New-York tribune., 1903-02-12
TO PRESS ELM-ST. WORK.
Cantor May Be Ash,ed to Take Con
tract from Firm.

If work in Elm-st. is not carried through
efficiently and speedily the Bureau of High
ways will ask President Cantor TO take away
contract from Cunningham & Kearns. This VIII
mean a heavy financial loss to the firm. as the
bond in the Controllers office would be forfeited
The contract for regulating and grading Elm
st. from Great Jones-st. to Prnce-st. has been
let TO Cunningham & Kearns. The contract for
paving is with The Degnon- Mclean Construction
Company but it is expected that it will sublet
the contract TO Cunningham & Kearns. The
original bid of Cunningham for paving was only
slightly larger than the Degnon bid. and Degnon
e. McIe have since manifested an inclination
to transfer the entire work of regenerating the
street This will give the Cunningham firm
complete charge
The Department of Highways is convinced
that the Degnon- Mclean company, which has
had charge Of the rapid transit construction
work in EIm-st., has used the street as an
elongated storage house for too long time, and
one of the highways officials has Informed Gun
nineham &, KearIs that they have right to
confscate whatever property, tools and con-
structfcn material is left in the stretch from
Great Jones-st to Prince-st. This is expected 10
have an accelerating influence the exit of the
Deeron-McI. can company. The Department Of
Highways states that the company agreed to
turn over the street by September, l9uZ. This
would have enabled a start to be made in re
deening the street last fall. The company s
failure TO meet its alleged promise has tied
things I'D for the winter The Department OF
Hiehwavs promises a useful street from GREAT
Tones 10 Prince by May /. and promises that
Cunningham & Kearns will begin work as soon
as the weather permits the regulating and grad
inq to he done The paving is to be done with
macadam blocks.
When this promise of the Highways Depart
nent was quoted yesterday by Tribune re
porter to the head of another department. VINO
is one Of the citys leading officials, ne was dis
gusted.
Have they named a definite date when Gun
ningham & Kearns go to work? No. Then 1t Is
nothing"
The Department of Highways, which, by the
wav is in absolute charge of the Elm-st. clear
ing. further states that by spring Elm-st, from
Prjnce-st south to Howard-st., will he handed
over TO it by the Degnon-McLean company. 1t
will then issue contracts for regulating grading
and for paving The officers believe that before
the stretch from Great Jones-st to Prince at.
is completed the stretch from Princest. to How
ard-st viii be ready for work. and that the
Improvement will thus proceed continuously
The awarding of new contracts will require ten
days.
The chief engineer of the Department of High
WAYS said Yesterday to Tribune reporter:
This Elm-st. business is really up TO the
Rapid Transit Commissioners. Their power is
a absolute extending from house line to house
line and reasonable distance in cross streets
The Degnon- Mclean Construction Company mas
been permitted to keep delaying. and mean
while using the street for storing purposes. 1t
has been Uttered from end end
Il put an inspector to work recently to hurry
I'M the firm which now has the contraCt-Cun-
nfngham & Kearns. The inspector cost 81 a day,
and this was charged 20 the company. Mr..
Cunningham came around 10 my office and
wanted that eased up. He then went to Mr..
Cantor and Mr.. Cantor had us call off the in
Spector."