The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-04-21

mitlee, and which requested 10 reduce 10 writing
Question: Do you know anything about the
ployed on the Capitol extension having been paid exay
agant wages and for lime than they worked and of
their having given portions OF the money they eved
10 the late superintendent or foremenl
Answer | had certain knowledge OF ANYTHING OF
the kind until the were discharged this winter and
now only kow Il from what the themselves have
testified before this committee Such could not have been
The case TO any very great extent the wages paid
the Capitol are no more than the ordinary wages paid
throughout the District private work, the payIols
will show, III the men had been taxed in this way, they
would have gone TO work elsewhere besides great many
OF the employed on the recommendations and
at The instance OF members OF Congress, and these would
certainly not have submitted to taxation and would have
informed III such proposition had been made have
heard OF vague OF the kind Tor weeks past
and have used every exeJlon IN my power to mad out II
any such abuses existed, but could get no positive nor
nation which could fix guilt on any one had been
able TO do, the offenders would have been discharged
in moment, no matter what the consequences might
have been
have no doubt that frauds OF this kind have, to
some extent, been committed, ! informed, but not
until after the work closed this winter, that inferior
workmen had been employed at full wages, and por
ton OF The money given 10 the persons who employed
them OF this have no doubt as the themselves have
confessed It, II must. however, have been done 10 a
comp raiyely limited extent as have watched the mo-
tons OF the the work daily, and have even gone
there before sunrise, that | might quietly examine the
various parts with closer scrutiny than could when
the workmen and superntendt nts about ii much
bad work had been done, il could not have escaped
As TO the question whether the received pay for
time than they worked | most distinctly say that
to my knowledge they did not as far as it was in the
power OF any one to guard against such Practice, has
been done. Ii loTemen, other persons who keep the
time OF the men, and call the rolls dishonest, they
may. TO some extent, commit such frauds without being
detected, except by the confession OF The other OF
the guilty parties This have feared, and have person.
ally attended at The calling OF the rolls 10 get my eye
persons have suspected and have watched whether
they continued the work left but in instance
could detect any wrong doing in this particular While
the men were at work, they had interest in avoiding
data nnHt that n hnd han
discharged we should still have been ignorant of their
wrong dolngs In the keeping Of the time, we
PEELED to trust to the honesty OF the time Keepers and
this is the case in every large work.
Chahces Tor this species OF fraud greatly reduced
by the system have adopted for paying The men, which
| will describe
In consequence OF The great number Of men EN-
poyed, which often exceeded 500, found great con-
fusion and loss OF time arise the fact tina, the
name Of every man who came up TO be paid had 10 be
looked Tor through roll OF many pages To avoid this,
we numbered all the men on the roll numerically. and
wrote each mans plumber, and due TO him. on
slip of paper When the roll is called on the morning of
the day Tor paying the the clerk has the tickets his
hand and stands near the foremen, who call the roll
Each man. as he answers 10 his turns 10 the clerk
and receives his ticket. Here he is identified by the clerk
IN the presence OF hundreds, and could for
another without being detected. When payment is made
he goes 10 the clerk who gave him the ticket, and pre-
sents it, which enables him (he clerk to turn instantly
his name, and he paid, the same time putting his
mark, or signing receipt the payroll that the
employment OF these tickets does not abate anything from
we would or could do il tickets not used and we
have the added advantage OF saving about day in the
time occupied IN paying, which amounts 10 large sum
saved TO government We also have additional opportu-
mites Tor identifying the men, and of additional exposure
before their fellow workmen II fraud is intended am
glad OF the opportunity 10 explain this system, ii has
been msunderstoo and consequently misTepresened
1t has been objected that may give his ticket To
another, who may go and receive his money; but this
cannot be done. Every man has 10 sign the payroll, or
make his mark himself, and the foreman standing near
the clerk TO identity him. The possession OF the ticket
gives him claim the money the signing the re-
cept And when his found the roll the work
oil tue ticket Is done. The in supposng that
these tickets were good Tor much money and that they
were redeemed on presentation. Such the
case nor was such an idea entertained by My
Intentions To throw additional checks around the
payments, and thus 10 Afford additional protection to gov
ernmen and TO economic the public moneys by econo-
mlZng the time OF the work men and am free to say
that the plan is sgnally successful
Question. Who has the furnishing OF the bricks and
were they OF the best quality, according TO the contract
Answer. The contract was originally made with Chris
TOPPER Adams, of Albany, New York. for fee millions Of
hard-bunt bricks, oil tempered clay 10 conform the
laws OF Washington city, and to be saiisfac
tory 10 government The contract is contained in the
printed report which accompanies this testimony
Mr. Adams commenced making bricks northeast OF the
Capitol grounds the bricks not good they were
mol made OF good clay and not generally well burnt
objected TO them, lime after ne and visited the yard
what prospect there oil obtaining better mate
rial and found that The clay not good and that good
bricks could not be made of II. We refused 10 receive
them, and were subsequently, informed that the contract
had been assigned to Amos Adams & Co, and to Com
stock aud Van Vakenberg. Under the new arrange
mcnt we received better btcks but not yet salts
ned, and bad many sent back. The step
Segment Of the contract TO Byngton Il Co, bnckmaker
OF Washington, from whom have received very good
bricks Ally orders TO the receivers have always been
not 10 receive single bad brick and 10 count loads
whenever they appeared 10 be short.
Question. VINO are the receivers!
Answer William j. Smith is receiver on the south
side, and William Archer on the north side
Question: Do you think the building IS injured any
IN its strength by the introduction OF unsuitable bricks
Answer Not at all. The walls or supports are built
oil stone and the arches made OF the very best OF the
bricks don't think there weak BRICK in a sngle
arch. The chief fault of the bricks in the arches was
their appearance. The inferior bricks laid in the
spanduls OF the arches, which TO support nothing but
the floor
The contract for bricks is now nearly filed and we
OF tempered clay which will exclude machinery alto
gether, and insure the best bricks
Question. DO you know whether Mr. Strong bad any
concern at any time in the contract for bricks
Answer. The contract originally made with
Christopher Adams and the next phase OF IL which was
male known 10 me was announcement that II had
passed into the hands OF Amos Adams & Co., and a
power OF attorney handed to me from Christopher
Adams to the said Amos Adams CO., 10 receive the
pay for the bricks they delivered next heard
OF new connexion formed with Comstock IL Van Val
kenbeg and the next movement that was made known
to me transfer Of the whole to Byington Co
continued 10 pay the power OF attorney OF A. Adams
Il Co. heretofore, Of the assignments had
been recognised by us, they matters with
which had nothing to do, except so far 10 be |
gratifed 10 find That every step the contract took
gave better bricks Alter the transfer 10 Bying
ton e Co, Injunction LAID by G. Adams |
1.-THE original conrsctor) any moneys in my hands