Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1919-02-15
DORSEY THINKS CITY LIKELY
To BE SANDBAGGEO ON DEAL
From Present Indications the
Matter May Assume the Pro-
portions of Scandal

Declaring that he believed the city
was in fair way to be properly
Mayor Frank Dorsey
this morning made known his inten-
ton of thoroughly checking up and
investigating a bill for about $1,10O
rendered by William Voorhees,, an
automobile mechanic, for repairs
made to the apparatus of the McClel-
Ian Engine Company.
It would appear from the some-
what cloudy evidence at the present
time that the matter may assume the
proportions of a scandal. The evi-
dence is cloudy because of the fact
that the bill has disappeared from
the Office of the comptroller, having
been taken last night by Alderman
Benjamin Reidy after the mayor had
vehemently protested against it at a
committee meeting of the Board of
Aldermen.
While the mayor was a bit hazy on
the figures, he was not in the least
hazy as to his intentions. He was
thoroughly aroused over the matter
today.
In the first instance the mayor is
incensed because word reached his
ears some time before work was
started on the machine by Voorhees,
that the repairs would cost the city
ST. 500 before he got through with the
machine. This made the mayor
chary of the work that was to be
done and when the bill came in last
night IL very nearly approached the
figure as presented to the mayor in
the rumor. The sum was about
LOO, with the promise that 1t would
later be increased.
The mayor was discussing the mat
ter today with an EVENING NEWS
reporter when he sent for the bill.
Word came back from the Office of
the comptroller that Alderman Reidy,
who is chairman of the committee on
fire, had taken the bill with him last
night. Thus the figures which the
mayor desired to present were not at
hand.
The Mcclellan apparatus has been,
since its purchase, the white elephant
of the department 1t has been al
most constantly out of commission.
Going to q fire last winter at the plant
of the Perth Amboy Chemical Com
pany it was wrecked and since then
has been a constant care to the de-
partment.
Since the Morgan explosion of Oc-
tober 4 the machine has hardly seen
day of active service. Shortly be-
fore the first Of the year Alderman
Chris Anderson, then chairman of the
fire committee, had work started to
put il back in first class condition.
Since that time the machine has not
been able to respond to a single alarm
and has been totally incapacitated.
Voorhees,, who is considered to be
first class mechanic, entered his
bill last night, which, TO the best of
the mayors recollection, was for
about $40 hours of work at $1.25 an
hour, or a total for labor alone of
about $3.50. The mayor believes that
there was an item of $40 on the bill
for three trips TO Newark at SIS a
trip. He recalls that one item for
new parts was for piston rings sold
at $1.75 each. A fair figure for pis-
ton rings, the mayor found out this
morning. is about eighty-five cents
each.
"Of course" he said this morning.
I'VE have no objection to a man max
ing a fair profit on a transaction, but
we do not intend to be properly sand
bagged."
Some time ago q new carbuerator
was purchased for the machine de-
spite the disapproval of the mayor.
This cost about $50. When the in
ventory of city property was made II
was found that the old carbuerator
had disappeared. The mayor de-
manded its return and il was brought
back. put on the machine and the
new one found its way into closet
in the firehouse. the mayor asserts.
The repairs have been going on in
the hrehouse of the company. Dur
ing all the time the machine has been
laid up, the two firemen employed
there have been idle. They were per-
fectly willing. the mayor says, TO help
with the machine but their assistance
was not called for and Voorhees, had
a helper 10 aid him with his work.
The apparatus is still out OF COM
mission. 1t is in the firehouse and
cannot be used even now for fires. IL
is a Boyd machine. The Boyd COM
pany was bought out by the American
La France Company. and the Boyd
patents went with the purchase, but
the manufacture OF Boyd machines
was stopped, il appears. This means
that new parts for the car are hard
10 obtain.
Mayor Dorsey was careful this
morning to refrain from charging
anyone with any funny work" in
connection with the job. He simply
said that because of the rumor that
he had heard prior to the starting Of