National Republican., 1873-12-02
Total value Of stone WORK a. claImsnts'

4 Total value of stone-work at clalmants'
'hue.''''''. '''...'.'......',,',..s.s.' st,soi
, IL Il under the circumstances surprising thi
. gentlemen who have once transacted busincs
with the Government on such basis are cI
posed TO system OF contracts under whic
such claims could by no possibility arise3
Another Illustration, OF different charac
! ter, may be found In the contract for tn
granlto.work Of the custom.house Mt Ne1
, Orleans, Louisiana, an extract from whcl
will suffice, and is as follows
And the party of the first part agrees ;,
pay or cause TO Be- paid for %, 500 superficia
ieet OF ashler at 971f cents per superficial
loot aud for all other granite required /,
complete said building agrceably to the de
slgn of the architect prices with reference ;,
tho weight, form, and finish OF such othc
granite shall be found TO bear the same rcla
ton 20 the then market valne or price Thereof
that vi cents per superficial foot, the con
tract price for the aforesaid asher, shall b,
found to bear to the then market value OF
price OF similar asher after such other gran
ite shall have been received at the leves a
New Orleans
This contract appears to have been prepared
either rs q mathematical puzzle or to provide
basis Of settlement that could not be con.
troiled or supervised by the accounting ON.
GERS Of this Department II the latter, Il was
undoubtedly success, more especially a.
there was no market value for similar granite
M New Orleans, the custom-house being the
only granite building In that city.
The following extract from the contract for
the marble-work OF the custom-housc at
Charleston, South Carolina, though not open
70 the objections Of the previous one, is an
Illustration Of the complicated and Intricate
methods adopted TO Determine the value Of
labor and material, and Is selected as fair
specimen Of that class Of contracts
"Tnat the said party Of the nrstpart hereby
covenants and agrees topay 70 the said party
| OF the second part therefor agreeably to the
stlpulations Of the aforesaid articles OF agree
incnt the following sums, viz For all Ilain,
straight, square ashler not exceeding 6iuches
bed or build, one dollar AND thirty.clght cents
per superficial loot (s1.3s) and for each ad-
ditionsi inch Of bed or build Of said asher an
additional sum Of fifteen cents per superficial
foot. and all plain work shall be considered
OF ashlcr for columns cut plain, In pieces Of
not less than feet and not exceeding feet
10 length, Ave dollars and twenty-five cents
Ss.25) per superficial foot and for nuted
nodded capitals and bases, seven (1) dollars
per superficial foot; for Ionic capitals, eight
dollars and ffty cents (ss.50) per superficial
loot; for cornice aud Its archltraye and
fricze, seven % dollars per superficial foot !;
for noor-tiles, wrought and finished, Of q
thickness not exceeding Q inches, uinety-two
C92) cents per superficial foot for rooi.tllss,
II
thickness, one dollar (s1) per superficial foot
for eutire upper surface measure, and forty
/ (40) cents per superficial foot for cutting on
the same; for all circular and bcvclcd work
forty per centum additional Upon the prices
for straight work; aud for all moulding and
panelllnT, also oil carving and ornamental
work, not herein otherwise provided for,
such additional sums shall be paid as the
supervising Architect or the duly authorized
agent OF the party Of the first part shall
ascertain to b. its fair cost, Increased by nf-
teen per cent The number Of superficial
ieet iu chamfered or bevcled quolns. aud
other stone that shows face or faces, head or
| heads, shall be determined by the Longitude
nal vertical section Of the face and head or
other cut part that shows, for which we arc
to be paid 93 cents per superficial foot for the
| nrst Inches of bed or build, and an addl-
tional sum of fifteen cents per superficial foot
for each additional inch Of bed or build, the
lumber OF which Is also to be ascertained
from the longitudinal vertical section as
above.
For chamfers inches on aud Q inches In,
| sixty cents per liHeal foot.
