New-York tribune., 1903-07-15
NO MONEY FOR EYE-BARS.
WAFER DEFIES MCARREN.
Aldermen Refuse to appropriate
ST, ,5S3, 900 for Manhattan Bridge.

The Tammany aldermen, with the help Of
seven or eight Republicans. yesterday put the
Board Of Aldermen on record as refusing to
sanction appropriation of S6533 600 for the
steel Of the new Manhattan Bridge asked for
by Bridge Commissioner Lindenthal. The Re
publcans voting with the Democrats were
Messrs. Mathews and Jones. of the XXIst Dis
trict. Whitaker. Of the XXth District; Holmes.
Of the XIXth District, and Alt. Bennett, Die
mer and Holler, Of Brooklyn. The principal OBJ
lection TO the appropriation seemed to be that
Commissioner LindenthaI wants to build eye-bar
cables instead Of making the cables Of wire, as
usual. Some Republicans charge that the re-
fusal to authorize the appropriation is a Tam
many game to help the Roebling Company. with
which Frank H. Croker. son of Richard Croker,
is supposed TO be connected. The Roeblings
want wire cable bridge.
Senator McCarren, Of Brooklyn got in the way
Of the Tammany steam roller yesterday and was
run over. Alderman Wafer disagreeable
toward Mr.. McCarren.
This here politician" said Wafer, scorn-
fully pointing at Senator McCarren: this here
politician is trying to force to do as he wants.
want to say I don't wear any mans collar, and
I'll vote as I see fit in this matter" MI Wafer
Is Brooklyn Democrat.
The only thing that can be done with the
bridge appropriation resolution now is TO send
il back TO the Board of Estimate for repassage
The impression seems to be general that the
resolution will not pass the board unless Com
missioner LindenthaI asks for bids for wire
cables as well as for those made on the eye-bsr
plan.
In order to get the resolution for the appro-
priation before the meeting Chairman Mccall
of the Finance Committee presented a favora-
BILE report on it. Then he opposed his own re-
port.
Mr. Mccall said he sent an engineer 70 ex-
anime the plans of the proposed new bridge.
The engineer sent in request to Commissioners
Lindenthal TO be allowed to see the plans. M
Mccall continued:
His card was returned to him Endorsed REQUEST
the request was denied unless there is niger IN
The wOo5pe and why were We ct the ser1Ges %t 9s s
pensed with for daring TO give his opinion to this
Bridges IS pushing this plan to Introduce method
OF bridge building patented by himself %hieh ef.6 he
years. The Commissioner has wasted a year or
money by discarding the perfectly satisfactory
plans that had been prepared before he took once
in the pay Of the Bridge Commissioner shows that
the eye-bar system of bridge construction is merely
an experiment, and it has been conclusively shown
that there is no factory or plant III Ie itti
tba FfnanSe Committee Commissioner Lindenthal
sdnitfed that the work on Bridge No. 5 cannot
be begun for eighteen months. Under those cir.
Sor fb eeTvce Of the Bridge Which
cannot be used for nearly TWO years?
President Fornes replied to Mr. Mccall. He
argued that in order to begin the work even
in two years orders must be given at once Sor
material. Contracts for the material could not
be made unless the funds at the disposal
Of the commissioners.
Alderman Doull deied Commissioner Linden
thai to find any engineers of reputation, except
those in his pay, who would say that the eye
bar system good the wire system
of bridge construction
Alderman Walkey agreed with Senator Nc
Carren that it was not up to- the aldermen to
discuss questions Of engineering and that the
report OF the Mayors committee ought to satisfy
them that the plans presented were feasible
proper
Alderman Parsons next
The only question here" he said, is will
you permit this Tammany system of holding up
to continue. The Williamsburg bridge appropria-
ton held up; the Blackwels Island bridge
appropriation held up year, and the rapid
transit scheme was held up by Tammany for
fifteen months. How long you going to
stand it?"
That's all baby talk retorted Alderman
Sullivan. Alderman Parsons talks much Of
hold ups that some day he'll find out that he
has been held up. AS for Tammany Hall, every
body knows Tammany Hall has done more for
the improvement Of the city than any other
organiza tion that ever was heard Of. Tammany
Hall will show. if il has not already shown,
how much your eX-leader, Mr.. Hawkes., has
done 10 retard public Improvement"
Mr. Wafer said every Williamsburg stul-
titled himself who voted for any appropriation
10 the Bridge Commissioner until the Williams
burg and Blackweurs Island bridges were COM
pieted. The rolcaH resulted in "a ayes and Al