National Republican., 1874-05-09

q. In other words, lOu calculate the area Of
the Government grount,s actually occupied by
the Government, either foff parks or for public
buildings, and then you add 20 that the area of
; all the streets and avenues W the cityi A.
They are Just Is much GoYerlusut property
as the other.
Q. That is a Question we will have to decide
upon, sad am simply trying to get N what
your theory of this thing, 10. You add Ehe areE
Of all these streets aad avenues to this other
property, sod you tax that at the same rate
that you tax private psopezy for the sewerage
purposes in these various districts, and From
that you arrive at the amount Of two million
seven hundred and forty odd Thousand dollaiy
as what the Government should psy on sccountA
OF main sewerage7 A.. Yes, sir.
Y. That is the correct statement O TT A.
Yes, SIR. You must recollect that tbs Govern
ment owns good deal Of property outside Of
the District. Thereisth Soldiers Home and
Ine Reform school, AMI all those things, that
urain into this system Of sewerage. IWould
suggest 70 you, also, that there are about 500
acres OF land In this cityin avenues which were
is isa out because this was capital city, which,
would be sold and taken,in, and made 10 hesr
their proportion Of the taxes.
Q. Inat Is legal and equitable question
that the committee will have to take into con-
sideration. All am seeking after now is to
get clear statement of the theory of tfie
Board Of Public Works in regard to tBfs. al
that we can present IL properly to the Senate
| and House Of Representatives. A. Certainly.
/ am merely stating that to call attention. to-
thst fact, that the 500 acres of the area of this,
city is in avenues, such as they do not have In
/ any other city, fntersecting, bisecting, and
cross-secting, and which would not be hereif
i this were not q capital city.
! Q. Let US see what the practical effect Of this
Is going to be. There have already been issued
under this sewerage bill 90, ,1OO, 900 Of sewer
eertiheates, as you call them, believe. A.
1 Yes, sir.
| Q. And those have been disposed OF TO con-
| tractors and employees of the government
with the exception of between 100000 or
5000 ,OOO A. Yes. sir.
9: They have been used for the purpose of
paying for the streets and the construction Of
streetsl A. No, sir; paying for the construc-
ton of sewers.
Q. These sewer csrtiAcatesl A. Yes, SIR.
| 2. Exclusively A. Almost exclusively. You
will find that the Board of Public Works had
| advanced on account OF main sewerage a very
large sum of money when this law was passed.
and we reimbursed the general fund of the
| board from these sewer certificates; so that
virtually all these sewer certificates that hayo
been paid out have been paid out on account of
| sewerage.
Q. That is the practical effect of IL. These
sewer-certifieates that have been thus paid out
to contractors and employees of the board have.
been hypothecated, as understand you to say.
| A. Yes, sir.
Q. To what use has the money been applied.
A. To paying the liabilities of the board
Q. What class of liabiltiesl A The en-
ployees mostly; some bills payable, and things
of that kind.
Q. Was any of the money dsriyerd from the
hypothecation of these certificates used for the
purpose OF paying the last January INTEREST,"
A. Not dollar.
Q. From what source was that money de-
rived for paying the last January INTEREST," A
From the sinking fund. 1t was money Dor
rowed from the board by the sinking fund COM
| mission through me.
Q. Upon what security was that money ber-
rowedf A. 1t was borrowed on the sinking
| fund bank. When / say It was borrowed,1
mean that 1 borrowed some $50, 900, about
the Sd December, to make up the amount
with the amount in hand derived from taxes
to make up the amount necessary to meet our
interest. Probably go little too far when
say 1t was borrowed for this purpose It was
not. 1t was borrowed for the purpose of the
purpose OF the sinking fund commission and
put into the general fund of the commission;
but these coupons were paid by the sinking
fund commission out Of their treasury
Q. Now, before passing from this sewer
question, desire to ask you question or two
IN regard to this average that was charged to
the Government on account of the sewers-not
Of the main-sewer system. That has beA
S4.70 A, Yes, sir.
Q. You have heard Mr. Oertly's statement
as to how he arrived at the eonclusioul A.
Yes, sir.
Q. Now, you make up your assessments
after the street is completedl A. Yes,- sir.
Q. When the street Is completed it shows the
| whole amount Of sewers that have been put
down IN the street, A. Yes, sir.
Q. All the grading, paving, curbing, foot
payements, and everything of that kindl A.
| Yes, sir.
Q. Then it would be an easy matterto ascer-
tain from the records Of the board exactly the
kfr1n n N1frNa Ia - n
| connection with these sewers, would it notl A.
1t would If the work was done.
2. But then, you don't make assessmentson
| the street until the street is completedi A. No,
sir; and the probability is that great many Of
these vouchers are made up; that he established
this average long before the work was finished,
and while the work was in process of compile
| ton, suppose that Is the way he came to make
| an average. l say this, that l don't think it
was proper thing to do TO make that average.
Still, If you will take the fact that the Govern
| ment has not suffered anything by It, that the
amounts paid by the Government are less than
the amount it cost the Board of Public Works
| for those sewers, there is no harm done.
Q. OF course not.
The Witness. don't think it Is the proper
way to do business.
Q. But that is the very question with refer
enee to which we are likely to be in the dark
unless this thing is accurately made up, and
for that reason called upon Mr.. Oertly the
other day to make US statement. Now, by
referring to the reports of the superintendent
Of property which you have in your board re-
ports, find that may be In error about it.
l gave you q statement because want to
direct your attention to it, for regard it as q
matter of Importance. That there have been
used of 12-inch pipe, 234 ,063 linear feet: of 15-
inch pipe, ,S47 linear feet; and of 1s-Inch
inch pipe, all told, of those 8--; aggre-
eating them all together would only amount
to S06S feetl A. Very little of It 1 know
Q. So much pipe making total of 377,042
lineal feet. If that is correct it would Indicate
very strongly that Mr.. OertIy has placed this
average too high. A. I have no doubt that he
places IL too high.
Q. For that reason I call your attention to
1t. only get this from these reports.
The Witness. have no doubt you are right,
sir; have no doubt that he placed the average
too high.
The committee here took recess until 3
o'clock.
On the committee re-assembling, Governor
Shepherds examination was continued, as
follows:
By Mr.. Wilson Q. In speaking of making
assessments, If ! have understood you and un-
derstood the other witnesses correctly, the
assessments are made after the street Is COM
pletedI A. In most instances; yes, SIR.
q. Have there been many instances in which
that has not been donei A. Very few, think.
Q. In what way do you ascertain how much
TO assess against property where the street has
not yet been completed7 A. We merely assess
what has been done. For instance, the CART
ageway is done, and the footwaIks are un-
finished, the earriageway Is assessed, and for
the footwalks, when they are completed, an
other assessment Is made.
Q. Then when you make the second assess
ment, do you assess the whole length of the
street againl A. We assess just the cost Of
whatever IL was when completed.
Q. For the whole length of the street, A.
Just what the first assessment does not cover
Q. Suppose you were to make an assess-
ment-the street Is, by way Of illustration, one
half completed, and you make an assessment
do you assess for the full length Of the
street, A. Oh, no, sir; merely assess where
the work Is done.
Q. Then you would only assess the balance
OF the street, and the property that was oppo-
site the work that was subsequently donei A.
The only instance in which partial assessments
have been made have been instances where the
carriageway was paved and the footwalks un-
paved, and the season prevented the finishing