The evening world., 1893-11-29
Horses Worth 5000 Sold to
the City of New York
for Over $4,000.
One Reason the Departments
Has Given the City
Poor Service.

Two months ago., soon after StreetA
Cleaning Commissioner William S. AM
drews took office as successor to Como
missioner Thomas s. Brennan, he mada
an official report to Mayor Gilroy. Iu
this report, which was based upon tha
work of the Brennan administrations
Commissioner Andrews complained tha&
the Department needed more men ana
more money in order to keep the streets
clean. J
For many years the Street-CleaninH
Department has absorbed large sums OF
public money, for which citizens claims
the city has had no adequate return. ID
has been the rule in past years that th0f
larger the appropriation, the more inns
perfect the work, and the poorer the sers
vice of the Department.
In his report to the Mayor, Sept. II
last, COMMISSIONS Andrews says the APP
preparation for carting ashes and sweep
ings for 1892 was $63s, s25, n that the
actual cost was s64S, T54. making a defi-
cheney of about so, 900. There is also a.
deficiency of $40, 900 in the final d!sposi-
ION branch of the STRENGTHENING De-
partment, and like deficiencies in other
branches.
Commissioner Andrews, having only
assumed his office as a successor to Com
missioner Brennan. did not go into mi-
mute details with which he was unfa.
miliar, and in his report, therefore, gave
no direct causes Of the deficiencies ia
the Department and the excess eXpendi-
ture
Within the past few days a reporter
for The Evening NWorld' has been
looking into these little details, and has
discovered some startling facts in cons
nection with the t-C~leaning De-
partment under Commissioner Bren.
mans administration, particularly as to
the eXpe. diture of money for supplies. !
The purchase of horses for use in ths
Department during the period from
March /, 1898, to July Is, covering five
months. has been made in the most
reckless and eXtravagant manner. and
the vase Of money in this particular ;
will explain to a great extent the cause
OF the cash deficiency in at least ona
of the departments of the Street-Clean-il
ing Bureau.
The purchase of supplies for the streets
cleaning branch of the municipal govern- 1
ment, which supplies include horses, CARTS.
harness. feed. sweepers. scrapers and
other machinery. is largely made through
the fundamentally of Mr.. Croker andt
Mayor Gilroy. L
The arms who furnish these supplies I
are generally regarded as political favor~.
lies. Contracts are not let to the lowest
bidder, nor are the purchases of supplies
divided among different firms who are
specialists in any particular line.
For instance, the firm of Fiss & Doerr.s
horse dealers, at l47, li9 and l5l East
Tw%enty-fourth street, has supplied thai
Street-Cleaning Department with all thSl
ash-cart horses bought by the city slncel
March ] of this year. Horses nave beenl
purchased from no other firm. and, ln-4,
deed. no other firms a v been asked
to sell horses to the city. it being gen- \
orally conceded among horse dealers thatv
Fiss & Doerr are political gentlemen !
favored by Messrs. Croker and Gilroy. (
Messrs. Fiss & Doerr have received
some large, fat orders from city officials
or others VINO have the power to expend
the city's money.
From March l. 1898, to July Is. 1898, /
covering Il period OF five months, they
have sold to the city of New York no /!
less than 260 horses for ash-cart pur- (
poses in the STRENGTHENING Department. \
The price paid to Messrs. Fiss & Doerr
for go head of ash-cart horses was $50
per head. even money all around. with !
no change In price when condition.
weight or age OF the horses was taken !
into consideration |
In plain figures Flss & Doerr have sold
the City OF New York $4,000 worth OF
ash-cart horses In five months, and
doubtless continue to sell horses to the
Department at the same figures.
At the Comptroller's cttce an Even =