New-York tribune., 1901-08-07
PHILBIN is AFTER NAGLE.
WILL INVESTIGATE METHODS OF BIG
COMMISSIONER WHO DEFENDS
CARRIAGE CONTRACT

District Attorney Phibin decided yesterday to
begin investigation of Street Cleaning Com
missioner Percival E Nagles department. He
assigned Assistant District Attorney Schurman
10 look into the contract for the disposition OF
street sweepings. The Central Federated Union,
represented by James Daily. James Keyes and
James Biggs asked for investigation 1t Is
expected that Mr.. Schurman will also look into
Mr. Nagle's practice of splitting $4,000 con-
tracts into eleven little ones. in order to avoid
advertising for bids. The relations of Mr. Nagles s
department with the Sanitary Utilization COM
pany will also be gone over by Mr.. Schurman-
Commissioner Nagle reported at his office yes
terday after long compulsory absence. Two or
three months ago he was thrown from horse
and broke his thigh. He walks with a bad imp
yet, but he says the bone in his leg has KNIT
smoothly and that he will be all right again IN
a few weeks Relative to the award of the
garbage contract to the Sanitary Utilization
Company at alleged exorbitant figure, Mr.
Nagle had this to say:
The delay in the advertising for garbage bids was
no fault of my department The legislature passed
reduction works on Barren Island The law was
not declared unconstitutional until May Ihen
tract, which had to be submitted 70 the Corpora
ton Counsel and to the Board of Estimate. ~
The contract form approved both by Mr.
Whalen and by the Board of Estimate. Now, as
Waring lei the FIRST contract as TO the amount OF
garbage to be disposed of They guessed it would
some of it has to be hauled twenty five miles. It
Is the best and most honest contract that the Glg
TO fill II land with garbage Canarsie would nave
violated the law. The other bidder did not file the
required surety with his bid 1t would cost the
city five times much to do the work as the com;
have little knowledge Crawford, the Brooklyn
contractor, may be in it for all know. Some one
has got to be in it.
Magin & Co yesterday filed with Controller
Coler plans for crematory furnaces they had in
tended to erect in case they had been the sue
cessful garbage removal bidders. These plans
call for furnaces costing 100000. with a ca
pacity of 1000 tons day. a significant thing
about the matter is that Magin & Co. filed these
plans they alege, with Nagle's department sew
eral months ago. Nagle's staff kept silent about
them The Barren Island plant is appraised ny
its owners at S1O0OO00 1t has a capacity ot
one thousand tons a day Magil & Co. conten
plated setting up their plant either on RlkeF
Island or in South Brooklyn
In speaking Of the garbage contract for hve
years for $3.50. 900 year with the New-Hork
Sanitary Utilization Company, Acting Mayor
Guggenheimer said yesterday:
The Controller is comforting with me regarding
snT S cof Of o%rchasing the plant equip
ment and maintenance, and VIII Try 10 set1 Hs t
selected represent US and VII then confer %1
some for the company. II they 90 no. ast = q q
as TO cost, etc. we will ask a thlFd man 10 tIS aI,
mediate with the others We nope 10 act pf0thpl !
~ in this matter and make report 10 me bod'u
OF Estimate at its first meeting IN september
The garbage contract. binding the city for
five years 10 pay S143.O0O a year more than II
has in the past has not yet been signed by
Commissioner Nagle. II is locked up IN con
troller Coler's safe. The New-fork SANITARY
I1tiIization Company will rely on the courts TO
give II the contract or II not that, pay tof W. s
IL is doing without contract