Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-02-15
The DISTRICT GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION.
Proceedings Before the House Com.
mittee To-day.

Board of Public Works and the District govern
ment was continued before the House Commit
tee on the District OF Columbia this morning
There were present or the committee Nessrs
Starkweather, Chapman, Crebs, Cotton. Roose-
welt and Darrall. The District government was
represented by Hon. VIM L. Chandler counsel
and the memorialists by Messrs Seyerson Crane
Green, Watson, Smith and Coombs. Owing To
the absence OF a quorum the session of the com
mittee did not open until halt past ten O'Clock
Mr.. Stalkweather said he had a letter written
by William III. Tenney n Sons, of Georgetown
which has been addressed to Mr.. FarnSworth
stating that they avejnfOrmation in relation to
the Distrlct government, which they would like
to lay before the committee. MIR. Starkweather
said he had similar communication from Wm
II. Hughes.
Mr.. Green asked Mr.. Chandler how he re-
garded Governor Cookies statement presented
YESTERDAY?
Mr.. Chandler said ii was testimony, given nm
der oath.
S.mon Wolf, Recorder of Deeds, was sworn
and the record of his off &c in regard to the in
corporation OF the National Metropolis Paving
Company, October II, $50. was read by Mr.
Green.
Mr.. Green complained that the answer o,
Governor Cooke to interrogatory No. 5 is unsat-
lsiactOry and diSrespecttul 10 the committee
tie asserted that facts haG been suppressed.
Mr.. Chandler said the answers to the interro-
cations had been prepared with great care. o
course Governor Cooke does not swear positively
as to details of the costs Of the engineers de-
partment, but he refers the committee to
sources where details may be obtained. He be-
llcved the Governor had answered the ques-
tons satisfactorily. He repealed the charge
that there had been a designed omission,
Mr.. Coombs wanted to know ii he regarded
the response of the Governor to the 6 h inter
roSatory, relative to public printing, satisiac-
tory.
Mr.. Chandler thought 1t was.
Mr.. COOmbs regarded the Governors answer
as evasive. He read from the list of newspa-
pers which advertised for the District govern
me mt, and stated that in the case of thrnf, ma
pers no amount is stated.
Mr.. Chandler said the list included only such
bills as had been rendered to a certain d ate.
He was of course, willing to furnish additional
information on the subject.
Mr.. Green criticized the Governors answer tn
the ninth interrogatory. 1t was, i'll his opinion,
an evasive answer. In this connection he would
submit evidence commune ions presented
TO tue Board OF Public Works at a meeting held
in June, 1871. frcm Major General Meigs, Gen.
Humphries. DIR. j. 4. Hall, and others, upon
the proper disposition of the g Washington city
canal"
Mr.. Crane disputed the accuracy of the Gov
erDOIs answer to the interrogatory in regard to
the cost of registration. Every one knew that
the cost OF the second registration was less than
the first
Gen. Chirman asked if he meant to dispute
the truth of the Governors statement and Mr.
Crane said he certainly did in respect to the cost
of registrations.
Mir. Roosevelt asked Mr.. Green if there was
any way of getting at the amount of the 81 000,
Geo which has already been spent, and Mr.. Green
REPLIED that lie hoped to be able to throw some
light on the subject. but could not answer pos
itively row.
Thornton Smith, sworn, (his examination be-
ing conducted by Mr.. Chandler lis a contract
or and has had experience in paving; lie did not
think
THE CONCRETE PAVEMENT
in front OF the White House should have cos.
over IS cents per yard, it proper economy had
bctn used; the pavement is about six inches
deep; witness had laid a good many thouSa nj
yards of pavement, here and in Annapolis: had
laid 5000 or 900 yards at the Agricultural De-
partme MT, and perhaps .0c0 at the naval acade.
