Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-29
The Ramnpo Water job Robbery.

tNeW 1Ork Noflu, LhlH.)
The Ramapo water job is dead for the
present.
The Worlds injunction has tied Up the
Board Of Public improvements until the
llth of September. The MaZet Committee
is to meet on the 18th, and will at once
proceed TO lay bare the secrets Of this
conspiracy The great chartered robbery
cannot survive an official revelation ot
the men and the methods that carried It
so near to success.
Evidence accumulates that the RamapO
Company Is simply gang OF predatory
politicians. The original president and
promoter of the company has admitted
that the stock was distributed" as
brides and bats. and that mot a cent
was paid in" The latest report OF the
company to the Secretary Of state makes
the total assets Eat least s5,OcO.' The
full list OF stockholders Is concealed, but
from the little that is known it is COM
posed mainly of the politicians Interested
and their friends and tools. The company
is merely a speculative strike" organ
lied TO supply to the city water which il
does not need, at a price which would
require higher water rates to consumers
or impose a heavy loss on the city Urea
sury, instead Of yielding large profit, as
now.
The mystery Of the contract is gradu-
ally clearing up. Though President
HOlahan and Corporation-Counse Whalen
tried to impose upon each other the re-
sponsibility for drafting it, All Official l.t-
ter OF the latter proves that he felt
obliged to redraw it," and that In this
form he naturally saw nothing objec-
tionable" And this despite the fact that
the contract as 'redrawn' by Mr.. Whalen
required the city 10 pay so per l,OOO,No
gallons. when few years before the
same company offered to furnish II for
si3. and that the company owned no land.
no reservoirs, no pipes-not a pint Of
water or a yard OF cOnstrucuOn-its only
assets being a provision sneaked into The
city charter and few worthless options!
On this basis the Corporation Counsel
''redrew" and approved a forty-yeals'
contract with the robbers, yielding them
500 O0O.00o!
IL is palmer than ever, after this rcye-
lation, why Boss Croker is 50 fond cf
Mr.. Whalen that he contemplates making
him a judge.
n will be for the Mazet Committee TO
investigate Holahan's action. 70 learn
why Dalton discovered so suddenly the
imminence OF water famine, why Mayor
Van Wyck has been az dumb as a clam
since this attempt at robbery was dis
covered and checked. and above al.
what connection Plat and Tracy, Croker.
and his cronies have had with the job.
Puppets do not usually move unless the
master pulls the striassl What was the
zeal? What bonds Of interest or OF SYM
pathy drew so closely together the Tam
many Board OF improvements and the
machine Republican Ramap0 exploiters?
Thanks to a watchful, resolute, honest
Notwithstanding in him the stun OF
which good Mayors and useful Governors
are made-the Ramapo robbery was dis
covered and checked. Tue Worlds In
junction strangled H. Mr.. Coler Is 10 APP
Ply for a supplemental Injunction, en-
bodying new legal points In the World
writ. The Mazel Investigation. complet-
ing the work of publicity. Will not leave
2 spark OF life in the steal