New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-24
THURSDAY,
MAY "a, 1894.
HE CALLED HIM A LIAR
A TAMMANY HALL CONTRACTOR AND
THE MUSEUM OF ART ARCHl-
TECT AT ODDS.
A LIVELY SCENE AT THE PARK BOARD MEET.
ING-rHE COMMISSIONERS SHOW THEIR
SPITE IN ACTION ON THE SPEED
WAY SIDEWALKS.

,Nc--rvr COMMISSIONERS SHOW THEIR
SPITE IN ACTION ON THE SPEED
WAY SIDEWALKS.
A Tammanv Hall fight, though without blood
shed. occurred at the Park Board meeting yes
,erdav II was over the contract of Thomas Dwyer,
70 whom was awarded the work OF BUILDING the
boiler house in the Metropolitan Museum OF Art
but whose money, about $1,000 was withheo DC
cause the architect. Joseph Wolf. had reporteo
that the fues were defective Civil Justice y GOT
man appeared for Dwyer and was explaining the
reasons why. in his opinion, the contractor shouio
receive his money when Commissioner Straus oe-
came impatient and said that the board was tireo
OF this man Dwyer and his deputies O'Gorman
was not to be put down, however, and continued
his harangue until Mr.. Straus said to him.
you don't know your business
81 do" shouted O'Gorman
you don't" returned Straus
Al this point Dwyer and Wolf began to say harq
words TO each other. and during the wrange Dwyer
poked his fist under VOLTS nose and yelled:
you're a liar, and you know It,
Wolf grew red in the face but did not follow
Drvver VINO went through the door saying; III
carry this case TO the courts
O,C;orman mumbling threats of what he wouio
do also departed and the smoke OF battle gradu-
ally cleared away.
The department engineers presented revised plans
Of the Harlem River Speedway, with two Sidewalks
to eu,ire length Under the new plans the SIDE
u,olls are TO have a uniform width OF ten Feet al
though IN the designs made after the Legislature
had nassed the bill for two sidewalks the Walks
uers laid out with a width of twenty ana thirty
| foe, over a large part OF the driveway Now now
.yer ence the Commissioners have been compeileo
| ~ ohserve the law and widen the sidewalks under
washington Bridge and High Bridge. with the
| nettv spite of schoolboys they have reduced the
| s,1au,alks TO an arbitrary uniform width OF ten
| fset over the whole length of the speedway. AS
| an excuse for this Tammany narrowmndedness.
| president Clausen remarked after the report nad
| been read: .,
| "I want to say here that we have no olscreeion
| IN this matte; We are forced by law TO make
| this change The amended plans reduce the speed
| way at it's narrowest point from 81 to is feet.
| The law which Mr.. Ciausen quoted simply says
that the sidewalks shall not be less than ten rect
| ~ ,.,dtb There can be no reason for reducing the
| walxs at the stretches where they were intendeo
% ha tuentv and thirty feet wide except peevsn'
childish desire on the part of the Commissioners 70
! no+ souare'' with the City Club and ex-Cofnmis-
| sioner Dana who prevented them from having
| ,hatr own vay Mr. Causen also announced tnat
the change would increase the cost OF CONSTRUCTING
| the speedway $lsO,OU -. a.. C,,y CIuh
nigh again Interfere and ask the courts TO pre-
ua5t ca Unnecessary a waste of the city's money
Commissioners Clausen Tappen ana beii ' S, 20
,nnroye the revised plans Commissioner oI U.s.
Tho said that they would spoil the speeu"ay' eN
,ressed a purpose to vote no put wneh 'ie aon
vas called he did not answer TO ms name. - ~,
arate contract will be made for an iron foot prioSs
s0n feet wide on the outside Of the pier at High'
| bridge overhanging the water ,.s a.
committee of Grand Army veterans dsh S he er
| hoard 10 reinstate their comrades VINO had peen
| discharged from employment In the parks Ane
| request was refused