New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-17
DALTON HITS BACK.
BLOW STAGGERS AHEARN.
Says Records VIII Prove Borough
Presidents GuiH.

William Dalton, Commissioner of Public
Works under Borough President Ahearn,
moved by Mr.. Ahearn Wednesday for sup
posed dereictions "came back last night at
his former chief with an attack the bluntness
and import of which staggered Mr.. Ahearn and
Tammany Hall.
After charging Mr. Ahearn with continually
and deliberately preventing him CDalton) from
using his best judgment in running his office.
with emasculating orders and making him
merely fgurehead for the last three years, Mr..
Dalton says: You have, had, the legal
power to remove me, but you have not the legal
power TO change the public records which. II
publicly analysed, will conclusvely show your
own guilt. I propose 10 have the public and
the authorities TO whom you are responsible
know the truth.
You directed me" continues Dalton, "to sign
all acquisitions and orders for work material
and supplies. with the space for the name Of the
persons or firms selected TO fill the order left
blank leaving me in total ignorance Of the
parties responsible until the work or supplies
were completed, accepted and certified by the
bureau"
Not in years has Tammany Hall heard talk
like that from a district leader To one OF the
pillars Of the Tammany machine. Borough
President Ahearn Is a Tammany saohem on
the advice OF CndrleS r Murphy NJ lii'H Ia
ton ITO the wolves" hoping that he would be
able to pacify the investigators and prevent,
possibly the formulation Of charges against
himself. which probably will be sent to the Gov
ernor asking for his removal. Dalton's de-
termination to take off the lid" put the Tam
many machine in panic last night Every
thing that can be done will be done to shut him
up His statement makes it look as II the
whole truth would be told about the Borough
Presidents office. The statement Is as follows
Your announcement Of my Tgnoy2 1i2 from ii, the 5of of
fee of Commissioner OF Pubic WOTkS' without
mention OF cause, has been handed to me;
on several occasions within the last week nave
would stop the investigation now in progress and
prevent the presentation OF charges asalst y"I 10
] acu am F ntif,afioT or removal I refused to
sign at a time ana under conditions which would
at once stamp such an act confession OF culpa-
vtbicb have been disclosed the present state Of
the investigation into the affairs Of your admins
1t is my present purpose, which ! shall pursue p51,
with ali the YiSor ana IalT means 3 a. m my @
II is my privilege as a cluzeh anu - an ,Ii -, :.
Justly stigmatized by my summary removal ana y
sands Of my fellow citizens who throughout my
career Of more than twenty years as public officer
iule lntsglS md ~ it I},e ana 6niy object VIZ to
G,, and nisead pnbic attention IN your present
dilemma by shifting from yourself 10 me and others
public affairs intrusted to your charge.
Unfortunately. without exposition OF the actual
facts you would readily succeed In your OBJECT i9r
the reason that the Of the people; not eEciua-
ing the managers Of The public Press nav W '5f Pbc
roneous idea that the Commissioner % i., luDe
Works under you has all the power and functions
Wooinall, under the provisions of the City Char
ter the Bureaus Of Highways. Sewers, lncum-
arc under the direction Of the Commissioner Of
public Works Actually, under your adminiSIra, @ {
a medium for the transmission OF official papers
between your oibcc and the bureau officers, ana
grI q extent To which the law mace Su'll
transmissiOns unavoidable.
lation Of the functions Of the commissioners Office
from the general public and the press you cond not
the Corporation Counsel the Commissioners OF Ac-
counts nor from the public service corporations,
frequent dealings with your adminisi ration
psied a large 'ortiq t I" tor m v,orI ~ The bureaus
and had thereby apparently incurred your displeas-
ure You directed me confine my activity cXclg-
sively to office duties and to refrain absolutely
from direction Of or Interference with. the work
Of the bureaus. in the public streets and buildings
to yourself Win all their responsibilities 80,
BY your orders the heads Of bureaus bureau oii i
instr1ctions only from yourself directly. and held
no "I CORRECTION or restraint and
could not avoided without violating the letter OF
You directed me to sign all requsitions and or. or
ders for work, material ana suPpiies Hs Wrrri . e
lected fiji the order left blank leaving me IN IN
total ignorance of the parties responsive unIh @ @
work or supplies completed, accepted ana
certified by the bureau ,
an inspector transfer detail or discipline an
ordinary laborer or order pound OF mans, car
load OF sand or the repair Of yard OF pavement
Yet with the most astounding audacity ana ny
pocrisy you did, in your announcement 10 tIe
public press of your intention 10 remove me, ne
fore you had expressed a word or given q nlnt 70
me OF dissatisfaction hold up as the cnlprlt re-
sponsible for the wretched condition Of the streets
Even in my restricted sphere had ana always
used opportantie for expeditnR the bureau works
bv the prompt transmission TO you or requsltions
and orders inames blanlO for work and supplies.
but in tho disposition of requsitions for the street
repairs my expedition invariably neutralized
by most unreasonable delays in your office, very
often amounting to several months Merely as an
example mention the report and requisitlon OF te
Chief Engineer and the Superintendent or Hlgh-
ways for the repairs Of over tiye hundred hre
hurns' in asphalt paVements, which passed through
my office early last December and was at once for
wa rded 10 you and which you withheld action
for such length of time that the work or repairs
was not begun till this month. Had you and your
office staff not held UP this and similar cases the