New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-13
A SULKY DOCK BOARD.
THEY STOP ALL CONSTRUCTION WORK
IN THEIR DEPARTMENT.
4 SURPRISING ANNOUNCEMENT pY THE CoMMis-
sIoNERs- SOMEHOW OR OTHER THE RIVER
FRONT WORK CANNOT GO OF UNDER
TIE NEW LAW

FRONT WORK CANNOT co ON UNDER
TIE NEW LAW.
The people OF this city can have no better fl
lustration Of the spirit which animates the DOCK
Board than a. found In the announcement which
the Commissioners OF that department sent cut
yesterday and IS printed herewith. II the rrIpt
game which has been carried on by me BOARD
and It's favored contractors cannot be continued
under the new Law. the Commissioners mean 70
stop all construction work and throw prooabF
1000 men on, Of employment More than TINS
they tell the public with "ghoulish glee mat
besides the losses which must fall upon the cry
and those Interested in the improvements which
have been under way. the material for conS'ru'-
ton which the city has on hand Is made prach-
cally worthless and. what is jus, as surprising.
all the improvements that have been going for
ward on the whole city waterfront must come
to standstill until the act which the board
fought 50 bitterly and unsuccesSiniy j. either
modified or repealed
II would be- interesting g. know who c'mpo"
the combine" which made such muiiie 81
the BIZ tina, The dredging conpaniss have become
masters ~ tho situation. and have been able 10
force prices mp ~ per cent
Tomorrow week the senate Investigating
Committee. II which Senator Clarence Lexow X
chairman. is 1, resume It's slttngs in this city.
Its first labor II Il has the power. should b. a
thorough. searching unsparing Inquiry into the
matters which the Docl, Commissioners. with Ill
concealed delight naunt IN the faces of the tax
uavcrs and people ~ New York I'm their an
nouncemcnt interpreting the condition u the
city under thu new law. The announcement
reads follows.
In obedience to the provisions OF BeIden's DOCK !
law al work 81 construction On the NorlH' Ea.,
ana Harlem rivers was Stobpcl thi, Hi''.ho'n y, Wy
ff. Dellrfm.nf ~ Docks This includes the thf"r
ptr ana srfcrh aHA4l SO an ~ - ioct,
East AMI Harlem rivers. About seven ruhdT"l docN-
builders mechanics and laborers engaged In con-
s,ruc,lon were Laid on. also several DIVERS ana
painters. H., -, ~ ,.s,,e
Of the act intended for In the constructlon 81
work under way Is rendered practically y4auee.7,
and until the act Is either repealed or mOdfel, n
permanent construction can be done IN New forh,
As another result Of the act pool has been formei
by the dredging companies ana ne price hdVancei
- per cent. The Dock Department having no discre-
Ton any longer 20 the rejection Of bids .
This Is the result Of the combined Influence win
the Legislature OF three nonresident millIonairos.
Of whom comes from syracuse. another IRON
WATERFOWL and the third a foreigner living In Paris
Mr. Phelan. the treasurer Of the Dock Board.
when seen yesterday said: well. what would
YOU have rs do2 We certainly cannot be- eX-
pected 10 do work by contract and to hire men
10 do work by days labor at the same time. IL
is absolutely necessary, as any one can see. thht
If the law cOmpcls us 10 do work by contract
we must discharge the men whom we have been
employing to do the same work by day labor II
strikes that that is "A very simple PROPOSE
ton. There Is no Tammany Hall trick about IL
whatever. We can't employ men and give the
same work 10 contractors AT the same time, can
we? The Dock Board has strivcn 10 Dulid TOT
the city Of Ncw-YOrk the best system Of piers
and bukhcads that It possibly could. In our
opinion II has been for the benefit Of the city
that do It under our own supervision by men
whom we hired ourselves However. the subject
has been so much discussed and have so often
expressed myself as has every other member OF
the board I'm regard 10 this matter that II Is Idle
TO do IL now We shall try To do the very best
we can under the existing law. regardless OF
what we think should have been done or should
have not been done in regard to the bill. our
sole and only object is to give Il good system or
docks in NewYork
1T strikes me. however. g a trife inconsistent
10 pass "A bin forcing us to give out the work OF
building piers and bulkheads by contract and
then to abuse us for dlscharging the men that
we have employed by the day"