Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-10-04

corporat On. lLAugnterJ now taithfuiiy they
may be illustrated By . single case-that Of the
builder Of the l4lh- street Sssxr, which has cost
the city thousands OF dollars 70; connecting
walls at points -vhere, in Its Construction, the
worthy contractor deemed an archng OF earth
alone sufficient to withstand the washing Of
in assessment certihca Ies at from IS to so cents
on the dollar. Now, however, they cannot be
purchaser at less than par, and so their proHta-
Bile occupation n gone. unless they can put an
cash and moderate prices for their work.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE.
And now, fellow citize ems, what have the oard
of public works accomplished during the adj
ministration OF their trusts? In the beginning
Of my remarks, drew not an exaggerated pic
ture of the condition of this city a. the time
when the new government went into operation
L ask you to contrast It's condition nov with what
it was that date. j ask you and ask every
and Judge for himself 1 know it has been
charged that to the neglect OF our trusts we
have enriched ourselves at your expense, and
that to attain political ends we have organiz ID
flying column of nine hundred men, which
has marched from victory to victOry-from the
swamps OF North Carolina, through the noun
tain tam Businesses OF West vrgins to the grant,
Pine Tree State. [Long laughter.l Yet L
think You will conclude, upon an inspection or
the figures which now submit to you, that we
nave not been Idle during the eighteen months
We have held cfnce, and the twelve months to
which our active labors have been linn; ted.
Bear with me while read the following data,
compiled from the records of the board:
Total number Of square yards of sidewalk
iA KAUAI % sOj5 miles $500 os''
Total number O. square yards of carriageway
Pau Eeus TO % 10 ~, miles -
Total number of square yards of carriage
pavement in course ofGompleton...... .....iA,sSl
Tvts D, nbsr of sQusre yards of ssl
fo'ai lumber abe OF miles Of carriageway
Total nun Der of ines feet Of tile sewer laid 3s SIC
Equal TO 81 10 miles.
from ,et to 80 f. ct in diamete.. Z miles.
To- al nun Der o. miles Of water mains laid,
Sexciust OF and In ADDITION TO mains laid by
Number Of miles OF wafer main 10 wersd -. 3
Number al III les of ga aims la i..-........ 2ls
The statement of carrisgeways and sidewalks
laid does not include M street, the work upon
which was done under q previous contract
Permit ne here to say word with respect to
changes made in grades-a subject SO frequent
ly attributable to imperfect surveys and levels
on the old books, and occurred before the Do Ard
had completed their own surveys. For such
changes the board should receive credit, not
censure, as, instead OF persisting in and perpet.
uating the errors at the expense of property
holders, they have not hesitated to correct them
wherever they have occurred. These have cost
less than $50 900, while the saving in the cost OF
constructing sewers by the board, in contrast
with the cost OF the one item of similar work
under the old corporate which had the aid Of
one to whom have already referred, is S9s 900.
The prices paid for the various descriptions OF
patent Pavements laid by the board are, as
shown by the testimony taken by the Congress
sional investigating committee, from fifteen to
thirty per cent less than those paid in any other
city in the Union for that kind of work, taking
INTO consideration the cost OF lumber.
Il comparison of the special assessments for
Improvements with those OF the Old corporation
gives us the following results: Under tue old
corporation, ! street, between 17th and 18th
Wi :. 4 =
front foot; street, between 9th and It'll streets,
paved with blue rock, cost 81 81; Indiana ave-
nue., between Sd and ith streets, paved with
blue rock, cost 1914; Pennsylvania avenue,
from LIST to 18th street west, paved with wood,
cost $50. How do these prices compare with the
trst-class improvements completed under the
direction of the board? 10Th street, from Penn
sylvania avenue and f street, paved with wood
cost 81 As per front foot; New York avenue, las
wide as Indiana avenue,) paved with asphalt
and parked in the center, cost about SO: Penn
sylvania avenue, from 18th street to George.
town, cost $3.50. These few instances, taken at
random, show the difference between the pres
ent rates OF assessment and those which pre-
vailed under the old corporation, and exhibit
gain of about one-third in favor of the board,
when we consider the character Of the improve
ments.
seemed determined, by false statements, to
poison the minds of many Of our good, honest
people who are heartily in favor OF improve
ments, but fear that the aggregate amount to
District to bear. Only day or two since
friend told me that in q conversation upon this
subject with highly respectable gentleman,
the latter said that he had been credibly- in
formed by some neighbors that to their certain
knowledge the contracts entered into by the
board would aggregate at least ninety millions
OF dollars. Some o. the moderate liars of the
amalgamation had possessed sufficient courage
to place the amount at twenty millions, but il
was reserved for these persons to cap the climax
storm credulity itself, to attain an eminence
q he w oh no
the great Munchausen fades into utter in
;ignifcance. Now, how does the case stand?
From July l, 1871. to September 80, 1872, the
[ GARD expended 81 7p9, i7325.
A FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
at this point 1 will submit statements giving
IN detail the resources Of the board, the total
b mount of contracts made, the total expendI-
ure for repairs In the two cities and in the
ounty, and the contingent expenses of the
board, including the salaries of employees
engineering, SC. The aggregate resources Of
the board are as follows:
Loan authorized by Congress asd the
AsssssIs1ts; one ihiFd: s.SSS'c% q
count Of contracts entered into by them,
and which have been carried out By the
law. must be refunded, and for Which
ali appropriation has been made-..-.... 1900 Go
Cash received from the United States Gov
session IL Con gross $4,000 %
eontingencies w. 1870 ...... ll2.oOo %
Amour is due and to be come due from the
United States Government for work
cone and being done around reserva-
tions and other public property since 49, .
The following is a statement of the aggregate
liabilities of the board to September so, 1872:
Estimated cost of work already completed and under
contract in Washington and georgetown and in
the county S57x2, 81 W
Cost Of re pairs of streets, avenues. al.
pumps. &c.... $500 .. .-~ 2s7 100 90
Cott of repairs of roads and other work
IN the county, not done by contract... l23,0ss "
Contingent ex pens es Of the board, inclu-
ding engineer ing salaries o. EN- ployees,
and judIc ial ex NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. a32,277 Fl
&c ,s37 90