New-York tribune., 1873-05-17

since the Board has had control Of the streets and after
few months II taken up and another no better put
ia Its place. gentleman told the other day that ne
saw. on Capitol Hill, two contractors at work on the
street within sight Of each other TIe nrst was
paving the gutter and second was tearing up tho
first ones work AMI rcpsvng It, BY some bunder tno
contract had been given to two men, ant II WIS 50
profitable that eacl was determined to get his share OF
the plundor.
not true as the Board reports that 1t can cont'o'
contractors any better get be ter work from IN n OF
make them any re-ponsiolo uuder thrlr p'ese"'
system than under the customary one. IL Just rs easy
give contracts responsible men retain pero'ulas
Of their pay, and make them gvc bonds to Keep ,o"
work in order three years. case as IN the oInei
The fact IT, the Boards system has failed 10 m"Ao con
tractors responsible for their work at ALL concrete
pavement laid down In Ninths II. W., last SUMMER naS
ali iaeu To pieces. About "a month ago the BOdru VI
dered the contractors to relay 1t before the ISL VI ~
month But the firm has got up private llurci VI 10
own, aud ono part Of It has got out an lIpu".
uon against the other, aud against tno poa'''
fnrbidding either to put tho street In oruer'
There is good reason TO believe that tnc ""o'O
thing Is a trick on the part of the contractors 10
nyoid uniting the street in order. IL Il SAID tha'
10 rrpaye the street properly will cost httlc hioe
than the 90 per cent retained by tho Doalu'
aud that the contractors made 80 much prom on 'no
work that they can afford to forfeit the percentage
The Board reports to have paid about SIO'o Ior TINS
pavement, ana 1 am told that Que OF The nrm' !"
asking for the injunction bWOre tha' 'nc PioH' " WV
Job were S70.00Ol
The opertops OF the Board have been on such mag
nitoent scale-sl0OOOO 200 worth OF work having Dcrh
donc-ihat these little swindes tand some Ot ihoSc
have described are OF respectable magnitude amount III
tbe -rrcgate TO an enor sum. Jlst the amount
that mas been wasted allowed to be stolen nooony clh
tell. Many attempts have been made to fld out now
nf NuF1 a
streets in Washington been during the last Two
Years INT the reports made by the Board ana s assess
mepts have been 80 imperfect In detail that very unsi
lctory results have been obtained In order 10 sho"
I'm an ntelhgble manner the RECKLESS eNIra'ag'hcco VI
the Board have therefore made aoIrefdi computaon
based on their measurements ana tue oHS VI Ca
pcuse which the Board reported TO Congress Last
ber II the results have obtained are not oor'ct 'no
fault must be with the Board which, in that ciSc' must
have made false measurements or overcIdfsed lor te
work done. .
In order TO find out anything from the Boards reports IL
is first necessary to know the method In Whch assess
nonts are made From careful study oil the reports VI
the cost OF improving aDont 30 streets under the mlhaS
ment OF the Board ind that to the total cost OF the
street and sewer Board adds five per cent Tor general
expenses From this gross 1t deducts the amount
charged to the United States and the cost OF the WORK at
the Intersections streets or the remainder onethrd
is assessed the adjoining property anu twotDUds Is
pad cut OF the general fund To ld the exact cost per
lneal foot OF the work dOuo have made use OF
formula which copy here in ocer to show the correct
ness OF my computation: Let represent the cost per
inea foot Of all the improvements on certain street,
n the number OF feet frontage OF Government properly
ON the same street, a. the frontage Uf private property
b. the total charge against tho Ulited States and tue
total cost Of the Improvement In all my calculations
have omitted tho measurement OF the Intersections OF
streets and the cost OF improving them
The Board charges TO the United States hVe-s1ths OF
the gross cost Of the improvement In front oil Govern
ment property. therefore,
(NO u SKY
The whole cost OF improvement will, Of course, he
equal to the length OF the Improvement multiplied by
the coat per FOOT and length Of the Improvement
is onehalf the total frontage,
(NO ~ xQ+y)
-=c.
These two equations reduced are:
(NO. 81 y=6b
-, and Go. q xy=2c-aI
Combining and solving thom we have:
Nm 81 2c-6b 60
X -, and Go. G) y
ga sec 6b)
Applying this formula to the Boards reports on the
streets that have been paved with wood under their d
rection obtain the following resu!tsi