The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-14
HAWKES. HITS BACK ATMURpHY
CHICHESTER DIDN'T GET CON-
yR,CT-CALLED TRAITOR.
,...o,s SAYS That's why Hawkes. Was
Turned Down Us District Leader
Tommany Leaders Dock Statement
.Irs In .Jcrome Indictment RumOrs.

.ho dock investigation were current in the
Crwinal Courts Building yesterday, but
,.oro NOT raccabe to authority.
as tho result of Tammany Leader Charles
+ v,,rphv's defence of himself. and his
.,oo;,tes on the old Dock Board, and his
"ri,icism4 of Dock Commissioner McDougall
Hawkes., Mr. Hawkes. and his political and
,,orsopal friend, Alderman Herbert Par
r aons and District Attorney Jerome made
a,o,on.nt- of interest yesterday.
rIa charge was made by Mr. Murphy
.h,, Mr. Hawkes. had on May IL, 1902 given
70 the Eureka Cement Company, with which
coorge r Manchester, secretary of the
pooubIican County Committee, is asso-
aio,od n Commissioner order for 500
. l,,rrels of cement at 81 80 a barrel, and let
him deliver it in Jersey City at an extra
,.,., If $500 to the city for towage. The
dooarmcnt, Mr., Murphy said, had up to
,ha, time been using standard cement at
slS5 a barrel
In answering this statement yesterday,
Commissioner Hawkes. said that 500 barrels
os cement were needed for immediate Use
and the Comm ssioner asked a number Of
comnnt dealers to submit prices. Whom
these bids we're opened it was found that all
we're alike, 81 90 a barrel being the price
hid Among the bidders were the John p.
Kane company and the Eureka company
The Kane company also bid 81 AZ a barrel
tor less urgent contract for 900 bar
reIs at which price it got that contract.
The Eureka company got the smaller
contract When it delivered the cement
the department found it to be 30,s8l pounds
short in weight. A demand was made
on the company to make up the shortage,
but it refused and withdrew it's cement
Abill for So. "A, the expense of the depart
nent in handling the cement was then
sent to the Eureka company by Commits
sionor Hawkes. and paid by them. Mr..
Hawkes. made public the letter sent to the
Eureka company at the time by William
Cole, the cashier of the department,
which shows that Leader Murphy was in
Hawkes. with having actually completed
purchase of cement from the Eureka
company.
Al the same time that Mr. Hawkes. gave
out his statement yesterday, Alderman
Herbert Parsons issued from his law Office
long extract from letter he wrote last
December shortly after MIR. Hawkes. was
district, which bears on this cement con-
tract The letter goes at length into the
situation in the Iwenty-fifth Assembly
district last winter and declares that the
writer never saw more disgraceful pro-
ceeding in his political career than the fail
ure of the delegates from the district to
name Mr. Hawkes. as the executive member.
Deputy County Clerk Henry Birrell was
named The letter says:
wish to say that undoubtedly one reason
why this trick was played was because Hawkes.
has lived up to his oath az Dock Commissioner.
Interfere with proper performance OF his
official duties. The records of the Dock
Department will show that cement company
in which one.of the traitors Is said to be in
tcrested, had in a legitimate way contract
with the Dock Department for 100000 pounds
Of cement. and that its delivery-wasi $4,000
a aa ssss held t e s OF se xhG as
lowed himself not to be swayed in the least.
Mr. Manchester, when asked about the
charge contained in Mr.: Parsons letter,
said
ment that Commissioner Hawkes. was
turned down in the district because of his
failure to put this cement contract through.
Mr. Hawkes. was beaten for the leadership
because the delegates preferred Mr.. Birrell.
Mr. Hawkes. wanted to head the dele
CATION to the State convention and some
people in the district thought he wasn't
the right man. And 30 another man was
chosen as executive member for this dis
trict | am very much surprised that Com
missioner Hawkes. should take such a posi-
ton at this late day. | never knew that
he took his defeat 80 hard before. | can
only say that this cement business had
nothing to do with the matter"
Henry Brrell, the present Republican
leader of the district, whom Mr.. Parsons
charged in his letter with treachery to
Commissioner Hawkes., said:
There never was any agreement in the
district to elect Hawkes. executive member.
There was no treachery in the election
al all. The delegates stood five for me
and three for Hawkes., and so | was elected.
Nothing could have been more above
beard. | am surprised at a statement Of
this kind al this time"
In speaking of the cement contract Mr..
Manchester said;
our company denied that the cement
weighed less than standard cement should
weigh The department, however, de-
cldrd that we were wrong, so we simply
withdrew our cement. Because of my
position on the Republican County Com
mlItee didn't want to have any con-
troyersy over the matter. When our
cement was returned to us 100 barrels were
withheld We were informed that they
were withheld to insure our payment of
the money expended by the city in handling
our cement. The bill was S52 "A, which
we regarded as eXorbltant. However, we
pad II and got our cement. That closed
the incident
Answering the other charges and criti-
cisms contained in Leader Murphy's state
mont, Commissioner Hawkes. says that the
present Investigation was not prompted
ny political considerations; that on the
o,hcr hand the Corporation Counsel had
Already brought an action for the cancella-
non OF on" Of the most fragrant of the leases
o. the old Dock Board, the lease Of the
EtSan dump al Twcnty-ninth street, granted
l9r thirty years at $3.50 year, an exactly
similar privilege on" block away having
since, by competitive bidding, brought
SSSW on a short lease Of five years. Mr.
hawkes. gives "A list of other valuable pier
privileges let cheap 10y the old board, which
nave sine" brought big rentals for the city
under competitive bidding, All the in
stances mnu,,oncd have come out in the
VoVrs" OF the Jerome investigation.
IN answer 10 Leader Murphy's criticism
ou'li Central Hudson Steamboat Com
Iany' Mr.. Hawkes. repeated a statement
II, mas made before, that the city made a
good bargain. He says:
inr rental which is paid for that pier is at
tba,' .I' OF lonr cents per square foot moro
rg TG r per square foot 9n for
booIinaTn Pacific Rlirond Company 1t should
Nv ttERrth"r noted that Pier 25 is the only pier
Be W mo}, WGGin.iT with which comparison can
NO MA" Nl,h Pier -, for the reason that these
ioi,i,h r Only two piers leased without adj
WH,HE hHIkh"ads The two piers which MIR
a"rly refers to for comparison with Pier
ma 70 W.T. PIERS % and ~, are broad piers,
"'i 'eas"d with bulkheads
ME ne adds that the Sinking Fund Com
.aNslohrrS approved the lease after in