New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-11-29
PRICE THREE CENTS.
SNOW MAY CAUSE TROUBLE
MUDDLE OVER THE LETTING OF THE
CONTRACT FOR IT'S REMOVAL
DE MARCOS Plan

The first snowsterm that bIockades traffic In
the streets Of the city this winter possibly will
find the Street Cleaning Department in a muddIe
over the snow removal contract unable 10
do effective work in clearing the streets. Because
OF fear that such a storm might come an3
find the city unprepared, the Board OF Estimate
and AppoTtiOnment some days ago voted To ac-
cept the lowest bids for snow removal contracts
in Manhattan and Brooklyn. although the price
was much higher than thai. paid under last
years ccntr4cts The Controller. however has
not attached his narue To the contracts for tbs
year and the Commissioner Of street Cleaning
cannot order any work under q contract before
il is signed and the contractors have sled their
bonds
The lowest bidder for snow removal in Man
haitian was CeIestino de Marco. an Italian. who
had some scov trimming and snow removal
contracts when the late Colonel WarinE
the Commissioner Of Street Cleaning. His bid
was 81 cents a rUbic yard Last year the
Tvaide Asphalt Company had the contract at
~ cents cubic yard The company put in a
bid this year at t. cents. There was another
bidder at ~ cents cubic yard. and Commis-
sioner Nagle Of the Street Cleaning Department
said the third bidder was only a dummy" for
the Uvalde Asphalt Company The Board OF
Estimate and ApPortionment voted 10 accept the
De Marco bid. because it was the lowest, al
though the asphalt company's dummy made
a protest the ground that Councilman HyIand
on De Marcos bond and that the bond
had not been signed in legal form.
DE MARCO NOT THERE
\ Tribune reporter went yesterday TO the Of
fce Of the snow removal contractor. in the old
building at the northeast corner Of City Hall
Park. to inquire for Mr.. De Marco. A man
who was employed by the Uvalde Asphalt Com
pany was i'll the outer and said in reply
10 inquiry;
De Marco doesn't come here. I don't know
where ne could be found
Who is the snow removal contractOr?'' the
reporter asked.
why. the Uvalde Asphalt Company. of
course
This year?'
Yes this year, The company had the con-
tract last year and will have It again this year.
But the contract for this year was awarded 10
De Marco. the lowest bidder"
Well he doesn't geJ it
Another empIoye of the asphalt company. in
the inner Office, VINO was asked for information
said that all information must come from Com
missioner Nasle. When the reporter found that
official at meeting of the Board of Public I'm
provements Mt. Nagle said: De Marco has
sold out 70 the UvaIda Asphalt Company; that
is, he is ready 10 sell if the company wants
the contract
Why doesn't De Marco keep the conrractr-
the reporter asked
He can't He has no plant for snow re-
rnovaI He made the bid, as any had the
right to do in order TO sell out He has offered
to assign the contract 20 the Uvalde company,
and the company may pay him something for Il,
hut the conpany's lawyers are not satisfied with
the legality of his bid There another bid
YOU know. at - cents. while the Uvdlds's own
bid was ~ cents. see. II was this way
The company put in a bid at - cents. and
then had a dummy put in protecting bid ar
IS cents. Now the dummy has brought SUIT
to test the legality Of the De- Marco bid II the
courts decide that the De Marco hid must %
thrown out the dummy gets the contract at
at that figure. and make two cents cubic yaFo
in the snow removal If the De Marco con
tract stands the company Will have 20 take the
contract at 3f cents and pay something TO De
Marco into the bargain
Then" il was suggested, the city Viii BE- the
gamer if the he Marco bid stands"
SOONER SEE 1T LET AT FIFTY CENTS
Well" said the Commissioner. II would
sooner see the contract let at - cents. for then
the work would he done up 10 the handle AT S6
cents they would expect to get men at 81 a day
10 shovel snow, and the work would drag"
The Commissioner could not venture n pre-
diction as the time II viii take for the courts
to decide if the D. Marco bid is TO stand and II
the contract he is ready to sell out Is worth
selling Meanwhile there may % a SDoWStorTn-
and the Street Cleaning Commissioner may be
without a snow removal contractor Ihe re-
Eorter was unable to find De Marco yesterday.
The Italian Sometimes gets letters az No 10
MuIberry-s1 but the banker at that place said
ne objected to having the place advertised as De
Marcos headquarters De Marcos name n not
in the City Directory