14
IHE TIMES: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1919
TOMPKINS COULB HAVE
MND ST. AT P MOT
CONTRACT PRICE OF $230,000 WOULD HAVE PAID
COST AND $30,000 TO CONTRACTOR IN
TEREST ON JUDGMENT COSTS
$2,000 A MONTH
v- - Devoe Tompkins, head en
gineer of the Ievoe Engineering Co.,
yesterday made a statement -which
shows conclusively that -the city ad
ministration was grossly incompetent
In building the Grand street bridge
at a cost to the taxpayers of over
$600,000, under the supervision of the
mayor's younger brother, Harold J.
"Wilson, who was. entirely without en
gineering experience of that kind.
Mr. Tompkins said: "If uiiinter
fered with, could liar completed
the Grand sireet bridge at tlie origin
al cost of $230,000 and still have
made my estimated profit of $30,
000." ' "I have no intention of appearing
to try my suit against the city in the
newspapers," he said, "while the mat
ter of my judgment of $192,000 in the
lower courts against the city is pend
ing in the higher courts. In fair
ness to all si d es, I do not car e t.
discuss the case further. The rt?"
ord of the case shows that the com
mittee, of which the mayor was the
chairman, and the engineer of the
contracting company, disagreed on
whether the coffer dams surrounding
the piers should be pumped dry be
fore the cement which was to form
the piers was poured in.
