New-York tribune., 1906-12-03
e. u. REPLY TO AHEARN
Backs Up Original Report of The
Bureau of City Betterment.

Inc bureau OF city betterment Of the CS,t,.n..
.hion has issued a reply TO Borough President
statement on the bureaus report the
administration of the borough The reply goes In
ue'~A into the expenditures made without contract
'he lack OF attention TO the abandoned car track.
'he condition OF street pavement the public baths
vault rental and winds up with a general criticism
OF Ahearn and his ndn nistration 1t is, in part.
as follows:
Mr. Ahearn asserts that he has not violated the
Jaw IN purchasing supplies The report did not
CAIN that he violated the law, but merely pub
lished information concerning his informal expen-
ditures; which would not have been made public
The report finds President AhsaIn
t oss Snow a And s
sen,ion to the expenditure Of sSOSs s. for ca6 far.
sussy cy Ts It points o. 9ps s. oP sdap
for 5s binding wood and s5s5a for plumbing. all
Mr.. Ahearn also objects to being asked to assume
any responsibility for the continuance OF many
Ing his predecessor enjoined from removing
anything to cause the VACATION of the G Iniuncto
In the matter OF vaults Mr.. Ahearn completely
o d RGns os ths &c
az az FIX fixed by ORDNANCE M nee Mr. Ahesrn @ as custodian
made effort to revise this ordinance so that the
SS PRIV carried s s aa for the
Mr. Ahearn does not deny the assertion that the
lects for answer the statement in the report that
MaFas wfe m as G Gns in 4o1H to 5Ia & e0o ess tn
q. We overlooked the statement that the cost OF
great as in Brookiyn. N nor does he refer to the
statement that the attendance at the baths upon
which alone the cost of operation be figured
was matter Of guesswork and deliberate
Justification by the attendants in charge. He fails
TO explain why he kept account of the cost OF
operating the baths, and makes answer to the
statement that II SO cents in wages alone for
each bath taken by a woman at the West 4lst
street baths.
In answer to the statement in the report that
only 81 per cent OF the blocks OF pavement below
lath street were found in good condition by the
bureau, Mr. Ahcarn states that the pavements
are now in rs good condition as they were under
his predecessors This the report did not deny. be-
cause Il made comparison between the present
and past condition of the pavements. That the
streets in dsgraceful condition the most casual
observation will prove.
The bureau Of city betterment has not intended to
attack Mr. Ahearn's administration The bureaus
cooperate with and aid the city administration.
the problems with which he president of the
borough, should deal
William H. Walker. the superintendent Of pub
lie buildings and Offices who monthly disburses
thousands of dollars axes his reports In a
typed form. Each OF his reports begins follows:
THE usual cleaning and engineers supplies
furnished or some similar typical form. They
tain further information that would give any
one any Idea Of what IL costs to maintain the pub
lie buildings the public baths
The bureau believes that its report shows that
no administrator. however capable, could with the
assistants employed by Mr. Ahearu and the lack
Of system in his department succeed in giving
efficient administration