The sun., 1904-12-19
The WAYS OF CASSIDY'S MEN.
REPORTED UPON AS BALD LIARS,
BUT STILL At THE OLD JOBS.

Examples Of Fiction That King JOe's
Foremen wrote--Some Contracts split
Up in violation or the Charter 10
Give Jobs 10 Cassid,'s Followers.
In 1902, during the administration Of
President Joseph Cassidy, whose gang OF
political heelers is declared to be using
the borough Of Queens worse now than
at any other time, over a thousand COM
plants were made about the condition
Of the streets In the borough.
These complaints were investigated by
Mayor Lows Commissioners Of Accounts
and reported on to the Mayor In the for
midable statement which either Low or
Gov. odell failed to make proper use Of.
THE papers in 005 complaints, says that
report, failed to show that any work has
been done by the bureau
1t was in connection with this that the
Commissioners condemned Cassidy's fore
men OF streets for making false reports
and announced that the foremen seemed
certain OF protecting influence. 1t de-
nounoed the system Of paying laborers
at the Court House as demoralizing TO the
men and a serious loss to the city, for on
pay day most Of the street gangs lay of.
The foremen. assistant foremen and
the men did hardly any work for the day.
but spent most Of the time in saloons, .
the report says Foremen and their sub
ordinates were seen drunk.
During the course OF this investi CATION
many attempts have been made to locate
Foreman Fischer and his men at the loca-
ton named in his reports. but all have failed.
He is known to both OF the inspectors and
ka, - fhof ha ia
principal streets in holiday dress. We
consider Foreman Fisoher's reports to be
wholly false
Yet Henry Fischer is still a foreman
in the Bureau Of Highways. He is a poll
tician who formerly kept saloon, and he
is said to be great help to Cassidy every
campaign.
After analyzing the reports OF another
OF Cassidy's foremen, John Bannon, the
Commissioners wrote: we consi der that
error as to location" But John Bannon
is still foreman, according to the latest
City Record.
I'VE consider the reports OF Foreman
Comiskey to be entirely false, was the
comment on another Of Cassidy's men.
John Comiskey continues to draw 81 a
day from the city.
The Commissioner inspector sought
Assistant Foreman William Shade at an
hour when Shade was supposed to be at
work, and found him in the clubroom OF
the Joseph Meyerrose Association, on
consider the reports of Assistant Foreman
Shade for one week ending Nov. 1,1e02, to
be fictitious was the report in Shades
case, but he is still working for the city,
by grace of Mr.. Cassidy
These false reports made by foremen
n I,,Ba
tonishigly bold. Ship Carpenter Thomas
Stapleton reported at the end Of the week
OF Nov. 3, 1902, that he had repaired 65
square feet of a bridge on Hillside avenue.
e. square feet OF a bridge at Strong's Cause
way, 1880 square feet Of a bridge on East
Third avenue, IFS lineal feet OF fence on
College Point causeway.
The inspector for the Commissioners OF
Accounts examined all the structures
named and reported that no work had been
done on any of them Stapleton IL still
at work. getting $3.50 a day.
The report has this to say about another
Cassidy administration scandal:
.An additional opportunity for the fore
men to abuse the confidence placed in
them ia found in the employment OF 1877
men with horse and cart and forty-seven
men with two-horse wagons whose names
appear on the August payrolls
There appears to be no system OF receipts
between the sender and the receiver Of
materials handled, hence il IL entirely In
the power of the foremen to report these
men and teams as working when they are
not. The reports Of all our Inspector.
that, as a general thing, they are but half
filed. The locations at which the work
has been done and the nature and quantity
of the work performed are all so idenfi.
nitely stated that they cannot he relied
upon to show the cost OF any piece OF work;
sT al nf
and at the Office Of the bureau develops
the fact that no record is kept OF the dis
position Of materials purchased. There
is no system whereby the officials who
handle material are charged Herewith and
REQUIRED to make an accounting.
That section Of the charter which pro-
vides that any job costing more than 81, 900
must be let by contract was repeatedly
violated. The Commissioners proved the
violations by means Of the vouchers drawn
by President Cassidy. :,
Subterfuge was resorted to occasionally.
as in the case OF painting the County Court
House and the Administration Building.
According to the records, Allen. viz d
Kiefaber Of "a Sunswick street, Long Islam d
City, were ordered to deliver materials
A few days later John Kiefaber Of 400 Fif-
teenth avenue, Long Island City, was
directed to furnish material and labor to
the extent Of $3.50. II was all for the one
piece OF wOrk, ana as tne cost was u, ,<U
bids should have been called for. But that
wasn't the worst Of it. The report says:
THE firm Of Allen. VIII Il Kiefaber was
evidently a polite fiction, as the address
given Is private dwelling, and all three
Of these men were appointed to positions
under the Borough President soon after
the above work was completed.
The job Of fitting up otnces in the Borough
Hall was given out similarly in sections,
though the total cost was $2,SS5, and a
further series two months later cost 81 $50.
All this work should have been let in one
contract, but the Cassidy administration
peddled 1t in sums OF less than 81 900, clearly
violating the charter.
In check ing the payrolls OF the Bureau OF
Highways instances were found where the
appropriation to which a portion Of the
payroll was charged was designated by the
Board Of Estimate and Apportionment for a
specific purpose, whereas the men on the
portion OF the payroll so charged were en-
ployed on work for which another specific
appropriation had been provided, but
which was insufficient for the purpose
Transfers OF appropriations are part OF
the power OF the Board Of Estimate, but
Cassidy assumed the power himself. OF this
offence the Commissioners Of Accounts said.
-The failure OF the Borough President TO
apply to the Board Of Estimate and Appor-
tionment for transfers in these cases has oon-
oealed the true condition from that board,
- aaAA AI fnr Nh<