The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-07-29
ELLIS ISLAND VILLAINY.
The Buildings Cost Too Much, and
are Wholly Unfit for the
Service.

The singing arraignment of Assistant
Secretary Nettleton. of the Treasury
Department, and George B. Heb
bard. Superintend lent of Construction
of the bull dings on Ellis
Island, in the report of the special Con-
gressional Committee which has been
making an investigation, is the ch!af
topic of conversation today at the Immi-
grant Landing Bureau.
Represen tative Stump submits the re-
port, which is concurred in by all the
members of the co mmittee except Repre-
sentative Epes. SO that it is entirely nom
partisan.
The report begins by declaring that
there has been great waste of public
money in the construction of improve
ments on Ellis Island"
Then it says that all of the buildings
except two hospitals are badly con-
structed, of improper material and poor
workmanship, and should never have
been accepted by the Government.
INCOMPETENT SERVICE.
The Committee says Superintendent of
Construction George B. HeDbard was
competent. That he either know
ingly and wilfully or ignorantly
permitted the use of inferior lumber, bad
work manship and disregard of the plans.
causing great loss to the Government and
giving illegitimats advantage to the con-
tractors. That while the estimat es for
the cost of the building were $3.50, ,000 the
Treasury Department spent $612, 900 on
them without precedent and inexcusably.
Assistant Secretary Nettleton has been
guilty or great waste and extravaganza in
the lavish expenditure of the Immigrant
Fund" says the report. He took entire
charge of the work. and is In a great
measure responsible for the bad results.
He paid in full for the main building
and boiler house, instead of retain
ing the 10 per cent. required
to insure faithful work, .and the con-
tractors were released from the $40
per diem penalty for failure to
fulfill the contract as to time of
completion of the work. His failure to
inform himself. in accordance with the
testimony of Secretary Window n
was on file an opinion of First Comptrol-
Ter Matthews against its use
demonstrated such recklessness in the
handling of public money as to create
grave apprehension.
UNNECESSARY EMPLOYEES.
y 8SSlSLdDG O6Cf6Gdry N6UCl6GOu mas
caused to be appointed a much larger
number of employees than is necessary"
adds the report, which further
declares that SIS a day for
ferryboat transportation is too much and
a $1,000 fagpole is extravagant; that
100000 per annum for running Ellis
Island landing bureau is sum large
enough to excite alarm.
Mr.. Nettleton is charged with trans
ferring $S1. .533 25 from the immigration
fund for improving Ellis Island in
the port of New YorK in violation
of the law of 1882 The $57, 900
for ferry slips is declared to be an un-
necessary expense. as is the s., ,925 spent
for telegraph cable TO the island. when
the Western Union has an office there
and pays $500 year for the privilege.
The appointment of DR.. John A. Towner,
civil surgeon, as medical inspector, is i'll
violation of the law of 1891, which re-
Quires such officer to be appointed from
the Marine Hospital service.
The report exonerates superintendent
of Immigration Owen. and says in con-
clusion that the Committee learns with
much satisfaction that Assistant Secre-
tary Spalding has relieved Nettleton of
his connection with immigration.
Congressman Epes in his dissenting re-
port puts the blame upon Superintendent
Owen, Mr.. Edbrooke and the Supern-
tendent of Construction, and says he does
not think Secretary Foster or Mr.. Nettle-
ton should be blamed.