New-York tribune., 1920-12-18
School Board
Asked to Drop
3 More Bids
Hylan Makes a Motion to
Cancel Contracts After
II Is Charged Contractor
Paid Fees to Hettrick
Work Now in Progress
Heating and Ventilation Men
Belong to the Alleged
Code of Practice Clique

After the Board of Estimate had dis
! posed of its regular calendar yesterday
snd Comptroller Charles L. Craig and
Borough President Henry H. Curran
had retired. the investigation into city
contracts WAS resumed
Corporation Counsel O'Brien advised
the board that contracts for heating
and ventilation III three public schools
should be cancelled by the Board Of
Education because Of alleged collusion
IN bidding on the part Of the contrac-
tors. On motion OF Mayor Hylan, the
Board 0 Education was so advised.
In his letter to the Mayor, the Cor
poration Counsel said:
The Comm ssioner Of Accounts has
transmitted to 'ne for opinion Warrant
No. 7S6,434 for $19.17O for a progress
payment on contract No 5226S with
Gillis & Geoghcgan. Although when
Charles A. Goeghegan, Of Gillis &
Geoghegan, was examined before the
Commissioner of Accounts. ne signed
an affidavit that his frm had no un-
derstanding or agreement whatever
with any one and that the firm has not
paid or agreed to pay any one any
thing out OF the moneys to be received
under said contract, other investiga-
sions into this contract have shown
that the firm of Gillis & Geoghegan
has paid and agreed to pay under said
contract moneys to one John 7. Het-
trick, and said firm has been guilty OF
collusion and was connected with other
bidders in a manner violative of law in
the making OF the contract with the
Board Of Education.
Wants Bid Cancelled
II have carefully considered the ur-
gent necessity of a prompt completion
Of this school building and other SINH
lar buildings now in course of erec-
ton. as we'll as the disadvantages that
may flow from the interruption of such
work now in progress. However, the
situation, viewed in its other aspects,
calls for immediate and drastic action.
Il am OF the opinion that you should
not sign the warrant submitted to you
for signature and that the Board of
Education should be notified that the
Of Gillis & Geoghegan and the Board
Of Education for the heating and ven-
tilating of public school %, Bor-
ough OF Brooklyn, should be Cancelled"
Similar action was advised by the
Corporation Counsel, and taken by the
Board OF Estimate, on contract of
s13,725 with ellis & Geoghegan for
heating and ventilating on public school
20, in Brooklyn, and a contract with
the same firm On public school H.,
in Richmond.
Several heating and ventilating con-
tractors were called as witnesses and
examined by Assistant Corporation
Counsel Carswell in regard to their
connection with the so-called Hettrick
code of practice. With TIE exception
of one. they all testified that they had
become members Of the Hettrick sys-
TEN by paying Hettrick fee of $3.50
and agreeing to pay him l per cent
of the gross business of their firms.
Get Best of Hettrick
George N Mahaney, Of Terrain, Ma
haney Monroe, heating and ventilat-
ing contractors, amused the Mayor
and members Of the board by telling
how he got the best of Hettrick and
paid him only s29 for his supposed
services, instead of $3.50. Mahaney
said that ne thought the Hettrick
method was crooked and asked Hett-
rick if he didn't think SO, too.
81 asked him if he didn't think it
was crooked" said the witness, land he
said, mo- He 8 slio that he had a repre-
sentative Of the United States Depart
ment of Justice in there and they went
ell over the thing and they had checked
t off and said il was legal"
"Can you figure out in your own
mind what that $29 was for?" he was
asked.
81 was always expecting a bill for
$780," said Mahaney. "and when one
came for s29 didn't kick / sent the
check along and didn't ask what it was
for. / don't know whether he made a
mistake and sent the bill for s29 in
stead of the $3.50 bill or not"
The hearings we're adjourned until
1890 O'Clock Monday.