New-York tribune., 1906-12-11
WINS AFTER AHEARN.
TO BE COUNSEL FOR &. u.
6H ASSIST Ellison IN Investigating
Borough Department.

~ llef' tH't''N'
William NJ WINS is TO act as counsel for the
Citizens Union in the investigation of Borough
President Ahearn's office about be begun by
Corporation Counsel Ellison and the Commits
soners of Accounts MIR. WINS had confer
ence yesterday with r. Fulton Cutting, chair
man Of the Citizens Union. Mr.. Cutting advised
the Corporation Counsel yesterday that the
union would be represented by counsel. and last
night Mr. WINS said that he had been engaged
for the task.
THE actual investigating will be done by
Corporation Counsel Ellison. but I will be on
hand to that the allegations of the Citizens
Union, recently made, treated with proper
consideration said Mr.. WINS.
The Citizens Union, in a special report on No
vember "a charged Borough President Ahearn
with riotous extravaganza in the conduct OF
borough affairs and issued a pamphlet of 116
pages. giving mass of details about the alleged
maladministration of Mr.. Ahearn's department.
Among other things the Citizens Union charged
as follows:
From the quarterly report of the Depart
ment of Finance and an examination OF the
Controllers books the bureau has discovered
that President Ahearn spent $1.O22 ,94l 80 dur
ing his first term in 1904 and 1900 WITH
out public contract. The law requires heads
OF departments and borough presidents to
have work done and TO buy supplies by contract
when the several parts of the work or supplies
together involve the expenditure OF more than
$1,000. Jobs costing less than $1,000 and pur-
chases Of supplies under that amount do not re-
quire contracts. OF the total amount spent with
out the formalities and economy of public con-
tract S443075 90 for supplies and repair
work; for incidentals. the chief item Of which
was carfare. grand total Of $4O.950 62 in the
two years; S1O1 .924 OF for expert services. $50
BOB for removing and snoring unsafe buildings,
$1,000 for street signs. S12.326 90 for removing
sidewalk encumbrances; for carriage, S16.-
fnT trt nd
for repaving, S1S1 .754 81. Ex-Street Cleaning
Commissioner Woodbury. spent about 100000
without public contract in four years. If his
past rate is continued. President Ahearn will
spend during his present term of four years a
total Of 81, 045 S95 in this way
The supplies for President Ahearn's bureaus
are bought by the Superintendent OF Public
Buildings and Offices, William H. Walker That
Mr.. Walker has spent this money 10 the ad-
vantage Of few individuals is clearly shown
OF the SS6.O54 26 expended in two years for
tanitors supplies. hardware and paper. $50,
S12 Of was paid to the Metropolitan Equipment
and Supply G. bs sa s SIX I9 Arms I'd divided the
John H. Little receiving S9.54S %; James R.
Keane & Co.. S6.O32 IA Doherty & Co, S5.15S 10;
S3997 Is, and Thomas Bowe, S39O7 03. The
New York Steam Company received S1S,2S2 40
for live steam of the total S203S2 46 spent for
this purpose. Out OF SS.12O 55 paid for disin-
fectant in the two years So, 733 80 went to the
NJ. Frank Disinfectant Company; to the Auto
Chemical Company. S3465 45. Two firms
divided Sl,S3o 81 spent Tor safes. This unbuSl-
nesslike method of purchasing supplies was also
employed by Mr. Walker in NAL king repairs to
public buildings. Ftfty-two thousand, eight
hundred and ten dollars and thirty-nine cents
was paid TO Joseph w. OBrien for plumbing
Two other plumbers were allowed to divide the
S5 900 remaining of the total spent for plumb
ing in the two years.
Forty-one thousand three hundred and thirty
nine dollars and thirty-seven cents was dis
bursed for carpenter work without contract. the
chief benefciaries being Michael II. Lynch who
ixra1 e all vor
Sc AL 20. and Charles II. Peckworth, who got
S5449 81 Mr. Peckworth received 81 .S65 90
alone for work done in the City Hall Building.
Fifteen thousand one hundred and eighty nine
dollars and twenty-three cents of the S4O.950 62
spent for csrfare and other ''incidentals'' was
charged to Superintendent Walkers Bureau of
Public Buildings. and $4,000 II 10 the Bureau
of Highways. President Ahearn requisitioned
$4,000 himself in twenty-fOur monthly install
ments Of $3.50 each.
To pay for cab coach wagon. buggy and horse
hire. not including carting. S!O,0S9 81 was dis
tributed. The New York Cab Company. Linn
tied. James J. Smith and Edward Monaghan
each received 1890. while Martin P Byrnes
George Form. John McCiovern and John c. Multi
gan each paid over $4,000 Large sums
were used to pay for the hire of horses. wagons
and drivers on monthly basis costing the city
81 ESQ per annum in each case.
The Borough President denounced the unions
report as mass of misinformation and wrote a
let.e~ - tho Mayor, asking for an examination
Mr Ellison said yesterday thai the investigation
would begin in a few days. He received let
Ter from Chairman Cutting of the Citizens
Union. saying in part:
In response to your invitation the Bureau or
City Betterment will be pleased TO furnish YOU
with the authorities for the facts embodied I'm
its report. and will also furnish YOU with the
reference which viii enable YOU 10 find I'm the
official records of the city the figures that were
used by il i'm preparing its report.
II is our hope that the investigation will not
he confined merely tn an inquiry to whether
not there have heen technical violations Of
law. but that il will also include a cOmprehen-
sive examination into the efficiency and methods
of Cministr7t tion of all the bureaus under the
jurisdiction of The President Of the Borough of
Manhattan.
I'm view Of NC'r statement that YOU would WEI
come any assistance that we NAV render and i'm
order that our cooperation with you he Is
effective as possible. heg to say that W
have retained counsel whom we have requested
to aid y~u and your assistants in every possible
in your conduct of the investigation.