The evening world., 1893-11-29

an excess over the real value Of the
horses purchased.
Messrs. Fiss & Doerr, like other mer-
chants, have probably received only legitl-
mate profits on their horse sales to the
city. They are not TO be Judged harshly.
Blu S2e.6ro has been dropped somewhere
by the wayside. Who has found the
money?
While the citizens OF New York are
complaining OF dirty streets, as they
have been complaining for several years
past, and continually finding fault with
the service of the STRENGTHENING De-
partment, the sum of s2s, 900 has been
wasted on the purchase Of ash-cart
horses alone.
The question arises, Has there been
a like wasteful expenditure in the pur-
chase of harness. carts, wagons, feed.
horseshoes. sweepers and other machin-
cry and supplies fer the S~treet-Clean-
ing Bureau"
Some inquisitive taxpayer who should
know better will be likely to inquire:
Has there been a 'divvy' Of the SOS. 5000,
and, II so, who are the men who prof
tied fraudlently by the deal?'
II there has been a waste and Illegal
expenditure OF $1,000 in five months for
ash-cart horses, what enormous figures
In dollars aid cents must represent the
wasteful expenditures in all branches of
the STRENGTHENING Department during
the past five years.
Street. Cleaning Commission er William
S. Andrews was seen by an Evening
World' reporter yesterday. and was
asked several questions regarding the use
and purchase, as we'll as me disposal
after using. OF the ash-Cart horses in
his Department. Commissioner Andrews
said:
W now ave In use in the Street
Cleaning Department 5lO horses. The
number used varies according to the time
OF year and the work imposed upon
the STRENGTHENING Department.
What is the average life of an ash
cart horse? l declare it Is difficult for
me to say. A good sound horse, with
good treatment. should be Of service in
the Department for about nine or ten
Years. We buy only young horses,
mostly those about six or seven years
of age.
LAS TO the disposal Of our WORKOUT
horses, when we discover that they are
broken down or unfit for our use they
arr sold at public auction to the highest
bidder. But none has been sold since
: took charge Of the Department..
Horses unfit for use anywhere, or
those permanently injured or suffering
from incurable disease are destroyed.
They are first condemned by our veteri-
nary surgeons-we employ two Of them
and word is sent to the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who
send their wagon and the animals are
taken awlj and killed in the most hu-
name manner possible.
Il have Just sent out an order to the
Superintendent Of Stables for a list of
all horses now on hand which are dis
abied or unfit for use.
The STRENGTHENING Department UNI
der former Commissioners hired its carts,
but we own our own carts now, except
in one outlying district, wh-re We hire
three carts under the old system.
The carts bought by the Department
are large and heavy, and are very severe
on our horses. You can say hat | do
rot intend TO purchase any more carts,
for l do not believe in the cart system.
To send out one horse and one man to
collect ashes is cruelty to both the horse
anu to the man.
II am now having built some new
two-horse trucks. and Hill replace the
one-horse carts with them. These trucks
lave sectional covers, and two men will
go with each one of them. The largest
cart we now have in Use has a Cauacity
OF fifty cubic yards, some OF them only
forty-siX cubic yards, while the new two
horse trucks have a capacity Of 100 cubic
yards, The 800 carts in use cost SOD
each, Of $4,000. while 90 trucks costing
sls1 each, or $4,000, will do the same
work, anc at the same time be much
easier on both the horses and the men.
~ have not purchased any horses for
the Department since | assumed the
office, Mr.. Brennan having bought over
400 new horses before ! came in. lie
paid, | think. $3.50 each for these horses.
Their average weight IS chou, 100
pounds"
If the records confirm the statement
OF Commissioner Andrews, That over 400
horses, AZ $3.50 each. were purchased
during the Brennan administration, the
waste Of public money. as stated in
another portion Of this article, viii be
materially increased. The 400 head of
horses, al $50 each, amounts to 5000
The same horses as furnished by Messrs.
Flss & Doerr to outside city governments.
at Their own figures of $3.50 per morse,
would amount TO ST. 600, making the
total waste" on ash-cart horses during
Mr.. Brennan's administration something
like $4,000.
Who made the divvy?
Who divided tho spoils?