New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-08
MAYOR on SCANDAL LID
DOCK 4FENRS BOILING.
Feat.erson Demands Reasons for
RsmoUaL Murphy Blamed.


about much in Mayor MeCleIIan's Office as
it is at Pier l. Mayor Mcclellan retired
Maurice Featherson from the head of the de-
partment because he had been informed that
Featherson in the last month of his admins
tration had stecred to the Phoenix Construction
and Supply Company contract work yielding a
profit of more than $5O.O00. Featherson says
there's nothing in the story. and he challenges
the Mayor to prove his case.
Edward Featherson was on August rs last
director of the Phoenix company. and William
n. Shannon. deputy leader of Featherson's dis
trict, Is president and treasurer Of the conf
pany. What makes the more interesting
is the fact that the Mayors request Con-
troller Grout investigated the records of the
Dock Department and reported that there was
nothing to connect Commissioner Featherson
with the Phoenix company.
Despite this report the Mayor. acting on what
he supposed to he trustworthy data appointed
some one in Featherson's place, and when
Featherson tried to find out from him why he
had been turned down" the Mayor would not
see him
Charles F. Murphy. it is believed. took hand
in the business to injure Featherson. who stands
a good chance OF succeeding Murphy as leader
of the organization.
Featherson is trying to discover who tor
pedoed him. and Will demand of Mayor McClel-
Ian that he name a specific instance Of malad-
ministratlon.
One of the significant features Of the business
is that the Murphy -Gaffney interests seem to
be fully protected These are extensive. Charles
F. Murphy is the indorser of the Murphy-Gaff-
ney notes to the extent of S155,O0O shown in
The Tribune a few days ago. and the time Of
digging more tunnels is almost at hand.
Featherson's friends say that Murphy wanted to
make sure of having his interests protected, and
that some man friendly to the boss told the
Mayor a story about Feathersons administra-
ton of the office with the object Of getting John
A BenseI elevated to the control of the depart
ment. Mr.. Bensel was chief engineer Of the de-
partment when Charles F. Murphy was treas
urer of the Old Van wyck Dock Board 1t
in the Van Wyck administration that Murphy
became wealthy. The Murphy-Gaffney interests
did not get any favors from Commissioner
Hawkes. while Low was Mayor but it began to
get them again as soon as Featherson was ap-
pointed commissioner by Mcclellan two years
ago.
THE QUARREL WITH MURPHY.
| The last two years have been comparatively
! quiet however for the Murphy -Caffney dump
! ing boards. with the exception of the at
! West 35th-st. where the rock and earth eXca-
waited from the Pennsylvania tunnel are handled.
/ A Republican. Martin Healey, leased a pier at
West 29th-st. with the idea of taking care of a
| lot of the Pennsylvania cornpany's work. agree
ing TO paw the city S1S.50O year for five years.
! Commissioner Feathersen leased to the Murphy
Caffney company part of the West S5th- st. pier.
/ just as good a dumping board privilege for
50 900 year thus facilitating the contract work
! Of the Murphy Gaffney company and shutting
| Healey out of it entirely.
This made FeathersOn solid" with Murphy
until recently. Lately there have been Tumors
/ of a quarrel between the leaders on account of
i Dock Department affairs. Murphy succeeded in
/ keeping in Charles ]. Collins as secretary to the
Dock Department Collins and Featherson got
4 on we'll till last September. when something
happened that almost resulted in the per-
! emptory dismissal Of Collins.
Featherson in the mean time doing his
! best to hurry to completion the Staten Island
| ferryboats It was necessary to get these under
way to give a grand demonstration of municipat
| ownership. Featherson got them running. ana
/ they we're started with wild acclaim by the
! Mayor and others in October. As a result of the
! demonstration Richmond voters gave Mcclellan
/ more than three thousand plurality. or just
! about enough to elect him
! In telling a Tribune reporter on Thursday
night at his clubhouse of his efforts to get the
boats running on time TO help Mcclellan
E,aa+bArson said: L worked like thief TO get
those Staten Island ferryboats running before
Election Day.
IF McClellan's got anything against me- ne
continued. "let him trot it out. 1 want him 10
saw what he's got TO say 1 wish the papers
would make him talk. ! can't"
Mavor McClellan's attention was called on
Saturday to Feathersons challenge, but he
would not comment on It.
E-aatberson is determined find out who set
off the mine under him. If 1t was Mcclellan, he
will take his time and square the account
rttIe later II it was Murphy. as many of the
Eraa tberson men suspect, the day of reckoning Is
not far off.
The Murphy are already saying thdt
Featherson made poor record as commissioner
Ona of them said yesterday that Mayor McClel-
Ian had gone over the record of the Dock De
partment for the last.two years. and had salts
ead himself that the Phoenix Construction and
SuppIv Company was getting altogether too
many favors.
AS already told. this company got five OF the
six contracts awarded by Featherson in the last
two years for filling in behind seawas. This
company got all the contracts by competitive
bidding but it is said that the Mayor did not
like the looks Of it. One of the Mayors friends
Yesterday said that Featherson was responsible
for the city losing profitable leases for the big
new Chelsea piers from the International Mer-
camille Marine Company.
CRITICISM OF FEATHERSON.
.Featherson," said the friend Withdrew frcTn
the Sinking Fund Commission two years ago
whole bunch of leases that would have been e%-
tremelv desirable for the city. These leases had
taen prepared by Commissioner Hawkes.. and
should have been approved by the Sinking Fur1
Commission. Featherson later tried to negotiate
as good leases with some of the very people that
Hawkes. had been negotiating with, but un-
70 do we'll