The New York herald., 1921-09-22
SHIPLESS FIRM GETS
CI7Y'S $5OO,O0OPIER
Incorporates for $4,000,
Pays In Only $1,000, Day
Before Lease Is Signed.
TAMMANY LAD rs In IT
Large Concern Futilely Of
fers Bigger Rental and to
Do Rebuilding Free.
TIED UP FOR TEN YEARS
carroll, Hagan & Carroll
Show History to illuminate
Politics Here.
TIED UP FOR TEN YEARS

Though well reputed and active
steamship companies could not get ac-
commodation at New York city piers,
even though they offered higher than
market rates for leases of city owned
piers, small, unknown. incxperience.
firm that held in it's magic circle the
son of Tammany Hall leader was
able. as THE New York HERALD tells
to-day, TO obtain a lease from the city
of a pier which the city promised to
construct for this firm at a cost of
approximately 100000.
Tho unknown firm was Carroll,
Hagan & Carroll. It was incorporated
for $4,000, with only $1,000 paid in. the
day before Mayor Hylan's Dock Com
missioner and Sinking Fund Commits
sion agreed to execute the lease and
build the pier. The Atlantic Fruit
Company offered to pay many thou
sands a year more for the use of the
pier and also offered to build it, so
that the city would not be at any eX-
pense. But Hubert and Hylan thought
differently.
Back in the bad old days Thomas j.
Carroll enjoyed tho stevedoring privi-
leges at Pier /, North River, for the
benefit of fruit importing company in
which he was interested. Carroll then
lived In Newark. But under the adj
ministration of r. A. c. Smith Carroll
was told he would have to pay for any
pier privileges he wanted, and pay mar
ket rates. So as soon as Murray Hull
bert took Office as Dock Commissioner
under Mayor Hylsn Car-c!l said that he
wanted accommodation at Pier ], that
he had been Disseminated against and
that also he would like to get all OF
Pier l. if he was going to get any of 1t.
Commissioner Hubert felt sympa-
thetic. But all Carroll could get out
of Hubert was a small space about
thirty feet square for an office at the
gentle rental OF $50 a month. That
helped Carroll and his fruit company
connections.
Seek Tammnny Leaders Son.
Presently the idea presented itself
of bidding for all OF pier !. and Tom
Carroll hustled around. Quickly he
found that working agreement could
be established IL he and his son would
cooperate with a young man anxious
TO break into the stevedoring business.
This young man happened to be Foster
A. Hagan, son of Jimmy Hagan. Tam
many leader. Boss Hagan years ago
was warden OF the Tombs and in those
days, and in that capacity acquired
powerful influence with Boss Murphy.
Until Henry Fl. Curran was elected
Borough President of Mania ttan Jimmy
Hagaa was drawing a fat salary as
Commissioner of Public Works. Now
he has another job.
The best bid that Carroll could figure
on for Pier / was so far below market
quotations that it couldn't be considered.
with publicity in sight. So the regis
tered trade name of Carroll, Hagan &
Carroll languished until the next op-
portunity presented itself.
Dock Commissioner Hubert announced
he was going to improve the pier at
tho foot Of East Fourth street. Curl
ously enough, the first firm to file an
application for the new peter was Car
roll. Hagan & Carroll, at that time still
n registered trademark name or general
partnership.
Atlantic Fruit Seeks Pier.
But when It became known that the
Dock Department purposed to rebuild
and lease the East Fourth street pier
swarm of bidders appeared. Among
them was the Atlantic Fruit Company,
then very desrous OF additional pier
accommodation because of the immense
traffic.
Whispers had cropt around that some
thing was going TO be doing in con-
nection with the East Fourth street
dock and all hands were awaiting the
result of the meeting of the Sinking
Fund Commission at which the lease
Of the pier was TO be determined
For some reason, possibly because he
knew OF the extraordinary personal in
fluence behind the Carroll, Hagan & Car
roll offer for tho pier. Mayor Hylan
voted against the proposition. So
naturally. did President La Guardia of
the Board of Aldermen. But the Mayor
in no way used his influence as chairman
of the Sinking Fund Commission to pre-
vent the approval Of the resolution which
was proposed and voted for by Conn.,
troller Craig, Chamberlain Berolzheimer
and Alderman Frank Cunningham ex-
ofiicio member Of the Sinking Fund
Commission because OF his position as
chairman of the finance committee of
the Board of Aldermen.
So X was recommended and approved
that Carroll. Hagan & Carroll get a ten
year lease of the pier to be constructed
at the foot of East Fourth street, on the
basis of 20 cents a square foot of pier
foorage. and IA per cent. interest on
what the city would spend in recon-
struction.
The records of the Sinking Fund Com.
mission show, that the Atlantic Fruit
Company offered the city 81 square
Ioot as against the 20 cents offered by
SarroI Hagan Carroll. and further
more, offered TO construct the pier them
selves and thus save the city the cost
of borrowing enough money for the re-
construction of the pier.
Same nv with Pier 81.
But tho ancient farce-the Commit
tee OF the whole"--settled all that iust
az It did. as THE NEW YoRK HERALp has
told in connection with Pier 81. North
River. The committee OF the whole
held "a meeting a few minutes before
tho public meeting of the Sinking Fund
Commission and decided that not onlv
the 81 offer of the Atlantic Fruit Com
pany but also n similar offer by tho
E'-ench American Line should be turned
down because it had been determined
r. as1 fs 1tA.-