New-York tribune., 1901-10-13
VICTIM OF "DIRT TRUST. "
A CONTRACTOR TELLS OF RANK FA
yORITIsM BY THE DOCK BOARD.

81 have been a Tammany Hall man all my
life and my father before me- Our family
supported the organization through thick and
thin in all the years I can remember, but L
will not stand for highway robbery such as is
being practised by this Dirt Trust"
This statement was made yesterday by Will
lam ]. McGirr, Tammany contractor, of No
625 West Twenty-fourth-st, in speaking of the
way. as he alleges the Dock Department has
been giving ltracts for dumping along the
river front to the New-York Contracting and
Trucking Company. which has acquired a COM
plete monopoly he says. of this kind of work.
and in which such Tammany officials as Alder
man Gaffney. State Senator Plunkitt and DOCK
Commissioner Murphy interested Mr.. Nc
Girr has been contractor for five years. and
has continued the business which his father,
Michael McGirr established twelve years be-
fore. When asked to explain the practices of
the "Dirt Trust" of which he said he had been
the victim. Mr.. McGirr told of his dealings with
the Dock Department. as follows:
For twelve years before his death my father had
leased from the city pier at Sixteenth-st and
death of my father continued the lease of the
dock.
Brown & Fleming contractors. for one year, at
dock myself. and would take possession at the ex-
piGation of the suitcase. beginning on May /,
% Dock Department @ me R toId e'tt me to 5 stop "s '
You VIII have to put in an application for per per
orders from Superintendent Walker. applied for
afterward Chief Engineer Benson. Of the Dock De-
partment, recommended that the Sixteenth-st dock
the Dock Board recommending that my dock be
eSe3 the chsTesst R dump. ' North R River
The privilege contract for the Charlss-st. dump
about $500. I feel perfectly Sure that ,Plunkitt
got that contrast as M gift and mo no tlTa ether Son E
worth $4,000. and would net $4,000 to any con-
tractor who can acquire the dump by paying slO'uoV
For two years my dock at sxteenth-st- North
the time. In May, 1909 Alderman James CARNEY,
OF the m c Grp6v ana brother
of Dock Commissioner Murphy, is treasurer. came
said me No 1 H viii % have this f dock Tor which
paying rent. If you want 70 drive me out you
fns TsS said bev sp M tear T down be torn The Dock De-
partment % A people said that they needed my dock
for Improvements. Not one dollar has, been spent
oiosinE my dock the Dock PepaTt%snt the
9f and a5 s to the socsed
Dirt Trust They closed my dock because.
and opened another dock two blocks away from
Up to May, 1s99 the price charged the eontrac-
tors for gmP9g was 20 fn nice lo3d %a m6e Af ef
S m So tesg esgs s9sS oad my TRs ns Rse
more than 81 900 day over and above the regular
dumps along the river front whot gets this 81 5000 600
day which has been paid in every day since I99s
amounts to about s75OOOO Who got it? know
who got It. I know 1t went into the pockets or the
higher up" Tammany leaders. ,.,u. -
Last year I wrote TO Mr.. Croker explaining the
circumstance, and asking him TO investigate re-
ceived no answer. I went to the Dock DePart-
ment last fall and asked for an explanation Peter
r. Meyer. Dock Commissioner Charles r. MURPHY,
]. Sergeant Cram and ex-Sherir Dunn were in the
room. / asked courteously TO see MT MurPny-
He rose up and said to Cram, Here's MI NC
Girr.' - . <-,. NJ
Croker has gone 20 England. You will nave 70 go
over there and see him. We cannot DO anytnlns
for YOU Then the whole crowd laughed oolster--
ousy; they thought IL a good Joke on Mt O9I !
saw the outrages that have been put upon
business men in New-York by the present gang
in control of Tammany Hall are beyond endurance;
Not alone in work like mine, but IN BUSINESS oL
ment the New-York Contracting and i ruchlnS
Company, with Alderman Gahney preside,n9t, ,9t ana
the Dock Commissioners brother; JACK MuIphyy'
treasurer. is the only concern that can DO OusI-
ness at present - sy0,-.
know that the contractors outside Of the Dirt
Trust are against Tammany Han In TINS caInpdIs1
to a man. know this DIRT trust Is ots ISGH
within a small Tammany Coterie. They nave Gone
everything possible drive me and every business
man in nv line OF business to the wall Ihey can
do nothing further against me. am for sem
and will be night and day until the end
Dock Commissioner Charles r Murphy When
seen last night at the Anawanda Club. said; l
Amt bein' interviewed about anything Just now
If yer want to talk 10 me about that come down
to the Dock Department l amt oelh inter
viewed now.
Alderman Gaffney was willing to talk but he
said his company had dumping privileges
on the West Side, and that he knew nothing
about either Mr.. McGirr or the Sixteentn-st
dock.