New-York tribune., 1904-05-30
FOPTY-sECOND STREET.

Mr. Michael : Degnon, president of the Deg
ION Contracting Company, faithfully pro1hlseu
The Tribune last Tuesday that Fofty-secohu- 81
should be restored TO Its normal cohultioh y!
next Saturday night. We mean TO hoiu nm anu
his company to that promise. The suffering
,aonla NJ This CITY have been too long tolerant
of the shameful obstruction OF that thoroush-
fare and the utter Indifference OF the company
10 the public convenience. 1t does not mean
much 10 q corporation 10 be told that IL is III
different TO public welfare. 1t Is one OF the
privileges of anonymity TO be thus lndinereHt'
The only way TO stir IT up 10 sense or respon-
sblity is 10 get at the men inside the corporate
shell Therefore that the people may know
whom 10 look 10 for the restoration of this
street. and that those men may realize that
they and not some artificial company are re-
sponsible we rrint the list OF the directors or
this corporation:
Michael J. Desnon. of No. 3o5 West Eighty
seventh ST., president =. .
Nathaniel j. Haywood, secretary Mr.. Hay
woods business address is with the company
at No. II Park Row. The directory does not
give his residence.
Governor Myron T. Herriok. of Cleveland,
Ohio. Governor Herrick. the present executive
cf Ohio, is a financial hacker of the concern.
Washington e. Connor, OF No. 5S2 Madison
ave, Mr. Conner is well known broker:
Charles A. Otis. Mr.. Otis and his son are
friends OF Governor Herrick.
Charles A. Otis, ir.
If Forty y-second-st. is not cleared up and re
stored 10 it's normal condition next Saturday,
these are the persons for New Workers TO blame.
We do not mean to be unreasonable with them.
We realize the difficulties OF the subway work,
and the public necessity which called for the
cheerful endurance OF private inconvenience by
the citizens. New-York has been extremely pa
tient about this matter. So long as the
tractors could be believed to be doing their best,
scarcely a complaint made, even by mer-
chants who were losing thousands Of dollars n
year by the blocking OF their doors. But Mr..
Degnon and his associates have plainly demon
strated that they have not been doing their best.
In lower Broadway they are cutting a subway
with a regard for public convenience which
shows what they could do If they would. There
no building material is allowed TO block the
street. In Forty-second-st. they have for years
strewn their material over sidewalks and park
space-e1cept when Commissioner Wilcox
forced them TO vacate-with an utter disregard
Of the rights OF citizens. This was not neces-
sary 10 their work. II simply saved them
trouble and money. On the other hand It made
for the property owners what was at best dis
agreeable situation simply an unreeved horror.
When its contract has specifically and In de-
tail forced IT TO keep the streets in decent con-
dition, the Degnon Contracting Company has
done so, but when left at liberty II has straight
way abused fits liberty. For that abuse Mr. Nc
Donald and Mr.. Belmont and the Rapid Transit
Commission are not without blame. Mr.. Nc
Donalds contract in general terms bound him
To do his work with the highest regard to the
safety of life and property" Better ways of
doing the work with regard TO the safety of life
end property were known TO him than those
which he allowed TO be used in Forty -second-st
He could there have compelled Mr.. Degnon at
least not TO make the street his funk ward inst
as he did in lower Broadway, but apparently he
did not care; and the Rapid Transit Commits
sion did not give visible evidence that It cared.
when IL found 1T necessary to care IL 1t was to
be allowed TO build extensions there was no
difficulty about keeping Broadway clear When
we recall the promises made by the COM
mission that streets would be opened only in
short sections and covered before other sections
were torn mp, and then look at the long cuts
and junk piles which for years have disfigured
our streets, we are convinced that New Workers.
are the most patient people in the world Even
Job would not have let corporations trampIe on
him the New-Yorker does