New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-30
PRICES OF CITY HORSES.
CHARGES AGAINST THE STREET CLEANING
DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT.
A FIRM OF CONTRACTORS SAID TO BE FAVORED
BY THE MAYoR-DENIALS BY Mr. GlLRof
AND OTHER OFFICIALS

II n statement published yesterday Is true inc
CITY has been the victir OF an extensive swihu'e
In the Street Cleaning Department in the purchase
of horses. Fss & Doerr, OF Nos. l4', l4s anu
15t East Twenty -fourth-st, who sold the horses
TO the Street Cleaning Department were II
IS alleged favored contractors The cha
was made in the published statement INA.
the purchase of STRENGTHENING supplies. not
only of horses but of carts. harness. feed sweepe
s,rapers and other machinery, Is made ia'seiy
through the instrumentality Of Mayor Giiroy anu
others The leaders of Tammany. 1t Is repor'eu'
save been in the habit of favorihs r''
C>.err among horse dealers. whose orueIs nav
.een large and profitable. Since March
last Fiss & Doerr have sold to the street C'.a
ing Department 26O ashcart horses al gov a. ~
They have also sold eight horses to the FIRE De-
partment at $500 EACH and two horses 10 inc i"i"
Department at s275 each. ~ .oo
John A. Henry veterinary surgeon Oh w. '''
East Thirteenth-st inspected the Street Cleaning
Department horses for that department. anu "ee'
v Whitson made the inspection for the FINANCE De-
nartment Michael Kennedy. superintendent OF
stables testified in each case that the price ch 60
was reasonable and according to the contract Inc
STRENGTHENING horses average S" pouhoS IA "ee"'
and are four to seven years OLD
THE CHARGE DENIED.
While riss G. Doerr were charging the city OF New
York these prices II is asserted, they "eie 'i@'e
90 col, the same sort of animals representative
Of the CITY of Newark for prices ranging iroi" '
to s1l2 80 a head. If this can be proven II wouiu
indicate that the city paid SS6Oo 100 nuc" io'
this firms horses. ia, a. Az
Mayor Gilroy when his attention was caheo 10 ,''e
.,orv YESTERDAY promptly denied any knowleoge
ar copartnership in the alleged swindie upon '''e
CITY As soon as he had read the report he 'e'e
phoned to Commissioner Andrews ana olueleu
him TO make a thorough examination Oh all ehaise'
contah hi cot ot the bottom of this business
said the Mayor. when he became io'e 60 far as
sif tbere is any truth whatever in IT, 30 iar az
III tn nncerned the statements absolutely false
do not know the firm Of Fiss q Doera %, " was in
tSer stable but once my life and that was several
months ago. when went 70 horsa thew sent me
or the price so returned the animal BESIDES ,res,
want most positively rnaa the purchase
of horses or anything else iro"' any POI
son."
MR. ANDREWS KNOWS NOTHING OF IT.
Commissioner Andrews made statement yester-
day denying that he knew anything aoou' ''s
matters charged Only one horse. he said had
been purchased by his department since ne had
been commissioner and none had been 500, h, ne
horses of the department were fpnnS them for
the most part large, powerful animals III soou
The Board of Estimate. Mr. Andrews said, al,
lowed for the year 1893 the sum OF SZoo ior ea h
horse be 9i ana Minimum ins standard weight
for horse for the department was ltDo I p1uius.
and SO b far as ne nnS weighed pounds
,rbe number Of horses now owned by the Street
o Gsnrre y Whtson Controller Myerss examiner,
said yesterday that he had Sev pad dnf for
similar stock at p5vdie s Snit es fsa authenticity
Of the statement that Fics & Doerr had offered
TO sell representative of the city OF Newark SINH
lar horses at SAP 90 each.
THE PURCHASING AGENT COULD NOT BE FOUND
Frank Fox who formerly was second Mayor
rorsb., and Is a great friend Of Senator Plunkit;
&c no
does the horse inspecting for the Street Cleaning
Department He could not be found YESTERDAY
At the department it was said that he was on
duty uptown inspecting some STOCK.
CONDITION OF THE DEPARTMENT.
The Commissioners of Accounts made report
estarsav 70 the Mayor giving the results Of the!l
Investigation of the Street Cleaning Department
for the period between June l, 1890, and June 80
1885, 1t begun at Commissioner Andrews
brennan They reported the books and accounts
correct and place no blame on Brennan Tor ,'
Commend improvements, which, they say. he mad, mad.
in purchasing horses ana Saher the report
cart-horses cost ss So against $50 under Brennan
dpvns se as against $780, single harness s2
as against $40 50; double harness SO, as aga again
$40 5o-all showing marked difference IN brennan
Horse dealers generally regard $40 as rather thei
eyorbitant price for horses as rates nave bee'
ruling since the beginning Of the money stringency
b6 ney sa at sares ranging far below $50
Nesh has been drug in the market lOr many
months II is estimated that In the sales 70 IN
Street Cleaning Department quoted half th'
amounts paid by the city must have been cleal
profit
WHAT MR.. FTss SAYS.
William Fiss the senior member OF the firm o.
Fiss & Doerr, at his home NO Us Lex
ington-ave last evening by Tribune reporter
He denied every statement made in the story OF
alleged crookedness in the Street Cleaning Depart
ment as far as IL referred TO his firm He SAID
I'VE have not been favored by the city government
in any way whatever. Another dealer mas peer
selling more Fire Department and as many Part
Department horses we have. The 80 horses SOLO
10 the Street Cleaning Department we're soid io
$500 but when Commissioner Brennan visited I'M
examined BY four experts before they were accept
ed and then after they had been In use some time
Controller Myers ordered another inspection viii
the result that eleven horses were returned 10 US
The Street Cleaning Department has now the nnes
horses ever in the stables. The agreement wa;
for lao pounds weight but some or the horses
furnished weighed much as LOO pounds. .
Referring to the alleged offer MADE to a man SAFE
10 represent the city of Newark In the purchase
OF horses Mr. Fss said that the price stipulated
$40 JO-was for animals weighing between LOU ano
] 400 pounds. He expressed his desire TO furnsf
as many light horses were wanted at that price
Mr. Fiss denied that the city had been overcharget
on the sales made between March ]. 1899. and July
more than was received for them. 1t was true
Mr.. Fiss admitted that good work horses could now
be purchased for $40. but the times. he said. were
responsible that.