New-York tribune., 1894-04-13
MR.. PHELAN'S STATEMENT.
CRITICISM OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE
LAWSON BILL.
THE TREASURER or THE DOCK DEPARTMENT
QUICKLY. CHEAPLY AND EFFECTIVELY
UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM.

UNDER THE PRESENT SYSTEM.
Commissioner Phean. treasurer Of the Dock
Board. said yesterday in relation to the Lawson
bill. now before the Legislature and the general
charges against the Dock Board:
The Lawson bill should become law. as II
would simply cripple. obstruct and emoarrass me
e detrimental to the best interests OF the CITY, ana
If it should unfortunately bo passed the work of the
and in another year the legislature would have to
repeal it-that is, if the great city of New York
GePaTmen u s has pani wRcG IS vaae at
$4,000 and can do the work better and cheaper
than II could be done by any contractor. ana II
this bill should become law our plant would be
small piece between Thirty-sixth and Thirty-sev-
enth SITS. North River. 200 feet long, and
not satisfactory. Ii would be ridiculous 70 let out
contracts Tor so Under the Lawson bin the de-
partment would, for instance. spend over 800 for
% d & setting up Tnsed int cona not % G
let out under thirty days, If piece Of a pier was
damaged to the extent of some three or four hun
say 500 advertising the same and thirty days 10
get it done. In the mean time the pier, through
Of the large sielmers-the City Of Paris. the Cam
pana or Majes,ic-nicht be detained from going
indirectly would njure the dockaee Of the steamer:
ana before thirty days eXpred the cost w2nd fo or
heavy damages. running, into thousands of dollars
cheaper by days work as We have experienced men
and material bought at the very lowest price and
the wall solidly and substantially.
ADVANTAGES OF THE BOARDS PLAN
The bottom Of the river is sometimes OF qucksand
and SILT and in my experience the contractors could
never be held to do the work properly under these
circumstances. All the piers in New-York. with
few exceptions. have been built by contract We
find that the better class OF contractors have been
shut out by those who ploy cheap foreign labor
Our engineers have great deal Of trouble with con-
tractors of this kind in trying TO compel them 10
do an honest and decent job without sighting H.
The work of building piers is done better by our
men, as We have entire control over them and en-
/ ploy none but ilrst-class workmcn. According 10
our best calculation costs only about ~ 70 10 per
cent more. but this difference Is made up In the
ceerty in which the contract is executed The Job
Of course is done better and the piers are rented
more quickly
To iIustrate-under the Jaw passed in 1893, per
have asked the department TO build II for them by
49, u.' o~ i,S S ~, n,,svnr,Ljo af,uuer IN "a
vor OF doing the by days work rather than 10y
walls. the department force can DO the work more
| promptly and in more satisfactory ana durable
| manner than outsiders.
| The contractors take from fifteen to nine months
| overtime 10 complete the work Of building a pier
Pier No % North River is case in point This
! pier was built in five months bv the department
| force The contractor would have six months in
which do the work and II probably would not be
finished before eight or nine months II Is a great
! ing for the pier that the work should be promptly
done. which can be only by the department - force
As TO DREDGING.
Dredping q a day. lower than II has
| over been in the history OF this department The
! dredging contracted by this department from 1881
! 10 1885 WAS done at 80 cents per cubic yard for
| mud Since then it has ranged from 30 to - cents
| The department has had great deal OF trouble
] with irresponsible contractors. the same as
| 4, has had with irresponsible dock builders.
who have obtained occasional dredging In The
! slips and have carried out their con-
| tracts They have made the city liable
for damages for the reason that the largest steam
ship companies were not able TO get their steamers
into their piers This due to the fact that the
work had not been promptly and faithfully done.
The department then came to the conclusion that
the best way out Of the difficulty would be 70 S'FS
| contract trustworthy concern MhCu Hi''
the facilities to carry the work AT a low price
The price for dredging ~ lower to-day thah II nae
ever been In the history Of the DOCK DeI"ift
cents. This Is the price now being paid by P'E@a' az
| persons for similar work and IS conslderabIy !ess
than that paid by the United States Government III
| this harbOr
There are now being published series OF chargeS w
| against the Dock department, some OF "ulciss ~, ~
late personally and TO the maias.n'rro 80 ,,r %
| ,rske for instance this statement that the DOCK
Department improved 30 feet of water -lr9ht, 1"n OWL
10y the late Henry A. cram; on the iidIe!. rrrnn.
| vas improved at his cost and expense. az
least FIVE years before Commssioner Srain ehIettu
| tbn deuartment II * also sth'ed ihdt am ~
,aroe,ad in inc dredging business The fact or the
matter is own no stock, nor am connected az
rectly or Indirectly with any dredging company III
.bo world Relative t. the statement about lick
Ing v-th dredging companies and sending enssarles
! tne ,hem I can only say that it ~ a S'0ry mao
ont OF whole cloth and contains not Inrucie OF
truth or a semblance Of fact upon Whlch sucn d
e,etnmen, could be based. would say ~ c1HcIh,
sion that the other statements are equally idIse anu
ludicrous