New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-09
THE STORY OF THE DAY.


The Assembly Investigating Committee began
It's work yesterday. and began it. too. in a man
ner that presaged that the inquiry II was APP
pointed TO pursue into the evil conditions known
to exist in this city and in the administration of
the cty's public affairs will be pushed with de-
termination and thoroughness. Those people
who profess to see nothing radically bad in the
state Of the city its municipal direction. and
who have been questioning the committees hon
esty Of purpose, found little that was consola-
tory In yesterdays proceedings. In fact. there
were many things elected in the first days sit
ting that will prove unpalatable reading to the
New Yorker who feels some interest in his city.
1t was shown that although vice is rampant i'm
the metropolis that although hundreds Of dis
orderly houses poorooms, dives and other IL
legal and vile resorts without the least
attempt at conceament and 10 the common
knowledge Of every the city has Chief of
Police who not only processes to be totally ig-
norant Of their existence but makes no effort
to suppress them. even when complaints are
brought to him. Chief Deverv's innocence when
on the stand yesterday sublime. The term
"a wide open town was even new to him, and
IT was with the greatest difficulty that Frank
Moss could teach him the meaning of the phrase.
It has been Chief Deyerys habit for some
years to stand on the northwest corner Of
Twenty ell ghth-st and Eighth-ave.. for pur
pose which Mr. Moss proposes TO make clear
before the examination is ended between the
hours of p. m. and A. m. This corner is the
centre Of locality filed with questionable
concert halls and places of all sorts Of vicious
traffic. but although every night Of his life
Chief Devery saw these places in full operation
| and knew the class Of men and women who
| passed in ana out of them. they might have
| been so many religious mission-houses to hear
| Devery's testimony. Mr.. Moss sought TO show
! tia the chief was actually on terms OF int-
mate friendship with the owners Of these
| places. men whose criminal regulations are
notorious. but Devery's lack OF memory regard
! ing the unsavory characters he Is reputed TO
have known for years was as woful as his
| ignorance in other directions. 1t required a
! deem mental eff IT for him TO recall the Chris
tian name Of his brOther-in-law. In short IL
WAS demonstrated by Mr.. Moss that the police
! force is controlled in a perfunctory manner by
8 Chief who on his own testimony Is an utterly
Incapable and negligent official, and that the
multitude Of disreputable resorts that infeet
| tho CITY on all sides continue their nefarious
existence only because Of police protection.
HOW BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT IS USED
Another matter which Mr.. Moss succeeded In
| establishing at the very outset of the inquiry
was that the Buildings Department was used as
source Of profit by Richard Crokers relatives
In the construction of modern buildings two sys-
,or,s ~ hrenroof flooring and ceilings are used
! ora is tha terra-cotta system. and the other
sort of concrete known as the Roebling system.
! The terra Gotta process used TO have monopoy
&, the citv for the reason that the Buildings
Denartment refused 10 sanction the use In Duild-
ings Of the RoeJling material Expensive tests
were made before the officials of the Depart
rent satisfactorily proving the durability OF 'ne
concrete but the Department still INSISTED upon
rejecting IT, Then Frank Croker a son OF hicn-
ard Croker secured shares in the Roeollhs coh-
Germ and became its secretary Al the same
time Charles f. f. McCann' nephe" oi
Richard Croker, made the company at
tornev and James w. Hinkley formerly chalr-
man Of the Democratic State Committee De-
oar,e a director Then in a twinkng the OBJ
iections Of the Building Department 10 the
Roebling system disappeared, and, moreover In
apparent anxiety for the previous injustice
the specifications drawn up by the Tammany
officials for the contemplated new schools were
so worded that only the Roebng company
could bid for the hreproof materials necessary
in the proposed public buildings. There existed
also two concerns. it was brought out IN evil
dence which turned out almost similar kinds
~ work to that Of the Roebling company.
These two concerns. however. were unaoe 10
get their output favora bly, passed upon by the
Buildings Department.
with an unselfshness that was not apparent
to the committee at first. the Roebling company
offered TO help out their unfortunate and de-
hxr a
for the purpose Of initiating action before the
Building Codes Commission with a view to hav
ing the restrictive regulations removed. But when
n WAS insisted that Mr.. Mccain should be en-
Moved as the attorney in the matter and that
I'M. two outside companies should pay him
$40 600 apiece. the negotiations came 10 a dead
lock and the discriminating regulation is stu
in force Members OF the hre-prootng firm OF
Tostevin Hayes & Co. informed the committee
that when they went 10 the Buildings Depart
pent Offering TO submit their product to tests
they were told by Superintendent John A. Dooner
to "go and see Con DAILY, and II you can come
TO terms you do lots OF business MI
Tostevin went and saw" Con Daly. a saioon-
keeper. OF No. 5S1 CCiumbus-ave.' who' IL ~
said. asked for $1,000 in stock and directorship
in the Tostevin- Hayes company ana IN return
,ror,,sed m obtain the approval Of the Build
ines Department for the company's material
MOSS DEEPLY INTERESTED
rness were some Of the principal points made
,.os,srdav nv way Of an effective starter to the
nroo, which Mr.. Moss intends to pile up into an
,,contestable charge OF corrupt methods against
,ha Tammany administration. 1t was apparent
cha, Mr. Moss has his heart In the task oeiore
him The energy and dlrectness OF his attack
xs,erday were far more effective than any