New-York tribune., 1873-05-17

! 80, -, A., 49, ,ntv an which little money has been
| spent and am Informed that last "i"'o' "' ''0
was an deem ms 70 make the road almost inpasSaoc'
Work has been done by the Board on 70 roau' III 'o
county many OF them equaiU nnp'r'"", 40 ~ 'ua''
,horongbfares as the Seveuthst road ana OF course
,,,st have been some motive In spending i5 per
, % all rho money used to improve them on this one
rcco five miles long, Jdst before reachlng the emu OF
This road you pass gate leading to extensive ana nhcy
inproyed grounds. through which wndilg carriage
way leads to an elegant mansion on the brow OF the MI
This is "Bleak House," the Summer residence Of Mr..
Alex. T. Shepherd, the Vice-Presdent and Executive
Officer of the Board OF Public Works. short distance
this side exMlyor Emery has fine house Ihave heard
II reported that Ir Shepherd and other members of the
Ring have purchased large amount OF real estate IN
the vicinity; street railway company already has
charter to extend s line whole length OF the
improved road and the Rings property is shortly to he
pat upon the market in the shape OF villa sites ana
town lots think no further explanation necessary.
As rule wherever any improvement is found in the
city that better more costly than the rest 1t u sale
to conclude that the Ring is interested In the adjoining
real estate.
Tie Board has not given It's contracts to the lowest
bidder In Its report last November. the Board says
In the outset it was determined that would be better
for all parties concerned to establish scale OF prices q.
winch work shold be done, and 10 award contracts at
these UNIFORM prices To reSp1nsible persons, wh0' OeS
paid OILY for work actually done would nave No hteIcs'
derdudng their employers. Tlo result OF tDls pau,
|
satisfactory BY general ADVERTISING bids wero recciVed
for all classes and descriptions OF imprOy tn9
prices wtre fixed based upon ldform .tOh tns uorNeu
and upon the paid IN Otner ctes' ana tHe "OrA
| was awarded AT those rates. ,..,.,
Tue character Of the work performed has demonstrated
conclusIvely that this l. th5 most ecOnOin'al anu
efficient means of prosecuting such und'rtlAinSs as ~
prevents straw bids and contracts TO lrreSpJnslOc
| parties, who wOnld otherwise harISs AMI re ard the
Board their Operatluns either Nv selling OIt or Dy pre-
ierrlug extra aud imaginary CLAIMS 10 secure more th
I!lr vqL%Eeh'& % & iUr W vu trSnle 10 ths BolrI have
tufdpr Il.
lowest bidders for SPECIFIC improvements Ia can oI
these cases eOntrdcOrs nave derddded thelr Ia
borcrs and employees OF th r pay. lett the WORK udh
ished and aied helvy loss u0n thelr wOfkn ahi
tDe BoIrl. TIe Board points with prd5 to tue wo.k
done aud the prices pail, anI are rats III that ~ On
investigating tue subj ct hOnesty AM lnpardly win
ia to acknowledge tnat In no instance on record has SO
much accomplished III snort period UI tmo ana
| at cost So rcasOhdDc.
Tle assertions made In this quotation not sus-
tanned by the facts and of them almost too alb
surd 20 be noticed 1t the aLost universal ex-
percnce not only OF all honest city ol;ias. but OF
those OF the State add National GOvornms sns that work
OF the kind controlled by the Board OF Pd0c Works can
be more satisfactorily done aud at cheaper rates when
the contracts are awarded the lowest responsible bid
der any other way The contractor whJ accepts
the Boards terms ~ lay indeGLte amount OF wood
pavement at - 10 yard has the same Interest. aud
more slight his work than one VINO contracts to lay
blO or JOJ0 yards at the rate ln the former
case the knows how much Work To pre-
pare for and is liable at time, when he mas large
amount OF material haud, to have tho work stopped
or given to other contractor; AMI in determining
| the kind of work he will do for given price. he
has TO allow for all such contingencies. Tis is no hyDo-
| thetlcal case 1 acquainted with QUO honest con-
tractor from WHO did than $0oOJ9 worth
of paving for the Board last whose work was every
way satisfactory and who received every assurance
that would be allowed to complete th' work ho had
begun this Spring With faith in this assurance, he i'm
proved an opportunity to purchase on favorable TERMS
al A. WORT Of
needed Now the Board has concluded not to complete
the work, and the contractor Is left with his III terld
on hand and Is paying ruinous rates OF interest Tor
money while claims against the Board for nearly
500 which he cannot collect III that man ever makes
any more contracts with the Board he Will be likely to
do his work in such manner as TO insure prOht Tor
himself even after allowing for all disappoiDtmentS, de-
| lays IN payment, &c.
There have been more opportunities for favoritism
under adopted by the Board tn If the con
tracts had awarded the ordinary manner and
these opportunities have been improved Contracts for
work have been given TO persons connected with the
newspapers the District and those newspapers have
been blind to the wholesale robbery OF the people Con-
tracts have been given ~ the friends Of members OF
Congress, and those members have closed their ears
to the petitions Of oppressed taxpayers, made white
washing reports when accusations have been made
against the Board. aud voted millions OF the pubic
money to save Board from bankruptcy 1t has given
contract to OF the School Trustees, and though he
was appointed charmln OF committee 10 investigate
and report why the public school teachers have not been
paid DO report has yet been made. 1t Is reported as
having given contract to Philadelphia politician, or
at least to have arranged matters tht he took home
with him s7oOOo OF the proh,s of contract part OF
which was used t, pay OF the expenses OF the ast
National Republican Convention.
The work has cost than it would had been open
10 competition The Boards price for laying wood pave
ment after the street has been graded and prepared for
IT, has So 10 square yar Whether this IL more or
less than has been paid other cities question Of no
consequences 1t is more than the best wood pavement
ought TO cost in Washington. MIST, Il. w, paved
under q contract made by commission appointei by
Congress After examining nearly hundred different
kinds Of pavement. the Commission selected tle one
which they considered best nnd having advertised for
competitive bids tho work awarded at 81 20 yard
and this included grading AMI all the work done on the
street. The sde walks not all taken up but they
are now in as good condition the laid by the
Board The assessments TOR MIST. less than any
street In city paved with wood by the Board and the
work the best I'm the city, The Improvement OF Fst
where the carrage-waYls 10 IL feet cost
nearly $50 square yard. That the prices paid for work
have been too high is also proved by tho competition
there has been TO make contracts at Board prices In
the Summer OF responsible Western wood paving
| firm came TO Washington and placed In the hands
| OF an agent written agreement to pay 90
| cents q yard for all contracts 10 lay their
pavement at Board prices hat auy ono "Ouu secue Or
them. Tue agent not successful but subsequently
this firm OF the most popular with tho Board
! aud has done a great amount Of work In this
there has therefore, been clean steal from the Dis
i1ct from the property yholders from the United
sie Of 90 cents yard every yard laid by this frn
| l don't know who got IL.
10 give some idea OF how much the Board might have
saved the 3L26 miles OF treated wood pavement that
IT has laid down, quote from the testimony OF Mr.
Henry Davis before the Inyestgat Committee in
/ 1872 Mr. Davis has been for than 80 years a
| M In