New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-21

o,ars 90, away with all the profits. and the poor
business men came out with nothing but loss
anh h'g' Know about it," said one of them yester
that put in my b m0 sse IN W fDo ali the
so far as know 1t is supposed thet ,herg LIZ ,his
s19'ii ''i' should like to know who made T. IT.
wasn't the granite company, any VIZ, ne tbin
make ANYTHING. The truth was mat inc t' NJ
m,a"r, mauagci in husiness-like way. We
thought We had a good thing and put np some, some
,nent politician who is said have made good
deal N connection with the arch ana the SUhp al
meeting Of the company. ard have no Know,
edge that he wa Connected with It, We put Dtyn IN
1 made cent That is all there Is about it. The
rranite company ia no longer in existence. Wouln
S dc gag 10 '''' ''. 10y 80 49,. ,o-,,,rv
lend color to the belief that the interested ponu
clans were TOO sharp FOR the poor nns,GesS ~
were shrewl enough not 10 act openly ana SUI,
c.eded i'm covering their movements up in the inoSt
anuaars In the latest edition Of the book showing
The standing Of firms IN ne grani he, NO 90 n
toi * assigned to it. Those in the business are
well aware what this signifies.
4 HISTORY OF COSTLY AND POOR WORK
The whole history of the arch. in so far as IT
can be ascertained from the imperfect recorHs ana
all the available data is history that VIII not
bear exposure to the light of day. 1t Is certain
that the entire work could be duplicated in first
class material for less than 60 per cent of what IT
has cost In some portions the hmount OF money
expenditure The stone used is Of poor quality
and will speedily yield to the action OF the ere
ments, as indeed IT has already given signs 9i
doing. The top course Of the arch Is so poorly
constructed that the rain has leaked through ana
stained the interior badly. The granite posts
forming an inc.osurc around the arch were Itiu
for at eXtravagant price. and the bronze cnain
connecting them is of so poor duahty that IN
less than two years 1t has given way In numerous
places and has been tinkered w with wire; a
cheaper and naster job 1t would be hard 10
The minutes Of the Arch Commission, composed
during the entire time that the work was under
way of men elected appointed to Office by the
brooklyn Ring are in a most unsatisfactory
cumstanCe that II not until five years after
the commission began its work that a book 10
record the minutes in was purchased more
unbusiness-like proceeding could scarcely be con-
DUTY OF THE TAXPAYERS
There can be no question to the duty OF one
or more of the wealthy taxpayers OF Brooklyn to
begin an action for the recovery Of the money
wasted on this work. As this article shows. there
is abundant ground for the belief that the amount
of extravaganza is greater even than has been
commonly supposed. that, in short. not less than
$4,000 has been thrown away on the arch n
doubtedy this sum. a large part OF H. could he
recovered by vigorous prosecution OF suit
sistance of William Zegler TO prevent the consum-
nation of the secret bargain made by Chaplin Il
Co with the Water Supply Company. -
1t is true that the facts regarding the building
of the arch and the waste of the peoples money
and not improbably such committee VIII insert
its probe into the rottenness OF the Brooklyn Ring
next winter. The criminal prosecution OF those
responsible for this enormous waste could then
follow. The total amount improperly made away
with is very large in comparison with the sum
wasted in the Columbian celebration. about which
public opinion was aroused TO n high pitch. The
arch scandal should be taken up with vigorous
hand and probed to the bottom.