"For all ornamental work, to be first made
| up as plain work, then the cost OF the orns-
mental work, viz; carving and moldlng,
paneling, &C., to be Increased by fifteen per
| cent.
"For all straight steps and platforms we
are to be paid ninety-thrce cents per super
acial foot for the first inches of bed or build,
with fifteen cents per superficial foot addi-
tional for each additional Inch Of bed or
build, that Is, as We have calculated them.
An inspector, to DO appointed by the Treas
ury, 10 Inspect and measure the stone at the
quarry"
This contract, unlike the ono previously
quoted, may not be considered fraudulent
one, but IL Is undoubtedly extravngant and
as such, has been Cancelled, as explained In q
previous report. II Is, however, noticeable
In other respects, viz, that the contract was
evidently drawn by the contractors and not
~ the officers Of the Department, as Is EVIL
denced by tho frequent use OF nc word '.we,"
which could not properly appear In such
document and that the value Of the work
being necessarily determined by q profess
sional measurer, It was beyond the power of
The Supervising Architect or OF the account
Ing officers of the Department. 10 revise the
accounts or control the cost OF the work. II
will be seen that under this and similar con-
tracts the prices were actually fixed without
recourse 10 the Department By q subordinate
Of the Supervising Architect, whose dlctum
On similar expenditures In this district was
also made final by the act of August 81, 1859,
to which desire to call attention as re-
markable Illustration Of O class Of enact
ments which, while apparently imposing ad-
ditionai safeguards, offer inducements for
fraud and render detection practically I'M
possible.
I desire once more to call attention TO the
act OF July IL, 1870, In regard to tho unex-
pended balances on public works, and to say
that careful and thorough test OF the law
has justified all OF the objections heretofore
made thereto, and has demonstrated that the
only manner In which Its conditions can be
compiled with Is by the suspension Of work
Ut the close Of the fiscal year, and until the
accounts can be settled and adjusted. It
should be remembered, also, that the fiscal
year terminates on the 3oth OF June, In the
midst of the building season, and that such q
course would Involve an enormous cost and
be Of no benefit whatever. The operation Of
this law has directly increased the cost OF
work and the duties OF this office. II has
complicated the accounts; Ii has necessitated
an increase In the number Of clerks who ex-
anime and adjust them, and, unless repealed
or modified In this particular, will render the
accounts for works extending over many
years so complicated "a TO make II impossible
10 settle them within any reasonable time,
aud has, In addition, rendered II difficult TO
exercise proper supervision over the cost OF
the work. II has, also, In many instances
compelled suspension OF work, though the
amount necessary for the completion Of the
building has been appropriated. IL Is also
oppressive, the Department being In many
Instances unable TO pay creditors whose ac-
counts are adjusted-whose claltns arc Just
aud lndlspensAble-even when ample funds
have been appropriated for the purpose. /
therefore earnestly recommend that the re-
peal OF so much Of the law Us relates to public
improvements be obtained, feeling assured
that the interests Of the Government will be
promoted thereby.
In conclusion, desire TO call the attention
Of the Department 10 the enormous amount
Of business that has been transacted In this
Office during the past fiscal year, and the
inadequate force authorized for the purpose,
as we'll ~ the insuflciency Of the salaries |
paid. The hours Of the Department In all |
other bureaus are from o'clock u. IN. to |
o'clock p. IN. The hours In this bureau have /
been necessarily extended until O'Clock, aud |
In the case OF the principal officers have
seldom terminated before 0, aud often at a
much later hour.
desire once more to call attention to III,
eight-hour law, believing II 10 be alike inju- /
riOus 10 the best interests OF the Government
and 10 the workmen themselves. 1t fre-
luently happens that mechanics and laborers
employed by the Government and those
employed by contractors are required 10 work
on the same building and at the same time
Those employed BY the Government work but
eight hours, white those employed by the
work ten hours per diem. This
causes much feeling. and Ii needs no argu-
ment To prove that 1t Is unjust, and that the
who performs ten hours work Is