my at Annapolis; he had rever laid any broken
stone concrete pavements; the pavements he
had laid were composed OF tar and gray-
e.; put down gravel mixed with tar first, and
last gravel and tar of finer quality; the pave
merit in front of the Agricultural Department
was laid four inches thick; for Pennsylvania av-
enue he would use the same material, only he
would make pavement six inches of solid con-
crete snch pavement would last four times a,
long as the present one, which has but two in
ches OF concrete; he received Z 80 for Apnapo-
lis, and slI5 for the Agricultural Department
pavement
BY Mr.. Rcosevelt:--His estimate for LAYING n
pavement such as that in front of the White
House was 81; he had offered to do thi, WORK al
- per yard, payable in ten years, during which
ne would keep the pavement in repair. provided
he received interest coupons the city authori-
ties are laying three kinds OF pavenents-cbn-
crete, wood, and Belgian; they are not LAYING
any eobble-stone pavement; he had never done
any macadamizing; six inches deep OF broken
stone or gravel will cost from Is to 30 cents per
yard, including labor.
By Mr.. Eldrdge:-To mix 1900 barrels of
gravel would require 20 barrels OF tar and OF
Iosin; the tar cost $50 per barrel, and the
rosip about 50; to mix this quantity would cost
50; TO level it off would cost about 20 cents a
yard.
BY Mr.. Chandler:-Thc gravel costs or 6
cents bUshe; a square yard of gravel six inches
deep costs about % cents; it costs 20 cents
square yard to lay such pavement.
BY Mr.. Eldrdge:-The cost of laying pave
ment Of this kind two inches thick would be -,
and for six inches deep12 cents per yard this is
the net cost OF the work; he could lay pave
ment like that in front of the White House for
less than 40 cents a yard; he could Law the con-
crete pavement sixinches thick for that sum; il
ought not to be more than that; he did not
OF course, include grading in his estimate.
BY Mr.. Starkweather:-He would lay such
pavement and take up the old pavement with
By Mr.. Eldridge:-He would not have taken
the contract for 20 cents, and done the grading
which has been done.
BY Mr.. Chandler:-Had put in bids to the
Board of Public Works Tor paving.
BY Mr. Chipman:-Iie thought his pavement
better than any other; it would stand on Broad,
way, New York.
THE L STREET IMPROVEMENT.
thG'tes H. Bliss, SWORN and examined BY Mr..
Greeh:-ls by occupation an engineer and
veyor; is familiar with street from 2d to
Boundary northeast; can't state how grading
was done on that street; can't form an approx
mate estimate without data; don't know " whether
street southwest had been improved or not
At the request of Mr.. Green, the chairman OF
the committee requeste' Or. Bliss to examine
those streets in order taat may give testimony
on that point in the fut,,n ih
A READING BIZ xeth EvERsoN.
Benjdmin Sererson (Of canal causeway noto-
riety), sworn:-Said he had prepared q paper
which he desired to read. He then proceeded
TO read his statement, which began by chars .ng
fraudulent practices against the Board of Pub
lie Works and District government. Gen. Chip
man interrupted him to inquire if he read that
paper under oath. Mr.. SeversOn replied that he
did. Gen. Chapman further asked If BE was
prepared to prove all of his assertions az I Mr.
). gave an affirmative response. The hour OF
twelve arriving, the reading OF Mr.. Severson's
paper was postponed and the committee ad-
journed until Monday next at 10 O'Clock a. IN.
Mr.. Severs0n's statement Is merely a reitera-
ton OF his old exploded theories regarding the
canal, and abounds in loose charges of fraud
and corruption against the District government
Prior to the adjournment, Mr.. Bliss said he did
not desire to be mixed up in this matter at all
He would, however, make the examination OF
the streets named if the committee directed
him to do so. Some of the committee doubted
their power to send a person to make examina
tons, and all agreed that they could not, under
the circumstances, pay for such services. Mr.
Bliss was finally authorized to make such an
examination OF the streets i'm question as he
might think proper, and promised to appear be-
lore the committee again sometime next week