New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-11
MAY GUST MURPHY %.
Dunn Permit at 35th-st. Pier Likely
To Be ReUOked

Dock Commissioner John A Bensel said yes"
terday that he probably would revoke the per-
nit of the New-York Contracting and Trucking
Company for the dumping board privilege on
the south side of the 35th-st pier. This pier
permit was granted to the Murphy Gaffney
company more than a year ago at a rental of
$1,000 year the tenure of the occupant to be
al the pleasure of the Commissioner.
Whether this is a blow at the Murphy CARNEY
company is not exactly certain. as that COM
pany some time ago, with the assistance of the
Pennsylvania Railroad. made arrangement
with the New-York Central Railroad which con-
trolls the piers at 31st. SD and SD SITS, TO re-
ceive dumping privileges on the 32d-st. pier TO
facilitate the contracting companys excavation
work in connection with the new terminal or the
Pennsylvania company
A wear ago a revocation of this 3Jth-st. pier
dumping board permit would have been hard
setback to the company. on whose notes, TO the
extent Of $685. 900. Charles F. Murphy is an in
dorser but the pier has not been used at all for
several months by the Murphy Gaffney concern.
The 35th-st pier is what is known the hay
pier and when Commissioner Featherson more
than a year ago gave the Murphy-Gaffney COM
pany permission to erect a dumping board on II
there was fierce criticism by the hay Dealers
who are limited to this pier for all their river
shipping.
Commissioner Bensel said yesterday that he
did not know how the New-YOrk Contracting
and Trucking Company had been able to OBTAIN
space on the New-York Central pier,
Il know" said Mr. Bensel. that the COM
panies had hard fight over 1t. The New DIRK
Central people were determined at first TO keep
the contracting company off their pier Finally
they were induced to yield and the contracting
company built a trestIe leading from the ter
mnaI site in 32d-st. right across TO the 32d-
tlv far itatiu
handling hundreds of tons of earth and rock.
The Pennsylvania company is building great
terminal at Greenville, n. J., and the eXca-
waited earth and rock are being taken down there.
The contracting company has not been doing
anything with its dumping board for several
months and 1 have decided to revoke the per-
NIT and leave the pier as it was two years ago"
What about the charge of the Featherson
men that you are a resident of Bernardsville
and have not registered in the last two or three
years?' he was asked
"All my friends know that I have been sick
a good deal of the time in the last two years.
1t was tmpra cticabIe for me TO register" said
Mr. Bensel.
The step taken by Commissioner Bensel yes
terday when he decided to revoke the permit of
the Murphy -Gaffney company for a dumping
board privilege worth many thousands of dol
lars a year shows what he can do If he wants
to protect the city's interests. All of the Muir
ply -Gaffney dumping board permits are revo-
cable at the pleasure of the Commissioner The
company obtained these permits at ridiculously
low prices when Charles F. Murphy was treas
urer of the old Dock Board. 1t now holds valu-
able privileges at West 96th and West 18th SITS.
West 35th-st. and East 2Sd-st. Probably 1t has
even more than these. Commissioner Feath-
erson liberal to it, and contractors say
that the company got whatever ii wanted at
its price
1t is within the province of Commissioner
Bensel to revoke all the permits of the New
York Contracting and Trucking Company and
put up at public auction their dumping board
privileges. These at present yield the city about
$4,000 year If put up at public auction they
would yield rentals of about $4,000 year,
the prospective building of the new subways
makes il certain that the lessees of dumping
board privileges will make enormous profits in
the next five years.
There is we'll grounded suspicion at the City
Halt that Mayor Mcclellan really is not at all
eager TO inture Charles F. Murphy's commercial
interests. 1t is the prevailing opinion that he
can do a good turn for the city by revoking all
the Murphy Gaffney permits and putting them
UP at public auction. Commissioner Bensel indi-
Gates that he is just the point of showing
how easily this can be done.