New-York tribune., 1921-02-17
Estimate Board
Doubts Alleged
Graft il, Queens
Witnesses Dispel Suspicion
That Connolly Had Any
thing TO Do With Con.
tracts Mentioned by Craig
Engineer Rice Testifies
Says City Saved 100000
by Substituting Pre-Cast
Pipe for Sewer Work

Without delving deeply into the
sewer contracts in Queens, the Board
Of Estimate yesterday, at the resump-
tion of its investigation of city con-
tracts. considered the matter suf-
fciently to dispute the allegations of
graft made by Comptroller Craig and
others in connection with the Queens
contracts. All suspicion of any con-
nection with questionable contracts
was removed from the name OF Bor-
ough President Maurice f. Connolly by
the testimony, of witnesses examined,
The contracts are also subject OF
investigation by the additional Janu-
ary grand jury, before which former
Governor Charles S. Whitman is pre-
senting his evidence of alleged corrup-
ton in city departments. The allega-
tions of fraud are said to have grown
out of a provision in the sewer con-
tracts calling for lock- joint or pre-cast
pipe. exclusively manufactured by one
concern.
Competing manufacturers are under
stood to have accused the Queens Off
cials of aiding to establish monopoly
in the use of this type of pipe.
100000 Saving Cited
James Rice, chief engineer in the
Office of Borough President Connolly,
was questioned at length in regard to
the sewer contracts. In answer to
questions of Mayor Hylan Rice tes-
tified that the introduction of the So
called pre-cast pipe had resulted in
breaking a monopoly on such material
instead of creating one. He declared
that the city had saved more than
100000 since the pre-cast pipe had
been used.
Rice said the pre-cast pipe was first
included in the sewer contract specr-
tications in 1917 Mr.. Connolly took the
matter up with him at the time, the
witness said. Rice testified that he
recommended the pre-cast pipe because
it would tend to prevent prices of the
sewer built in trenches going higher
and furnish a material element of com
petition.
Mr.. Rice said that he did not know
of his own knowledge who the agent in
Queens was for the Lock Joint Pipe
Company, which manufactured the pre-
cast pipe. The name of John n.
Phillips was mentioned by other wit
nesses as the agent for the pipe.
Several contractors examined yester-
day, who had had dealings with
Phillips in connection with the sewer
pipe, were questioned as 10 MS Wnere-
abouts. None of them knew. William
Welsh, of the Welsh Brothers Con-
tracing Company. who said he had
known Phillips all his life, was asked
where ne was Welsh said he didn't
know, but that George Curry. lawyer,
with Offices in Forty Street, had
told him that Phillips had been to his
Office last week. Welsh said the last
time he saw him personally was on the
bridge plaza in Long Island City, about
two months ago.
Welsh Cashed Checks
Welsh testified that he never had
paid any money to Philips to procure
contracts in Queens, but had cashed
checks for him. The following testi-
mony ensued in regard to the checks !:
Whose checks were those you cashed
for him ?"
81 think they were Joseph Sligo
retti's."
as he contractor in Queens?"
Yes, sir"
"When he came to you to cash the
checks did you ask him why he did not
put them through his own bank ac-
count 2"
"Yes, I did. He said he had no bank
account"
And that is the reason he gave for
asking you to cash them?"
Eyes"
Welsh said he didn't remember o1
cashing anybody's checks but Sligo
retti's.