New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-13
Mr.. M'ANENY HITS BACK
amazed, He Declares, at Some OF
General Bingham'S Actions.
CALLS REPORT OF NO VALUE
Points to Some Of the Reforms
Suggested as Having Already
Been Undertaken.

According to General Bingham, Borough
President MoAneny strokes his beard and
<akes the matter into careful consideration
before he does anything, but II has not
taken the Borough President long to make
q repiv 70 the report that the former chief
engineer Of the Bureau OF Highways made
public In the morning papers yesterday
This report, Mr.. McAneny said night be-
fore last, had no suggestions OF any con-
structive value, and in a statement last
night he repeated these words, adding;
Quotations from the report bear out this
statement They do not contain single
suggestion or idea that had not aotHaly
been carried out before General Bingham
came into the department
The Borough President recites that when
General Bingham was appointed he told
him 10 look around for a month ana theh
10 make a report suggesting plans for bet
ter discipline and methods of Inspection
but when the report came In he found the
general had only Tehearsed things aireaoy
discussed. He continues:
The suggestions for structural reorgam-
cation for which l actually looked WeI I
entirely lacking ! suggested that he take
a little more time and present pan LOT
the organization upon which could actu-
ally do something. He presented some
thing OF this sort on July l. WIN d
sketch OF the Encouragement OF the dlyl-
sions and gangs. though even in TINS ne
added that his suggestions Tor the dctudl
assignments Of the inspectors ensIrlsf ~
and other employees of the bureau Whlcn
was essential 10 the final consideration OF
what ne had TO propose, would be LOT
warded in a few days The interruption
have come suddenly. for he had submitted
nothing further at the time his reslgna-
ton was handed in.
Says Bingham "StoIe Thunder"
Mr.. McAneny says that though General
Bingham advocated the establishment OF
an asphalt repair plant this was merely
stolen thunder" as 100000 had already
been set apart for that purpose in the cor
porate stock budget estimates last Decem-
her. He credits the general with more
"stolen thunder when the latter referred
10 more adequate provision for replacement
of poor pavement for says Mr.. McAneny'
the Commissioner Of Public Works had al
ready made this recommendation to the
Board OF Estimate, and some increased ap-
propriations have been made for the work.
General Bingham complained in his re-
port that there was poor discipline IN the
bureau: that nearly every one was run
ming around as ne cnOSe, IeCeINlHS AiiS'i'''
holding corridor conversations, etc MIR.
McAneny says
I was obliged to remind him that II such
laxity Of discipline existed upon MS own
floor and under his own eye he. as cneI
could alone he held responsible, ana thaI
my advice was that he act accordingly
In regard to the additional inspectors
the Borough Presidents statement reads;
This proved, in fact the only new point
the general had TO submit at all. he hdd
been very emphatic upon this point, add
ing: Il say to you frankly that all else is
useless unless you get for your depart
rnent these exempt positions. Nor can the
number be shaved down if you want sue
cess" l felt obliged TO inform the general
that his suggestion that fifty POSITIONS OF
this character be turned into possible
patronage for use either before or after
his departure from Office, did not appeal to
me. and that / had very strong CONVICTION
that IL would not appeal 10 the civil SER
vice authorities I also Informed him that
I should not be disposed to ask for an APP
propriation of money for fifty additional
employees, either exempt or non-eXempt,
until ! had received his explanation as 10
how the new men were to be used and how
they were 10 be distributed throughout the
general force
nax..Is D,,,;oo Conditions