New-York tribune., 1921-10-25
ICurran Charges
10000 Graft in
Hylan Pier Rule
Continued from page ero

'Cont1n"ed from Psgo oHe)
edifice and finally got to the Church of
the Evangel. I. also was dark
at looks as though there will be no
meeting here" said Mr. Curran, with
laugh. The party proceeded to the
Unity Republican Club, which is short
distance from the Hylan home.
Mr. Curran's speech at Heltngers
Hall follows:
81 have shown you how MIR. Hylan
tried to fool us with his talk about
the scent fare while he was. doing his
best to put over a deal with Shonts
not the only time he has been guilty of
the most brazen hyprocrisy. Tonight
| Will give you another proof of his
failure to keep his word. In 1917 Mr..
Hylan said:
"'My fight is to take from the hands
of monopoly the control Of our public
utilities and administer them for the
profit of all the people.
Hyan's Promise and Performance
"l1as he kept his word? l will show
you by one single instance that he
broke his word, not alone to the dis
credit of himself but of his whole adj
ministration. The docks are one of
the first of our public utilities. They
have been in Mr.. Hylan's hands during
the greatest boom of all time in the
shipping industry. What has been Mr..
Hylan's course and constant policy?
I will introduce you to two budding
millionaire dummies sprung from Mr..
Hylan's administration OF the docks,
not for the profit of all the people but
for the pockets of favored individuals.
"When Mr.. Hylan took Office on Jan
uary /, 1918, Salvatore Sabbatino was
part owner in a small and cheap NOV
ing picture house at 234 Columbia
Street, Brooklyn. The place seated
only 800 persons. 1t was one of those
tawdry, fy-by might, rattly piano
places, belonging to n gone era in the
come to this place from behind the
bar of his fathers saloon. He had
gone into the saloon as soon as he left
school; he quit tending bar to take in
the nickels and dimes at his moving
picture window.
1.-TWO months after Mr.. Hylan be-
came Mayor string was pulled be-
hind the scenes, and Sabbatino formed
a partnership with Frank j. Hoey.
Who was Hoey? A youth doing odd
clerking jobs along our waterfront.
When an occasional ship came in he
helped check up the cargo.
'The former bartender and the re.
formed clerk formed their partnership
under the name of Sabbatino & Co.
One Of the first things they did was to
open six bank accounts. Six of them
have been counted and totalled up
They tell an interesting story.
'"These bank accounts have grown to
impressive proportions by and through
the active aid of Mr.. Hylan's Depart
ment of Docks. In Sabbatino & Co.
+l,o%
honest graft. On this company was
bestowed a grip on the open piers.
What is an open pier? 1t is pier not
leased permanently by the city, but
held in reserve for the use of fluctuat-
ing shipping business. A rowing tramp
steamer arriving here once a year, or
once in six months, from remote cor
ners of the earth, does not find q
leased pier, but must needs berth at
one Of the citys open piers. Other
ships, both freight and passenger ves
sells, too, including many engaged in
our coastwise trade.
Piers Designed to Aid Shipping
"There is more than docking space
intended by these open piers. They are
reserved in yearly increasing mum bers
not only for that purpose, but also to
encourage the growth Of shipping in
the port of New York. To this par
ticular end the city, year after year,
imposes and solicits only nominal dock
age charges. Also those charges are
permanently fixed, so that small ship
ping owners, unable to bear the high
cost of leased pier or without steady
business for it, are able to figure the
exact pier cost, and thereby figure be-
sides on their freight bills to American
importers. In any event, the cost Of
both items, whether high or low, is
passed along to you, the ultimate and
long suffering consumer
"The fixed charge of the city is 3h
cents day per ton for each and every
ship up to 800 tons, and one-half cent
ton for every ton over and above 500
tons. The daily charge, therefore, to
a ship of 1000 tons would be $3.50.
Remember, this rate is final rate and
printed on every bill sent to ship
owners by the Dock Department. But
how many of these nominal bills went
to shipowners from Mr.. Hylan's Dock
Department? Not enough to fill good
sized envelope. They went, almost
without exception, into the Office of
Sabbatino & Co.
"Before the days Of John F. Eylan
Department and got their open piers.
But not under this administration.
Hardly had Sabbatino g. Co. started
! operations than ship owners learned
that the former bartender and the ex-
clerk held the piers. Ships must have
piers, and in short time ship owners
made their calls on Salvatore Sabba
tino and Frank Hoey instead Of on the
proper official What was the result ?
The ship owners had to pay They had
TO pay pretty stiff penny, too. Fol-
nearly four years now they have beer
mulcted of vast sums. Instead of the
| city's nominal charges they have been