New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-06-30
FRAUDS IN CONTRACTS.
A BUREAU OF SURVEYING RECOMMENDS
BY THE CONTROLLER.

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, CONTROLLERS OFFICE
NEw-YoRK, June %, 1857. /
In presenting to the Common Council an exhibit 4
the operations of the Surveyor the contractor and h
Street Commissioner under 20 per cent contract foi
reg uaipg and grading Fifty fifth street from tho 1hrd
10 the Fifth avenues, and from the Seventh tsns
Eighth avenues as shown in subsequent part OF hs
commune aton beg leave to avslmyse 81 the occs.
sion TO in yite the serious consideration OF the Lg
laye Department to the great Importance of orgsr,.
ing the Bureau of Surveying on such footing n VII
secure skill and upightness in the administrative Of
tha, important branch Of public service.
The Head Of the Bureau should be practical eng.
netr and surveyor, and all specifications and ss.
mates for contracts should be reviewed and approved
by him before making the contracts; and all cerk
cate, for the payment for work the cenrac. shoR
be subjected to his scrutiny and approval before az
money IL paid on the contract. The contract proya
that payment shall be made as the work progress
on the certificate of the Surveyor and Street Coo
missioner. The Surveyor for the job i, selected b.
the Street Commissioner, and thus, between then
they in effect, by the terms of the contract, hold th
kew 10 the treasury Ii tie Controller, finding that t
estimates Of work for which payment Is demanded great
" exceed the original estimates made before the coz
tract was entered into withhods payment for the pur
pose of testing the accur5 Of the estimates for goa
done it is ressded as OF SIs sne v USs
" It Is ilnrstsnt, therefore, tAAessure, should b
adopted at once for procmin.- accurate sur
veys and estimates, TO be mad competent person.
before contract is advertised. 'Ccoies OF this est
mate, duly signed by the persons wto rsde it. sos
approved by the Head of the Bureau should be flee
with the Street Commissioner and Sspileate Of TINS
estimate should accompany the coDtrsel which, ~
the rev Charter; !. required to be "'n'd to The
The particular case to which now desre g direct
the attention Of the Common Council y g %sss.s
viz;
On tho 18th day Of July, 1865, an ordiossce wss
passed by the Common Council directing "nityeno
Il street 70 be regulated aud graded from Third 70
Eighth avenues, where not already graded or undsf
4" contract"
On the 2Ist day Of November, 1855 estimates were
opened by James Furey Street Commissioner, to-
Fifth avenues, and from the Seventh TO the Eighth
avenues" The specifications stated that The est
mates Of work by which the bids will be tested are a
follows About So 400 cubic yards of earth TO be fur.
Dished about ITO running IL st Of culyer; $500 yards
Of rock cutting" Under this specification bids were
opened and list of the bids is annexed marked "a
BY this statement it will be seen that the lowest bid
Was that Of W. Prior.
The contract for the work was made by Joseph $.
Taylor, Street Commissioner, the 9Th day Of May
1857, with Oscar Taylor, under the ordnance OF De
cember 30, 1854 Seven certificates for ~ per cen
advances have been made by Francis r. Vidal, City
Surveyor beginning July a. 1856, and the last one Of
April 2s 1857. Advances were made on six Of these
TO the amount Of SIS $50 "a On the pres
entation Of the last certificate, the Controller deemed
il necessary before further adyances b. have CON.
pete examination OF the work done; and accordingly
selected Meesrs j. s. Seuell and Daniel Even TO sur.
vey the street. copy OF their report Is annexed
marked 81 B."
BY this report the following facts are shown and
the particulars given in detail in statement ANNEXED.
The specification calls for g. 400 cubic yards Of earth
filling. Messrs. Serrell and Even show but A, 40
cubic yards actually required to be done, leaving "a
excess Of work stated in the specification Of H,s"
cubic yards.
The rock excavation called for in the specification
was 900 cubic yards of which but 6,Sl3 was neees,
sary by their report making the specification exceed
in this particular ., 0S7 cubic yards.
The culvert estimated for was Ito Feet the fe'
port states $50 feet 20 have been necessary-esyngs
deficiency in the specification Of 90 feet. Ths rsr
further shows that Mr.. Vidal has certified 70 2s,s
cubic yards Of earh-flliDg TO have been dons m's
than has been found done by Even and Serreli
1894 cubic yards of rock than is actually dons
and l35 feet more of calvert. Under this stsssmcI
of the Surveyors the amount Of excess o. wori Ps~
for would be az follows III the last cerhcate haa oe'
paid: .,sau
Sg74 cubic yards Iock, 81 cents 800
IS5 feet u culyert k2.........'.s''.'''': S~
r., ... s1oS II
OF th. there has been actually paid Tor over "n''
has been actually done: stS1
0sls cubic ysfds ssrtb......,.....'""'''"'is1 50
,is IA