeding the notice. When the bids' were
opened the treasurers orders to fill the same
made out for the people Mr.. Matthews selected!
No advertisement for competitive bidding had been
inserted in newspaper for five years. and during
al this time the persons or companies who had op
portunties for bidding were selected by Mr. Greene
Sometimes Mr.. Matthews would increase the circle
of bidders by adding name or two to Mr. Greenes
list In such cases the witness would send notices
to these as well as to the other favored ones.
The amount expended for coal purchased by the
Department had increased from Sss5 "a in 1888
to S4 o47 50. Before Commissioner Matthews
came into the Board the Communipau Coal Com
pany furnished the coal. After that time Ward &
Olyphant received most OF the coal orders, this
firm having been suggested by Mr. Matthews. ID.
Duncan II SoO were the present favortes on the
coal list.
Mn Clark drew Mr.. Moons attention TO the
case of Dexter b. Hunter. who had contracted to
furnish the Department with yellow pine at
s25 95 per thousand feet, The witness testified
that the inspectors rejected it falling below the
quality called for by the specifications But Mr..
Hunter not obliged to take the rejected ma.
terial back to his Albany lumber yards En-
gineer-in-Ch Chief Greene approved . Iequisiton for
the exact quantity and sizes of the rejected
anHI Iroas Naff HOY mod flp
I" order for its purchase. The witness said that
the matter was rushed through, the purchase
being made to appear matter of immediate ne.
cessity. President Post readily made IL appear
that the transaction was not unknown TO him
by asking if the price OF the lumber had not been
reduced. The witness said " Yes but added. re-
plying to question from Mr. Clark. that the
reduction did not bring any OF 1t below S26
per thousand. On Engineer Greenc's requistion
the treasurer had also purchased rejected lot Of
lumber OF the Hilton Timber Company. Mr. Moon
recalled the purchase of 100000 feet OF rejected
lumber by the Department. IL was not an un.
common practice TO purchase rejected supplies
the requisition of the Engineer.in- Chief or his
assistant that they were needed at once. Mr..
Clark observed that reports of boasts had reached
him that entire cargoes of material could be sold
to the Department after rejection.
Mr. Moon testified that 10 was the practice of
the Dock Department, when the cost Of dredging
was to be divided between the city and private
owner, for the Department to pay the bill and
afterward TO collect the proportion due from the
owner of the property This plan made the pay
ment of the Union Dredging Company prompt and
sure and shifted all suits TO compel paymcnt
upon the city. Besides, it increased the Dock
Boards balance of collections in the accounts OF
the Financial Department Instances OF losses
to the city in such cases were brought out.
There was a stipulation the treasurer's orders
that supplies purchased should be furnished at the
lowest market price, but il was the duty of no
one in the Department TO find out what the mar
ket price was. This duty seems &c have been
left to the contractor The witness, confirmed
the statement that two dredgeS OF the Depart
ment valued at nearly sac, 600. had been sold 70
the Union Dredging Company for less than soyoo
In renly TO questions by Commissioner Barker
Mr. Moon said that the paving Of Per A. n. wnese
the luxurious headquarters of the poeS D,.;,,
NJ IT, Ia ,ycre mt in bat they were both
nlus TWO ,. o,.'S yhicb the Engineer changed the