Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-04-11
The Beard Of Public Works and Their
HaiixnerS.
WHAT AN IMPARTIAL OBSERVER SAYS.

WHAT AN tNPA HTIAL OBSERVER ~AES.
The well-iniormed and impartial Washington
correspondent OF the New York Tiz.s tele-
graphs to that paper as follows:
THE board OF public works of the District
OF Columbia have begun the work oi cos. NJ up
their operations and retrenchrng generally.
they are refusing Ia give ont new contracts.
and are bringing delinquent contractors 20
terms. This, OF course. is always an unpleasant
operation, and never becomes popular with in
diNiduals- As consequence the assaults on
the board have been revived ith fresh yisOr.
and with some new Inspiration. the latter con-
ing from men whose requests have been re-
FUSED, and whose favor always depends upon A
price As % the insolvency OF the boarl, the
letter OF the executive officer. Hon. a 4
Shepherd, already published, has put an end
20 that story, and your correspondent nav add
thst measures are now maturing which,
when ratified by the District legislature viii
enable the board TO anticipafe It's asSess-
ments, and TO settle every dollar OF its pre-
sent Indebtedness during the coming sum
.oS ws 10 u iha ., there Is Apparently no Tes
available resources at the end OF the year
SUch, al least, l. the present purpose Of the men
IN charge. IL may also be remarked that mach
81 inc present clalnOr comes from men whose
demands have been denied. ami another pOr-
non from men who bounded the board into
granting their requests last year. aud are now
N rage because their expectations have not
been realized. As a specimen of the reckless
allegations made, il Is charged that the school
tund Of the District has been absorbed. This
SION OF live OF the principal officers OF the Dis
tIict, viz: the governor, the vice president of
me board, the treasurer of the board, the Dis
trlet treasurer, and the District controller So
TAR from il or any charges like il beng true the
controller, who draws all the warrants, makes
an ofhcial statement TO day showing that while
the amount collected on account OF the school
Iuhd tor the present year is Sii2, 179as the pay
inents have actually been Sl53,6lS.s7, aud that
since the organization of the District govern
mt the payments OF the school fund have
sum OF Sll.,s6S.II, and that the general fund
has been drawn upon for the school fund 20
mat extent. The same is true of the police and
otber separate FUNDS, 50 far a. any improper
transfer u concerned. The difiicuitg is that by
the action Of the last legislature. which Was
wise I'm its own oonceit, the law regulating the
collection OF taxes was made so easy bat the
District i row burdened with a delinquent tax
INST OF $4,000, payment of which cannot be
enforced before Jaly. This will be changed al
me next session. But there are other purposes
N some OF these assaults. The evidence is i'm
me hands OF some of the District officers %
show black mailing attempts on the part OF
S1nle OF the more Insignificant OF these sheets.
Win others the purpose Is to drag i'm the
PRESIDENT ami Gen. Bahcock. the first because
ne appoints the District officers. and the second
because he - responsible for the payments
made by the Treasury to the board OF public
works. IL - the same game that was tried
on during the last camp aign, OF alleging Tam
mahE-l corruption in the District manage
meIt, and then charging the President With
NE responsibility 81 IL, and vet some of the very
men engaged in this dirty work Will sneak i'm
at the back door OF the White House and ask for
consideration. Whatever honest difference OF
opinion there may be OF the practicability OF all
mat has been done in the Improvement OF the
capital, The induhtabie fact remains that the
most searching and prolonged Investigation has
talled TO reveal single vestige OF corruption In
the expenditures. The usual and ordinary evil
dences OF such = state of affairs are wholly
wanting. There are no contractors or suddenly
ehflched chhcials rolling I'm wealth visible here
On the contrary, the contractors comniain that
risks and prices leave them no profit and many
OF them are declining 10 90 on, and are winding
up their affairs. Gov. Cooke il now in New
YORK, negotiating certain OF the duly authorized
securities OF the District. IL would rejoice only
MS assaiants TO know that their assaults had
temporarily rendered his success impossible.