National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1872-12-03

Amount due by old corporation on
account OF COntruCts made by
them but executed by the board,
made. $3.50 90
eminent last session. ..........,,.. 203,965 10
semBiy ...,.................. 100000 90
Total resources. ,qIs, 465 ~
LIABILITIES.
Contracts, as per list. sJ,3ST,93S is
Cost OF repairs avenues
and streets, alleys,
pumps, &c., not con-
Cost Of roads and county -
Contingent expenses, en-. "
cheering clerks, super
intendents, &c........., 2IS,OO 90 -
- ,0s6,2 l2 81
Balance in favor of board........ I69, g52 %
II to this be added amount due from
United States Government amount 81,
ing, as aDOVoi tO...........,..'..,,. l't"'sPo w
II will leave the resources Of bOard l,409,lI9 q
ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY OF WORK PER
FORMED.
In regard to expenditures for improvements,
the board take this occasion to state that, In
their belief, the cost has been much less, To-
Callty considered, than that for which the
same character Of work has elsewhere been
obtained In this country. Tho comparative
cost Of pavemonts has been shown In the tos-
| timony taken before the committee of inyesti-
CATION during the last session Of Congress In
which II was cOnclusiyely proved ~ experts
thai tho work has been done from Is 10 10 per
Cout. cheaper than In any city In the country,
considering tho price Of materials In this
market. Each contractor for patent p.Nc-
mcnts has been required to give ample socur-
| ity to keep them in repair at his own Expense
for the period of three years from the date Of
the completion Of the work-a precautionary
condition, II is believed, never before required
| In any city.
! The cost Of sewerage has been, as before
remarked, one third less than that before
| paid for an inferior class of work. large
portion OF the material has been purchased by
the board from first hands, and at rate far
/ Ices than II could have been obtained by pri-
vate parties. II has been furnished at cost
| price to contractors engaged on the work,
| upon acquisitions made by them, daily returns
being made Of all material inspected, received
and Issued. This has enabled the board to
exercise control In the character Of the ma
| tcrial used not otherwise possible. In the
outset II was determined that 1t would be bot
ter for all parties concerned TO establish u
! scale OF prices at which work should be done,
and to award contracts. at these uniform
prices TO responsible persons who, being paid
only for work actually DONE would have no
Interest In defrauding their employers. The
| result OF this plan, as carried into practical
operation, has been entirely satisfactory. By
general advertising, bids were received for all
classes and descriptions Of improvements, the
| prices were fixed based upon the information
thus derived and upon the rates paid In other
cities, and the work was awarded ut those
rates.
The character Of the work performed has
demonstrated cOnclusiyely that this IL the
most economical and efficient means Of prose-
cutting such undertakings, as II prevents straw
] biHa md Ia trrnapAnatHtn
who would otherwise harass and retard the
board In their operations, either by selling
out or by prcferring extra and imaginary
claims, TO secure more than a fair equivalent
, for the service rendered. The only Instances
which have &, en- trouble to the board have
arisen under contracts awarded by advcr-
tisemcnt TO the lowest bidders for specihc I'M
prOycments. In each Of these cases the con-
! tractors have defrauded their labOrcrs and
employees Of their pay, left the work UNI
finished, and entaied heavy loss upon their
I'workmen and the board. The board point
with pride 10 the work done and the prices
! paid and arc satisfied that no one lnvcstlgnt-
Ing the subject honestly and lmpartlally will
| fall TO acknowledge that In no instance on
record has so much been accomplished In 80
short period OF time and at q cost 50 reason
! able.
| The work planned for the present season
| would have been entirely completed but for
the disease which during the autumn made It's
! appearance among the horses and for other
! presidential interpretations, involving the loss
of q months time at the most important sea-
soa of the year. II Ia believed however, that
but few localities win suffer inoonysnienOe In
consequence Of work left unfinished from
causes against which human foresight could
not provide.
The board have kept within the require
ments of the organic act, directing all com
tracts to be made In pursuance Of and within
the limits OF appropriations made by law, and
In no case have they exceeded their authority
In this respect, feeling confident that the Wis
dom of the system Of improvements COM
menced would demand Its completion. Tho
national capital which had doubled Its pOpu-
lation In decade, had signally failed TO keep
pace with the requirements OF a rapidly grow
Ing community. The board had therefore
TO supply the omissions Of the past, to meet
the demands Of the present, and to provide,
so far rs they could anticipate them, for the
wants OF the future. The great need for
prompt and efficient relief whether con-
sideTed "a matter OF convenience to the in
habitants or Of national pride, seemed to re-
qulTe Of the board immediate and vigorous
action, and they have endeayOred to respond
! by pressing forward with reasonable energy
the improvements which they have inaugli-
rated. Perhaps, in the opinion Of some who
have not given the subject thorough atten-
ton, they have undertaken too much. They
fall however, to see how they could have been
justified In attempting less. Certain II ls that
they have laborcd necessarily and assiduOusly
to perform the dutiOs imposed upon them.
and to carry forward TO u successful COM
pletion tho great work intrusted to their care.
In the prosecution Of operations Of such
magnitude, involving such important changes
In the grades Of many Of the streets, tempo
rary Inconvenience Of citizens has been una
Voidable, causing In some cases complaint;
but, as Il rule, the checrfulness with which
the citizens Of the District have submitted to
the great inconvenience, and In some instances
loss, suffered during tho progress Of the work,
has demonstrated the deep interest and solicit
tude felt by them In the great public benefits
sought to DO accomplished by the board.
CONGREssISOAL INVESTIGATION.
Among the causes which have delayed and
embarrassed the board In the prosecution of
their work, was an investigation by Congress,
instituted by some Of our citizens, during It's
last session, which, continuing during almost
Its entire session, extended into the spring
months. As the charges were Of grave
character, involving the official integrity of
Officers OF the District government and the
wisdom OF the plan Of improvements adopted
by them, 1t was thought best, so far US the
public interests would admit, TO suspend work
until the report Of the committee should be
made. Nearly all tho operations Of the board
were thus suspended until about the middle Of
May. Il Is q matter Of COngrRtulatiOn 10 those
citizens who had entertained confidence In
the new government that the investigation
resulted In their complete yindlCatlon. The
following paragraphs from the report show
Nytptva hNyf nj