Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-02-05
THE DISTRICT GOVERNMENT IN.
vlSIIGATION.
Proceedings Before the District Gem.
mittee Of the House To-day.

The Congressional investig CATION into the
charges against the Board OF z Jbc Works aud
the new District governm at, preferred in the
memorial recently transmitted TO the House OF
Representatives was resumed this morning AT
~ O'Clock before the House Committee on the
District OF Columbia. Mr.. Riddle being absent
again this morning, the case on The part of the
momorialists was conducted by j. }. CoombS.
j. III. Crane ard Il. +. Green.
Mr. CRANE WANTS IMPORTATION.
to him:
w. z. Chandler, Esq.--slR To Conduct intelli-
we request official papers shewiig the entire ex,
y The organic act To- bs as @ae H IN section
year, with items as follows All written contracts
ea ch stree, and avenue inciuSng the cost of work
wh,n nish ed between 18th and I'D and south
Yards cost Of WOOD sSa pave
meet ID and ordered; cost of srchi-g Tber Greek;
Gre, canal Che number Of yards excsvatsi' and
cost per yard Of the latter; the number Of District
Of with salaries aSd nsra sa
the exp nses 81 the legislative and execu-
expenses of the Board of Health; cost Of the city
ss and das q FL The sssr %
Hes tn and finally the amount of bond, sold and the
printed. Very respectfully, obedent sery ant
j. b CRANE, for the memoriasts.
Nh. CRANE WANTS A REPORTER EXCLUDED.
Mt. Crane said before proceed ng with the
iny estigatOn he desired to call the attention of
the committee to the report of the proceedings
as published i'm the ChToHicIe. The report in
THE STAR and the other papers was fair That
IN the Chronicle was peryersiOn of the facts.
The STAR report of course was not a verbatim
one hut the evidence was not talsified as
the case III the Chronicle. He then read fror.
the ChTonicte certain parts OF the testimony
which he saidwere incorrect.
Mr.. Eldridge.-Well, Mr.. Chairman, what is
that To us?
Mr.. Crane.-I was about to request that if the
reporter will misrepresent the facts that he be
excluded.
take any notice of this matter. We have our
own Off Cia report
Mr.. ROosevelt.-The more the papers abuse YOU
the better you will succeed.
Mr.. CraGe.-We have never charged the
Board of Public Works with taking money
themselves, and II seems to be understood that
because we have not proved dishonesty on The
part OF members OF the board We have failed in
our case.
The chairman requested the gentlemen t.
proceed.
Mr.. Crane then offered a copv of a deed from,
Richard Il. Norment and wife to Alexander r.
Shepherd, dated june 9, 1871, and received foi
record June y, 1871, conveying part Of lotsNo.
4. IN square 5i5, at the corner OF ID street ami
r. nilsylyania avenue. The property is described
a. follows: Beginning at the southwest corner
OF said lot and square, and running thence
Inch, thence east % feet inches, thence souti,
10 Pennsylvania avenue, thence west p feet Ia
the place OF beginning, together with all the
improvements, &c. The consideration paid is
$1,000.
Mr.. GREEN WANTS INFORMATION.
Mr.. Green then read the following:
Tt IN. Hon. H r. Start lcea,her, Cha,Tsar. Of the
u,toDlDlifts, o., tie D,srrct 81 C0gam5,a.
To save time by directing the attention of the
the uhderssneI Of eonnssi pi for the i msmoras..
bees leave TO submit the following:
a. to the Iiber creek arch on Saturday las disclose
They commenced work the last Of August or earl,
IN serttnber but the contract was not put ia
q IN al tba Ham,
They gel, pay at the rate of slO2 % per lineaI
foot, but the work has cost them S l5 per DOT
beng an actual loss to them Of s "a % per foot.
$40 90 Equal to sSi ieesi feet at Sios 20, am
have only received $33 600.
lS.l lneai feet 40 shows, therefore, thai
SINCE August last slo 50? 90 besides being KEEP. on
Mr.. Bartlett resigned empi ,ynent IN tse post of
he. 10 take this contract with MI Williams, who
The withholding of 67 90 due them on Work ca@
plet.d, has been trying ever since August last {,
Mr. In nse te PHI shsi the work w.,
G. nmenced, the engineer decided that the walls
were Increased from Is to Il feet, the brick walls
The unier.ieLed has since then inspected the
work and m,aEured the thickness of the brick arch
which WAS found to be ~ inches only As near as
The stone walls viii not measure more than fss,
each, making in all IL feet instead "a
Is thu work being done according to contract
L il strong enough 70 stand the esncussion to
If net, possible loss OF life, as well ss great loss OF
money to the taxpayers, is inyolveds
factorily and properly answered 10y a board of ex-
Ierts, and that it is of the valuable time Of
he as h
tons of the memorial ali involve similar question:
sewerage. &c, &c, which can only be solved prop
.Ily thr augh the instrumentalty of such board q
We therefore ask yonr honorable committee to
spp9nt board Of five experts who, under oath
ethe different kinds Of work begun. the kind and
cost of material and labor, the manner in which
these works have been and are being done, and al
other matters of like nature.
IS he Bsaff Of IN to.
soss s hSse have been
fHnty of access to its records official information
as to its contents.
fair nve stgation that the Board Of Public Works
shall be required to furnish the committee the infor
the counsel fer the shall have time ami
opportunity to sxsnine the Documents and prepare
We therefore ash that the Board of Public Works
date ali the information called for in the annexed
schedule and that the said board Of experts An the
after; the former TO make their report on the mat
tiers referred to them and the latter - present their
care. RESPECTFULLY submitted,
February 5.ls72. Of counsel FOR memorialists
Schedule 81 DOCUMENTS and information required
from the Board of Public Works
I. The originals of all contracts made by them
since the date of their appointment and of the esti
mates made Of the cost Of the w6rk be done under
said contracts, and statements OF the amounts paid
and II the amounts due under said contracts.
2 A statement OF all the work done, not under on
tract in writing; Of the estim Ates made
of the probable cost of said work; VI tho estimates
subsequently, made Of the actual coat said work
Of the amounts already paid, and OF the amounts
naming due and unPsid; and Of the stOf said WORK
when finished.
s. A statement Of the total ard deiail Of the number
Of carts and wagons their or their contract
ors' employ, under Contracts in wri' ing, or other
wise; beJ0rs and since the election of November
ISL.
4. A statement Of the number of bureaus estab-
lished by the Beard Of Public Works, or the Cover
nor; wheE established, and, If discontinued, when
and whys OF the total number Of officials in said bu
reaus, u all the appointments, removals reappoint
Dents or new appointments other changes there
in.
s. A statement Of all the appointments, removals,
and changes of the officials, with dates thereof.
under the new goyernmsht sf the District or the
Board Of Public Works.
8. An iteuhized statement of the cost of the two
elections held this year, with separate of reg
igtratioA, elections and adye rtsements Of regstra
ton and elections, with dates and amounts OF nav
msnts, and amounts duSand unpaid, and nance Of
pay ees ~.
.. An itemized account of the amounts paid or
agreed to be paid for printing and ADVERTISING of
n. = r. q