New-York tribune., 1907-07-02
O'BRIEN TO TIE MAYOR.
Heard Criticism and as Result Re
mOred De Yar0Ha.

Commissioner John II O'Brien of the Department.
OF Water Supply. Gas and Electricity has sent TO
Mayor Mcclellan a reply 10 the Mayors communi-
cation. in which he sent the Commissioner the
letter OF the FIRE insurance committee OF the NIer-
chants Association about the removal OF Chief En-
gineer L NJ, De varona as head OF the high
pressure fire service. Commissioner O'Brien's an
is, in part, follows
The circumstances which led 70 the increase OF
the engineering force We're these: reporter came
10 my office with q manuscript, which he said
a private report on this work made by COM
petent engineer To certain fire insurance and busi-
engineering supervision was not sufficient and that
the men working under the chief engineer OF water
supply We're not engineers OF experience gave
what Information 1 had personally. IF among the
complaints there was one which had any basis I
felt 1t that the work called for moro engineers
and engineers OF more experience.
The two assistant engineers in charge OF the
field work whom I had personally pro-
NOTED. and TO whom had said that the promotion
ana increase OF salary were meant a stimulus
10 them to carry out This work as eXpedittously
possible With this criticism in mind looked over
the ensineerlng force Tor such men as could be
spared. assigned the assistant engineer IN charge
OF the field force, because he ranked above tho
assistant engineer who had been in charge and
issued order directing the consulting engineer to
take the general supervision OF the installation
the mains. I did not relieve the chief engineer
Of any of the responsibilities which he must bear
in all greater New York 7 did instruct him TO
give as much of mis- personal attention his other
,,itfs oud permit to the construction OF the two
system.
Il, is obvious that the supervision OF Installing
sixty miles OF pipe could well stand the addition
of two engineers TO the existing force. The as
signment OF NeSsrs. BirdsaI and Curtin was sug-
gestcd also by report from the chief engineer
received at about this time, in which he noted that
S5t-9 of trench where pipes had been laid and
successfully tested had not been repaved. While
this department has power and the contractors
have no power 70 hurry the restoration OF the
street surface I had directed the consulting engi-
neer TO confer with the Commissioner or Public
Works Tor the Borough Of Manhattan, who has
such jurisdiction. and whose cooperation I had
been promised in Fastening this work.
The letter from the Merchants Association says:
We are further reliably informed that the contrac-
sought from the engineers allowances %
very considerable amounts. claimed by under
specifications but actually done IN
ity with such speChcat ions. which allowances
refused by the engineers
by inslnuation, the words quoted impugn tho
honesty OF motive for the actions I have described
AS the letter speaks OF the reliability of the in
formation received by the association. feel that
your honor IS entitled 10 know that inquiry
was made by the association at my office TO ascer-
tain the truth fasity of the several charges
There are not now, and there never have been any
claims before tnis department for additional
pensation unde- this contract In brief. I have
made no changes in the supervisory stan except
TO add to IL engineers. who. If they not
competent for this service. should long ago have
been dismissed from the department.