New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-03-16
TO PROSECUTE B. R. T.
COLER SCENTS Ash GRAFT.
Viii Lay Proofs Before the Kings
County Grand Jury.

Borough President Coler OF Brooklyn told
Mayor Mcclellan and Controller Metz yesterday
at the City Hall that he going to lay before
the Kings County Grand Jury proofs that he
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company IS not fulfill
ing its contract with the city. The sensational
discovery made yesterday that two pages,
containing the essentially binding things IN the
contract between the city and the railroad COM
pany. covering the handling of Brooklyn ashes.
had been distracted from the document.
This fact was first noted by Mr.. Coler, who
went TO the Controllers office to the contract.
Controller Metz admits that two pages have been
cut out of the contract and that the contract on
file in his office is perhaps vitality defective. Mr..
Coler said:
1 believe there is a big grating scandal in this
ash contract, and that is why am going to lay
some Of the facts before the grand jury Some
one is responsible for the railroad company not
living up 10 It's contract with the city, ana l
purpose to discover the culprit or culprits, If
there are more than one. The contract and the
drawings call for certain style of ash receiving
stations. These the company has not furnished.
The contract calls for the removal of the ashes
at night, and the company entirely disregards
this phase of the contract. Moreover, / have
found that certain Italian contractor. who has
the privilege of trimming" the dumps-that is
another for picking over the ashes and
saving anything of value-Inakes $lOo,oOO year
out of the snap" This is interesting In view
of the fact that the Street Cleaning Commits
sioner a year two ago issued an order COM
separate the refuse. This separation saves the
trimming contractors thousands Of dollars a
month. In fact, graft sticks out all over this
contract. and 1 want the grand jury to inves-
tigate It.
When Controller Metz was seen he said:
II is q fact that two pages have been cut out
of the original contract between the company
and tie city. l don't know what became of
them. The contract was entered into more than
three years ago, when Mr. Circuit was Controller
l haze not received report from my engineers
as yet the ash contract. If the company Is
not living up TO its contract shal see that IL
does so as l get the necessary data on
which to work.
Il am free to admit that l don't know much
about this ash contract" said Mayor Mcclellan.
1T was made by my predecessors. doubt
whether Commissioner Woodbury. would modify
any contract without due authority from the
Board OF Estimate and Apportionment"
Commissioner Woodbury. busy with
removal work yesterday. Deputy Commissioner
Gibson when told that Mr.. Coler was to go be-
fore the grand jury with the contract matter
said:
I think it will develop that Commissioner
Woodbury. obtained permission from the Board
OF Estimate to modify the original contract.
l know that he obtained authority to modify
the contract in respects. and think that all
the notifications were sanctioned by the proper
authorities.
DR.. Walter Bensel. assistant sanitary super
intendent of this city. says that contagious dis
eases are not attributable to the ash dumps in
Brooklyn. At meeting held in Brooklyn few
days ago it was asserted that an entire family
of children had been wiped out by diphtheria
contracted the result of living near an ash
dump.
DR.. Bensel said that If children played on
the dumps and handled the refuse there It was
through negligence on the part of parents and
school teachers. Last year, he said he in
vesugated the Herkimer street dumping station
In Brooklyn and found that the exact number
Of cases Of contagious diseases, among which
was diphtheria, in this particular district was
In proportion no greater than in any other part
OF the city. In fact, he said, there had been
actually less diphtheria in that district after
the establishment of the dumping station.
1t will be ten days at least before the alder
manic committee which has been named 10 in
vestgate the Street Cleaning Department can
obtain the $4,000 wanted for the expenses of the
investigation Mayor Mcclellan said Yesterday
mat he would not act upon the resolution ap-
pTopriating the money. but would allow it to
become effective without his signature That
means delay OF ten days under the charter
provisions.
When the resolution has become effective II
must be sent to the Board of Estimate to take
its turn on the financial calendar. The board
takes up financial matters every second Friday
and with the utmost speed on the part of clerks
and no objection from any member of the Board
of Estimate the aldermanic resolution for reve-
nue. bonds cannot be acted upon until Friday
March 30. The objection of any member of the
board may put the item over until the following
financial calendar day.
-, 1t is understood that, pending an appropria-
ton of the funds, the aldermanic committee will
do nothing beyond retaining counsel and en-
gaging stenographers.
LAUnS TIE CETTc TN Awrprn.