New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-09
ALLEGED IRREGULARITIES ~ CONTRACTS FOR
CURLING AND FLAGGING EIGHTH-AvE..
FROM THIRTEENTfi-ST. TO THE
HARLEM RIVER.

mitted a serious breach of the law in assuming to
give these contracts for the new Gut d Ti'o vh
audit Of thesc bills aided by those having cog
nlzarcc Of all the facts they also come within the
pale of the law
The report is follows:
Hon Robert 4. Van Wyck: Mayor. r.or,r,o,, -,
pubic Works advertised Tor bids for tagging, re-
tagging. curbng and recurh'ng the sidewalks so OF
anG on 'o" ctobnr H. ss7 the contra
let to Joseph A. Barry. and WAS known as NO
H.l6l. II read as Follows
rsssns g Iss7 squs are i's , at $ . cents at s''
curb new 500 linear foet ccnts...... S. o,
Curb 'o reset zoo nSaf o .' a. Ss 90
Time. "a days. - 5O......... -'
Total s-'o"f "
This contract was IN existence until November Il.
1885,. when il wGs declared abandoned nY me ON on,
missioner Of Public Works and the contractor
materials a.terward removed from the grounds 10
the corporation yard. , r., ..
and cIrbns the Department entered into other
contracts viz. for the pavement OF Elgh' T,
H Hn on October o. known as No. 17.;93 % the
Barber Asphalt Paving Company Tor hs nd ons
10 the same company, known as no Ia lGr
fcnth-st. 10 hundred -thirty-fi;th-st ana
third eantraG on Octoocr - lss' was 'et 70 ~,
Asnhslt Construction Company, known a. no ii'l'''
fronn t1fty.ninth-st 10 Onehundred and tenth.st
and which was subsequently assigned 10 INC '""-
In Zach 81 these last three asphalt contracts
nominal number o. Linear ee linear 1i f fec 10 meet the
contingency OF any Of the clro under tle CululIS
To- ofher particular the subjects covered BY
the contract were sscertained ny preliminary sur
ll,er The Barry contrac:.. known as No i1.isi,
was abandoned. November 4. 1897. no steps Were
taken to I ,se sn5 M, hn co1ract entered
only on December p 1ss7. although Commissions
Cos's desire for speedy work "ns me aness'u
nf
aab 6Sntio '''' e,.,,on g. s.b -,
December =. iM;. known No T.2il. ana ny IL
terms provides flor for l Rnrr 5a' Eonrsc
Flassns old reisd saasG square feet At ," o,s
cuS n. % i feet s., 3 cs n 10 co,. ia"
curb ola rer,I c , 1 ,T' fce at ., e,
Time ninety At 81 'o...'''.'.'''''''''''' '''
............... .2s 40
Between these dates he nepartm N mt; b 1Rr9 o
missioner coils himself, without advertising aS
provided by law. contracted Wit ne ,1ri"uS cr6
mg w1 nrdor ~ one Of Ire companies letter be-
low and by oral orders. as thoI claim l" INC
others. ..>.,h,- IN ,sa-
"california Asphalt Company. 40. 81 East Fifty
I'nhn1 You are hereby authorized to fur
ni.b and sci The curb on Ei<hth-avc between
Fifty ninth and @ S ss D %tnn
spectfully. CHARLES W 100 pi So,
The following the quantities and prices IN The tn,
various asphalt contracts SoniraGt Ho o,
Eichth-avc of the California Asphalt Company.
reads
:; linear feet Of curling a. 55 ccn's...... % y
~ manhole heads al SlS''''''''' 49,
Total 's'i9s' -
GoPiTSG NG i2 Of the Barber
Asphalt Company. r"ads;
81 coo squar. yards Of asphalt ~
q linear O, curbstonc W.
Contract No. 17193 one;hpndred-a4d thirty nth
to One hundr ed nd-ifty-hfth ST. OF the Barber
Asphalt Company. reads;
$500 SQUARE Yards n aslha5 at 81 -
% ,nanboIe he.ds Ii IA
If all the foregoing contracts arc valid II viii
appear that the cry Suo]e nr TO Fctior ,"o
Seib on the one hand, and to the Barber Asphalt
Company and the California. respectively, on the
The The prices Of the curbs under these con
tracts it will ne seen, are ~ and 81 cents under
the tagging and curling contracts. and 81 ana 80
cents under the psoins ane under the TAGGING
and curblng contract would be assessment work.
and the city would be reimpursed ny dne ADJOINING
contracts. while costing from y 90 ~ cents pr
priaiions a direct charge upon The entire city
Under these conditions the duty of the Commits
s s4sat 90 It was his duty to the
city expense and provide for the work being done
hours of his official life spent In creating con-
dions TO result I'm great expense to the city. and
Illegally 40 as consider that other view Of tho
| facts which pertains to the legal branch Of the
That such was the natural result Of his, actions
| Won are already aware, from the TACT that you
| were called through our report to refuse your
| signature TO a warrant pay for some OF this
| work although before our examinations had dis
closed these results one bill for 300 linear feet OF
new curb from the Barber Asphalt Company. pre-
| scented early in this year escaped our discovery
and was paid
! tagging and curblnf from Thirteenth-st. % the
| Harlem River gives the amount OF new curbing 10
| be required 800 linear feet. ana that sEcn sur
| vcy disclosed the condition of the curb
that avenue Is warranted by the fact that. al
though given at that figure i'm September. 1891. in
the advertisement previous to the Barry contract.
! the same figures repeated Ia tho advertise
menf of December. 1871 preceding the Ficklcn Is
| Seth contract for the same work. Nowithstand-
ing this our examination revealed the fact frat
M 10 the present time bills had already been
rendered for 700 linear feet of curbnl. al
though bills for Ill tho work have not Yet been
presented and Of this work the asphalt paving
companies claim 10 have done about li.0n linear
feet being 1880 linear leet under the three
! tracts which They have received without ndvcrtis
ing and bids under the law. and as their price
varied from II cents In excess OF the nagging
| contract the city. " these bills were paid. would
be having about $40 more than this work should
have cost and a. Tho city would be reimbursed
from property " the work had been done
, work Instead ~ by these companies. which is
appropria ton work. " follows that tina city sus-
I tsined a serious loss 49,
! We therefore present that Comrnisa.ouer Coils