New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-21
TO PR0VEITW WAS" GRAFT"
Mccall Not at Sinking Fund Meet
ing-Mayor May Veto Resolution.

Charles F. Murphy's anxiety about getting
trusty Tammany man in the Sinking Fund Com
mission in order to protect the rotten leases OF
the old Tammany Dock Board was accentuated
yesterday when it became known that Dock
Commissioner Hawkes. had foot plan to
establish dumping board the north side Of
the pier at Canal-st. and North River that will
be direct rival TO the Brown & Fleming dump
ing board on the south side Of the same pier
This will be a proceeding almost with preo-
edent and will be bitterly resented by the
lessees of the existing dumping board. The
Canal-st. dumping board lease is considered ex-
ceedinsly valuable. 1t yields profit variously
estimated at from $50 to $3.50 a day to the
lessees. Brown & Fleming are understood to
be allied with Naughton & Co. Daniel F. Nc
Mahon of the latter corporation, is chairman
of the Executive Committee OF Tanrnany Hall
and close personal friend of Charles F. Muir
ply Brown & Fleming received this Canal-st-
pier lease for Of thirty years, at about
s., 800 year. A less valuable dumping priv
ilege at the West Thirtieth-st- pier brought
S1S,S00 a year at auction for five year period
Commissioner Hawkes. is planning TO set ASIDE
a part of the north side of the Canal-st. pier
for dumping board and advertise the lease Tor
sale Il is confidently expected that il will bring
$4,000 a year. Incidentally it VIII cut down
the earning capacity of the Brown & Fleming
are supposed to be interested. This is where the
shoe pinches the Murphy men
MURPHY MEN FRIGHTENED.
This plan of Commissioner Hawkes. to de-
u1onstrate in hard dollars and cents just how
much the city lost by the methods of the old
Dock Board under the domination of Charles F.
Murphy has scared the Murphy and Gaffney
men. Under a pretence that Mayor Low had
treated the aldermen discourteously the fusion
members of the Finance Committee on Tuesday
were induced to flop to the Tamnlany side. and
then q resolution passed deposing Alder
man Parsons from the Craftsmanship 1t is the
knowledge that Corporation Counsel Rives,
Dock Commissioner Hawkes. and District At
torney Jerome hot the trail OF the graft
ers of the Van Wyck administration that
prompted Murphy to wedge John T. Mccall into
the Sinking Fund Commission The complaint
in the action brought by the Corporation Coun-
sci against Joseph Egan holder of one Of the
suspicious leases given by the old Dock Board.
reserves the right TO add just such data as VIII
be secured by Commissioner Hawkes. when he
advertises a dumping board lease for sale on the
north side ot Canal-st. to the highest bidder. 1t
win materially strengthen the city's case to
have data of that kind, and no one knows It
better than Thomas C OSulivan, counsel for
the Murphys, Gaffneys McMahons and Egans.
9
is slated to be the next Corporation Counsel.
PARSONS SAT WITH THE BOARD.
John T. Mccall, the Tamnany claimant TO a
seat IN the Sinking Fund did not appear at the
meeting Of the commission yesterday afternoon.
Before the meeting Corporation Counsel Rives
and Alderman Parsons had a conference with
the Mayor in the latter's private office, and
then the commission went into session, with
Alderman Parsons in his usual seat at the big
round table. The commission will not meet
again for two weeks. By that time Mccall VIII
have his certificate of election by the aldermen
to the Craftsmanship Of the Finance Committee
CITY Clerk p ]. Scully said yesterday that he
did not expect TO forward to the Mayor q reso4u-
ton concerning the election of Mccall. He said
that the action not carried in tornaI
resolution and for that reason 1t would not be
necessary 10 send any resolution to the Mayor
The Republican members OF the board assert
that as the chairman OF the FINANCE COMMIT
tee is charter officer, his election py the d!oet-
men will have to go TO the Mayor IN the form
of a resolution. If this view is correct Mayor
Low could veto the resolution and defer for
long time the admission Of Mccall TO the com
mission Controller Grout. IN commenting oh
the situation yesterday, said:
"As far as the Sinking Fund Commission is
concerned il does not matter whether the chalr-
man of the Finance Committee is q AaIltitaS it
else The question is, ! as he q r1ght 10 the
seat? 1 am not fully acquainted win the facts
OF the case as yet. but the Whole tnlhg resLs
on whether Mccall has been rlghtlu!!g Siecteu.
O< course the resolution Of the board Will nave
to go 10 the Mayor for his approval
The minutes of the meeting OF the aldermen
IN January show that President Fornes ap-
pointed Mr.. Parsons chairman OF the finance FINANCE
Committed and those minutes were IorlhaLS
auproYed by the board
1lrsr a