New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-24
Ashes Nuisance
Grows; Curran
Blan1es Hylan
Bonfires Ruin Asphalt and
Smoke Befogs City, He
Complains, While Mayor
Lobbies Against Teachers
La Cuardia Sees Relief
Municipality Owned Plant
Will Be Operating in a
Few Days, He Assures

An unusual controversy developed
yesterday at the meeting of the Board
>of Estimate when the two Republican
members, Major F. II. La Guardia.
President Of the Board of Aldermen.
and Borough President Henry H. Cur
ran. exchanged verbal hot shot over
the question of disposal Of the accum-
ulatng piles of ashes and rubbish
throughout the city. Conditions have
been denounced in the Board of Esti-
mate. the Board of Aldermen, and by
other city officials since the city took
over the work at the expiration on
March 81 of the contract with Rogers
& Hagserty, who disposed of the ashes
at their plant on Riker's Island.
Aroused by Mr.. Curran's pointed
presiding in the absence of Mayor Hy-
Ian, declared he intended to get some
action and that the city would be
operating its own plant on Riker's Is
land within few days.
Mr.. Curran charged that the refusal
of the city to renew the contract with
Rogers e. Haggerty was costing the
taxpayers $4,000 day and forced the
city to revert to the primitive method
OF disposing Of its rubbish by daily
and nightly bonfires in the streets.
Smoke Pail Nuisance
New York is being smoked out by
boniires started by both the Street
Cleaning Department and private citi
zens,' said Mr.. Curran. "The Street
Cleaning Department alone has oeven
fires burning in Manhattan. Great
pals of smoke rise from them and
drift over the city, advertising the
failure of the Board of Estimate 70
settle question that requires only a
little common sense and ordinary
business judgment. Not only are these
bonfires nuisance but they are
running the asphalt pavement. While
Mayor Hylan and Comptroller Craig
are lobbying in Albany against the
school teachers, they keep the home
fires burning on the sidewalks Of New
York"
Mr.. Curran finished his remarks over
the objection Of Borough President
Riegelmann, of Brooklyn, who wanted
the whole matter referred to the Com
mittee on Finance and Budget. The
Manhattan Borough President declared
that to refer the matter to the Finance
Committee only meant further delay,
and insisted that it be referred to the
committee of the whole and immediate
action taken.
Contract System Denounced
"For the information Of the gentle
man from Manhattan" said Major La
Guardia, II will say that he speaks of
thousands of dollars that are coming
out of the taxpayers pockets, while it
will mean millions under the charges
Of the contract system. We are going
to get rid of this system. l believe the
people are willing to spend little
more money in order to stop perma-
nently the mulcting of millions by these
contractors. l will say the city will be
disposing of the ashes and rubbish it.
self within few days. We already have
taken steps to acquire a plant from
New Jersey which will do the same
work that the contractors have been
doing"
Referring to Street Cleaning Com
missioner MacStay, ior La Guardia
said the trouble with him was that ''the
moment he gets away from Rogers g.
Hagerty he is awed, at sea, and doesn't
know what to do" Rogers & Hogerty
appeared before the board yesterday
10 state their side of the case, but were
not given an opportunity. Major La
Guardia said afterward that the plant
they owned on Riker's Island was not
worth more than $4,000, and they Of
fered it to the city for 81 100000. The
contractors were ordered to remove the
plant from the island, which the city
owns, by the Corporation Counsel last
week