New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-06
Bureau Says City Paid
Contractors Excess OF
$1,226, 900.
TRUCKS EARNED $500
A WEEK APIECE
Must Have Carried Washington
Monuments of the Beautiful,
Asserts Bullock.

Figures tending 10 snow tHe e"Seo
sve cost of the snow removal last
winter were made public yesterday by
the Bureau of City Inquiry. Accord
ing to William Bullock. the director,
this bureau was established by public
spirited citizens to promote common
sense business methods in the city gov
eminent, to contest fast growing ten
dencv TO costly and unsound practices
and to save the taxpayer money
The bureau was organized the hrst
of the year by Joseph Johnson, Jr.. and
it is commonly understood that 1t IS
being financed by Tammany money Tor
the purpose Of criticising the fusion
administration at every opportunity.
After Mr.. johnson got $500 Job
in the Public Service Commission ne
left the bureau in the hands of Mr..
Bullock, who was formerly employed
in the Finance Department as an
auditor. and claims to have been cnrt
efficiency examiner in the Board OF
Estimate and Appointment.
The statement Of Mr.. Bullock says
that il cost S2,50O,O00 for last winters
snow removal, all Of which was spent
in February and March. This money
was all spent in Manhattan, brooklyn
and The Bronx. as the city does NOT
handle any snow in Richmond ana
Queens.
Quoting the rates the city regularly
pays for trucks as 50 and So a day. or
a maximum Of SAP week. Mr.. buiIocN
makes the assertion that some OF the
snow trucks earned for the snow con-
tractors more than $500 week apiece.
Three Points Added to Tax Bill.
without pointing out that the snow
contractors have to pay more 1or
trucks used in snow removal. and that
they work more than the eight hours
worked by trucks engaged in the ordi-
nary business OF the city, Mr.. BULLOCK
goes on to say:
AT the city's regular rates Tor
laborers. drivers and trucks. me totaA
cost Of the contract removal IN Man.
haitian. Brooklyn and The Bronx Wouid
have been about sS93,00o. indicating ar
excess cost paid by the city to the con-
tractors of s1.226,000.
"The total cost of last winters snow
means 3 points added to every tax Dill
in New York. Out of this cents on
every 500 Of assessment each tax
payer will pay nearly cents for waste;
which economy and efficiency would
have saved.
1.-THE six weeks Of snow cost nearly
one-third of the amount required TO
run The Department of Street Clean
ing for a wear. as the budget appro-
priation for the department for 1914
totals only 1851 ,669 3D."
To illustrate how some trucks were
credited with carrying more snow than
could possibly have been the case, Mr..
Bullock says: ., -,
"Picture trucks by the score. all with
solid columns topping the Washington
500 feet. and an idea may
be had Of daily work performance
officially credited to trucks on last
winters snow removal, and for when
New York has paid its 800 truck
day and over
Trucks Credited with Forty Loads.
The records in the snow removal
bureau. Mr.. Bullock states, credit some
trucks with carrying only ten to twenty
Ioads a day. while other trucks, trav-
cling supposedly the same distance,
we're credited with as high as forty
oads. =,
Mr.. Bullock says he quotes the FOL
loving from a report by Commissioner
Fetherston of the Street Cleaning. De-
made to Mayor Mitchell on
March 20:
"Snow removal by contract should be
as heretofore, with modi-
ications in the form OF contract. piac-
NC a bonus on speed Mr.. Bullock
,,aLas this comments:
at appears that Commissioner
Fctherston must be unaware OF "nat
happened in his department last winter, .
,r does he recommend bonuses Tor
,rucks earning 500 day.
Efforts have been made by the de.
,srtment since last winter TO get
rorkable devices that would rid the
,.reets OF some of the snow at least a,
|, loss cost than by having contractors
10 il under the old truck system. The
3oard of Estimate now has under con-
liberation the form Of contracts Tor
lext winter.
Since the city first began to remove
NOV from its streets there has always
,ecn more or less graft on the part OF
corrupt drivers and checkers for the