The sun., 1897-10-31
COLLISS UNFAIR CRITICS.
TIE COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIo
WoRks EXPOSES THEIR ANIMUs.


In ATTACKING His Administration or the Ds-
pnr,uept the Lowlto City Club Either Pna.ed
Over the Great works Really Accomplished
By Hin or Ascribcd Thena to suboraiuatos.
The City Club which is one Of the nurses Of
tho Low boom for the Mayoralty, issued In
September pamphlet Of 1873 pages on Tho
Recent Administration of tho Department OF
Public Works Of the City Of New York" This
pamphlet is an attack on the administration Of
Gen. Coils, who as n regular Republican, 10
support ng Gen. Tracy for Mayor. As tho
Deputy Commits ioner Of Public Works Is sup
porting tho City Clubs nursling, however, IL
was deemed necessary TO qualify the adverse
criticism OF the department management by at.
tributiuS all the good in 1t to Con. Colliss
subordinates This was done in the following
paragraph:
while 1t will be made clear that the ADMIN.
istration OF the Department OF Public Works in
this city has been greatly improved in many
particulars by the Jealous efforts of subordi.
mates not affected by political considerations, 1t
yet remains true that unmistakable indications
point to the conclusion that better results would
have been reached, and the department would
not have exposed itself to just criticism for de-
lay and neglect at certain points. II tho Com
missioner had given closer personal attention to
his official duties"
Taking this for toxt Gen. Colis has prepared
what he calls supplement TO this CITY Club
attack. 1t is a pamphlet Of eighteen pages.
Referring to tho above quotation he says
This language is applied TO me solely because
l have declared my intention to vote for the can
ddates of the political party TO which have
always belonged"
He then goes on TO show that from the time
he became Commissioner in February, 1898, up
f,t thop ina, hal hoo han stapt ir,h Ala
attention to duty. having had but one vaca-
tion of ten days: that he is usually first at
his Office and last 20 leave it. Further to show
his close personal attention to his official duties.
Gen. Coils recites at length many great inn
provemcnts conceived and carried out by him
self or under his improvements which
his City Club critics overlooked in their desire
to find fault. He further takes up their charges
and absolutely refutcs them. making that
which was found fault with rebound to his own
credit.
Tho first item ho mentions was his change
in specifications for asphalt pavements which
has enabled the department 10 lay annually
six miles more Of such pavement than could
be done under former Commissioners and that
for like expenditure Of money. 1t was Gen.
Coils who reclaimed First avenue from it's
almost impossible condition and made II a fine.
| broad, asphalted boulevard from Twentieth
street to 109th street. thus keeping east side
| traffic from Fifth avenue to which it was for
merly diverted. The repair of the Eighth ave-
| nue. pavement and the improvement Of the
| Boulevard are also cited.
| One OF the biggest improvements and nc to
which Gen. Coils points with pride is the con-
| version Of the almost impossible Park avenue
from Fifty.sixth street to Ninety.sixth street
into a splendid asphalted avenue, with easy
| urates Former admins al tiDns hah balke ed MT
| this improvement because il was estimate ed
| that it would cost 81 100000. Gen. Coils
| devised the plan by which it has been
| accomplished for $239.l2l.50. So with
the resurfacing Of Seventh avenue above
Central Park. That was accomplished by an
expenditure Of only $45. 900. where $sl 900 was
appropriated for the work. The improvement
OF Long Acre square: the removal OF unsighty
lamp posts, and the introduction Of ornamental
which the City club historians failed to notice
So with the keeping OF the public baths open all
or the extension of the Croton water system
nuo, which furnishes much OF the occasion for
criticism. Gn. Coils explains that G ief Engi.
M he IT 10
previous administrations with It's necessity
esnH ss ROi% tol e E a pF5ssfsn
sect sect ION Of the island. The, legislature author.
May. 1896. Gen. Coils tolls OF the engineering
difficulties in the way OF the improvement aud
the legal difficulties out OF which grew the
necessity TO let separate contracts for sewcrng
laying OF mains. and repaving. He tried to have
| the contracts all carried out by one responsible
person or firm. but the law was in the way.
The engineer in charge OF this work estima ted
that to lay the water mans would require alone
400 working days. Gen Coils says:
The close personal attention TO his officin
duties OF the Commissioner will result not only
in laying the mains within $50 working days
but in having the avenue asphalted and re
curbed for more than forty blocks during the
same period, and. when ompletcd, Fifth avenue
will resume lis old prestige as the grandes
avenue upon the American Continent.
Gen. Coils further shows that the change o
motive power on the Madison Avenue car lin,
revealed the fact thar many blocks were i'm
improperly severed that this has been rcmcdict
and that the railway company has paid 80 pc
cent. OF the cost He calls altenl ion 10 the fac
department on street railway improvement
and otherwise, has given employment TO l00ot
workmen.
Gen. Coils concludes his supplement" a
follows:
I'm future publications by the City Club o
New York more care will be taken to sc
forth in a form acceptable TO the inquring citi
zen the part played by each departIn OF tn
! city governments; and less space will be give
to the advertising OF engineers who out o
| employment, or OF water meters for whic
there is no present pressing necd-but. above al
no head OF a department shall suffer advers
criticism because he exercises his right q
American citizen to vote Just as he pleases."