The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-16
MAZET PROBES RAMAP0.
HoLAHAN ON TIE STAND SHOWS
NOW AIRY THE SCHEME rs.

Board Defends IL and Says He Will
saddle II On the City II He Can-Tssti-
n,onv as to the wsstaEs of water That
Exists at Present-Corruption and Fa-
Soritism in the City Fire Department.
Denounced BY Edward Lauterbach a. ruin
Gus to the Ramnpo Water Company. OF which he
IL tho counsel. denounced by Com ptrolsr Coler
as an effort to get $500. 900. 900 from the city
treasury. denounced by tho general public as q
fraud and grab. the Ramapo contract still has
one stanch friend left who revealed himse at
yesterdays session OF tho Maxet Com mittee.
He 10 Maurice +. Holahan. President OF the
Board of Public Improve m ents and he boldly
declares his belief that the Ramapo
scheme 10 the best thing possible under tho
circumstances. says he expects that the In
junction against It will be dissolved. and an
nouncos that he will put It through II he can.
At the same time he admits that he doesn't
know whether tina Rnmapo Company owns any
property or whether It 10 . responsible organ
ization. He believes IL Is. however, having
been told 80 by It's representatives. and in this
spirit Of touching trustfulness was content to
do business with II without any Investigation
into its assets.
Testimony was adducsd from other wit
nesses yesterday showing that while all Tam
many 10 talking about the crying need OF the
city lot more WhC0T, mnnOuS Oh gallons are
going to waste through'leakage In the pipes.
and this waste has been going on for years
Besides continuing the Ramapo investigation.
the committee struck q new trail and in
stituted a line OF inquiry tending to show
that under the new administration the dis
clplne OF the Fire Department 10 bccom-
ing lax. and that men repeatedly con-
vctod OF drunkenness are retained on the
force. One OF the fireman witnesses tes-
titled that shortly after refusing to pay
an assessment for some purpose. supposedly
political. he was reduced in rank on trivial
charges. This was as far az Mr.. Moss could
get along this limo. however. as tho other
witnesses denied all knowledge OF any assess
ment. II Is significant that the witness who
did tell what he knew OF tho matter had
received four anonymous letters warning him
against appearing before the DOM mittes on
pain OF being forced out OF tho department.
There were seventy five Hremen in court on
subpoena; also Fire Chief Edward r. Croker
and Augustus T. Docharty. Secretary Of the
department.
CHARTER ALL RIGHT
Beginning with ono OF the side issues Of
Ramapo. Counsel Moss called to the stand as
the first witness ex-Judge John F. Dillon. who
was mem Der OF the Charter Com m ssion. and
asked him about section All. which provides
for the duties OF the Board OF Public Improve
ments. Il don't know who wrote the section"
said the witness. Mr. Seth Low had charge
Of II and II was acted on by the entire Com
mission"
What do you think Of the charter ?" asked
Mr.. Moss. DO you think 1t should DO
amendedf"
1t should have fair trial" was tho reply.
I'm some respects II might be improved. but 1
think the general scheme OF It 10 good. be-
No. th,k ka ~ Nha Ify
10 too long 1t would be better II 1t were two
years instead OF three. II the Mayor is a bad
one two years 10 plenty bad enough. and II he q
good one. he can be reelected. This 10 not
q partisan but q practical view OF the matter "
Former Mayor Frederick W. Wurstsr was
next called and questioned as to the best way
to get an adequate water supply for Brooklyn.
BY going to Suffolk county" said he. we
could get 5o.OOO.ooO gallons day additional
to our present supply at cost OF a few million
dollars. Thus we could get all the water we
want for fifty years. but unfortunately there ID
q law. procured BY tho activity Of the Suffolk
county legislators, forbiddinR Brooklyn to get
it's water supply from that source. don't see
why such law should remain on the books
We ought to have 4 law whereby Now York
city could get Its water supply from there
Eventually. hope the State will take up thii
matter OF water. We arc in great need o.
water in Brooklyn and have boon for sous
time In my administration We considered the
feasibility OF bringing 1t from hilburn reser
voir through conduits. which would have
cost us about $70O.OoO. an amount o
money which we could not afford at tina
time. l had hoped that after consolida
ton that plan might 20 through"
TAMMANY's BOUNCING SYSTEM
Next Edward W. Doster was called and Gav'
- ha ,atho6a Of m n ofn
cials In getting rid Of officials who are pro
teoted by the civil service laws. Mr.. Doste
was appointed to place In the engineers de
partment on tho Croton Aqueduct In Mayo
StronRs admin istration.
Things were In very bad shape up there
said he. There was no place to keep BUILDING
materials; the fences were down. and tn
houses were all out Of condition. In fact tn
place where l was stationed was in such con
dition that tho Board OF Health had reported
II as a public nuisance. got along all RICH
with my eupsrors. Chief Engineer Birdsal
and Engineer Mckay. until the new admins
tration came in. Then Engineer Mckay cam
up there and ordered my things thrown out o
the place where had been living into tn
mud, He also called me vile names and toll
me there was q new deal In town and the nsN
administration wasn't going to protect me- 81
ordered me to stay there on the place. an
kept me running on trivial errands unit
/ finally had to resign. Incidentally h
had his men destroy about $1,000 wort
OF city property because he didn't lik
the way 1t was stored. Tear hell on
of those things he told the men. don
care where the hell they go. Get 'sm out {
here, The only way he could got me out wa
by making 1t too unpleasant for me to stay an
he was SO sure OF being able to do that that h
had his man whom he designated to replace m