The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1894-10-18
WHERE DID THE
STONES G.?
Commissioner White Wants
an Accounting Of Paving
Blocks Removed.
Mr., FLYNN MUST EXPLAIN.
Contractors Put Back Sixteen for
Every Twenty Removed from
Each Yard Repaved.
CARRIED AWAY THE SURPLUS.
Brooklyn Property Owners Not Gen.
suited Regarding New Trolley
Lines Now Building.

A scandal in paving stones with some
inside facts about the construction of
7. II Flynn's Nassau Electric Railway
in Brooklyn, was unearthed by City
Works Commissioner White to-day.
1t now transpires that Mr. White was
not aware that Flynn was constructing
fifty miles of trolley roads in the city
until recently, and then he found that on
one route at least. the Company had not
compiled with the law by having the
consent of a majority of property-own-
ers. An investigati ton is now in progress,
the result of which may prove of great
interest to taxpayers.
Recently Commissioner White learned
that Charles Hart, Flynn's contractor,
was carting off wagonloads of street paw
ing stones. The stones were taken from
portions of the city where the Railroad
Company was laying Its tracks.
1t was Harris duty. Mr.. White says. to
turn the superhuous paving stones over
to the city.
Mr.. White has now demanded an ac-
counting from the Railroad Company,
and he to-day set a corps Of engineers
at work trying to compute the value of
the alleged stolen paving stones. When
this work IS done a bill will be sent to
Mr.. Flynn for the amount, as the city
holds him responsible.
The investigation has led Commits
sioner White to the discovery that for
years. or. at least. during the former
machine administration. the city has
been swindled out of thousands of dol
lars annually by contractors employed
by the Department to repave streets.
One method of the contractors was to
take up twenty stones to each square
set them at the rate of sixteen to a
yard The four stones left over on each
square yard were appropriated by the
The Belgian blocks. when new, are
worth from to 10 cents each. SO that q
dishonest contractor repaying several
make considerable money at the ex-
pense of taxpayers.
How far back the present investiga-
day. as the task is difficult one.
After learning some Of the facts about
the paving stone scandal. MIR. White
set to work to ascertain something about
plants have been pouring into the De-
partnent recently from property-own-
ers who claim that Flynn has been
erecting his railroad on streets without
the consent of the property-owners.
Mr.. White called Flynn before him
yesterday for an explanation; Mr. Flynn
ssiu ne ndC tne consents oi tne majority
OF property-owners on all the routes,
and that his certificate had been filed
with the Board of Assessors.
The most rigid search, Mr. White says,
has failed to bring the certificate 10
light, and nobody in the Assessors Office
remembers anything about the docu-
meht
1t has also been learned by Mr.. White
that Flynn obtained a permit to con-
struct his railroads from ex-City Works
Commissioner Adams three days before
Mr.. White came into office. For this
reason Mr.. White was not aware that
Flynn was constructing railroad on
the city streets.
This permit, issued by Mr.. Adams,
included the Marcy. avenue route. where
Mr.. White recently compelled Flynn
to stop work until he could show the
consent of the majority Of the property
owners along the line.