, 1874-04-04

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trict Tnvaut;no+;on
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o0nlg : ,,1ta - Figuring I III Inc
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=: -- 49, .
Acts : Of District ()fIiciaIs pTaced
,.4,1-,,,-.r,,.:I,
!..'.. y. 49, -
How a Western Railroad Was Pre-
vented. from Paying lis
"a . ~ - 'THy , ::
In Order that a Special Agent Might
Come in for His Share. -.
Talk ot Reopening the Pacific Mail
.,a: Subsidy Investigation. !;
Statistics Relative to Lake Disas.
: tors During tho Last >
-: :: Ten Years.

- tors During tho Last j
81: e.: Ton Years.
t THE DISTRICT INVESTIGATION.
- Spectat Dispatch to The Chicago Tribune.
..>- Il DULL DAT. ~-
WAsn1NaToN, D. G., April s,:-vory little Of in-
terost transpired In the proceedings OF tho Dis
trict Investigating Committee to-day. Tho foro-
noon aoaa!on was devoted to hearing tho evi-
donce Of Edward Clark, tho architect Of tho Cap
itol. Tho momorialiats summoned him for tho
purpose Of showing that tho improvements taado
IN AND ABOUT TIE CAPITOL GROUNDS
were done in bottdr mnnnor and moro econom-
ically than work performed under contract tor
| tho Doafd OF Public Works. Tlia stato of facts
Was proved very conoluBiyoly. tt was shown
TINT paving, grading: filling, aodding, curbing,
'ond other improvements mado under tho drec-
tion, Of Mr. Olark. cost from 90 to 50 por cont
less than similar work done by tho shepherd
contractors. - 4 4. :':,,:
= Through the instrumontality Of a mr. Boyd,
another mombcr Of the District Government,
one A. X. Browne WAS to-day found out to be a
recipient Of
- CONTRACTOR srnoNas BOUNTY.
l. Browne is h momber Of tho District Con neil,
and COUNSEL for the Board Of Henlth, He only
| accepted 7160 from the contractor.
+ Mr. Wright Rives, graduate Of West Point,
who 'repreeonts9a large estate in tho City Of
Washington, having mado number of neasuro-
monts Of improvements about hfn property wae
next intorrogated. Mr. Riyes testified That ho
had discovered ereat many 80;
made by the % Boarl Of pa6lIo WorEs Engineers.
He found instances where the Engineors had
J. allowed Tor moro pavement than could possibly
20 put on the street. gvon By spreading It oyer
|: tue footwalks.: Missouri avenue was instancod
that while the Board of Public Works paid only
/ 1920 yard tor paving in front Of Government
property On Third street, they charged tho Gov
ern1nont $3.50 a yard for tho aama.
District Auditor from May, 1867 to September,
l. 1878, made somo ~.
|: -. 1n1ponrANr plsoIosunEs
regarding the reckless manner in which the Din
accounts. He toati1ed tint during tho Adminia-
tration Of Gov. Cooke, there wero sent to him
+ for approval at one time bills amounting to
/ S475.0o0. and q Hhort tlmo afterwards another
these. bills the wltnesss stated that; wAou tho
chango Of Government was mado In 1871, tlcro
|. was largo amount OF unfinished improvements
In progress. Tho now Board Of Public Works
immediately onnulled such Of these contracts as
they could; aud altered others, thereby iuoroas-
Ing very extensively the cost OF tho improve
ment. For instance, tho old corporation had
contracted for the constructions Of bridge con-
Meeting Washington ahd Georgetown, at d cost,
Of $4,000: This contract waB cancelled by the
new Government, and new bridge costing
$4,000 erected. The same was done In the caao'
THE sEAGos AND JErFEnaox aouoorrnousEs
tho plans being altered and the cot increased
sinkipg-fund. Tho bills for this work were aont
to the Auditor with q request that he approve
the same charge them AGAINST the old corpo1s-
ton ana dfes n @4 ont Of ,aa the sink ,4
Richards made objection to this, aud WIZ visited
BY Gov. Cooke, Alexander e. Shepherd, aud
Levin Clephano, who gave linn to understand 1t.
Was -.. -
NONE OF H1s BUSINESS :
what fund was drawn upon, aud intimated TINT
it would be to his interest to adopt their advice.
Thua admopislad, Mr. nohard6 approved tho
hi1ls, amounting to $3.50 600. but roluBod to put
~ ntI removed from office whom Shepherd bocaine
| Governnor. " Mr Wilson gavo notice that he
oo,,,1 Examine .Mr, Richards at length concern
,s% ~ouhi lis knowledge Of tho SCHOOL fund, and tho
aG9|osrnsa as @ast n9qaay 4eesy
'WAaa1aaToN, D. O., April 8.-At the morning
| session Of tic District Investigation Col.
mont Of Badonsburg, and expressed tic opinion
though
THE CHARGE FoR TIE WORK WAB EXCESSIVE.
Tho original eatimnte Of It's cost submitted to
the Legislature waa $23, ,000; the aotual coat
| s52, ,000.. Tho road was actually impasHabla at
| times, and witnoss had posltionod the Board to
have It put IN order. There WAS heayy grading
| and filling dono, aud thoy paid too much for tue
earth excavation. They pafd GO cents u yard for
| grading mud hauling. Witness also spoke Of tho
| cost Of tho improvements Of assessments at the
| intersection Of Third and streets, near tho
| City Hall, and states how much had boon
! charged to r street. The Board hsd charged for
moro curb. wood-payomont, and sidewalk on Z
street than the street would measure, taking 4
| line from Now Jeraoy avouuo to Fourth street
| west. Col. niyoa stated tlat ho lad measured
Louisiana avenue from Ninth to Tonth stroots
west, aud that the Board had charged tho United
6tatoH Government for
1900 YARDS NONE GRADING THAN THEY 9I10uLD
HAVE CHANGED.
Gov, Shepherd Atated tint, with roforonco to
Louisiana ayonue roferrcd to by Col. NvoB, that
by tho old corporation, which had noyas been
| IN the appropriation lnado to reimburse the
Board for what they lad done.
ARCHIBALD WHITE,
| resident In the country. on tho Seventh htreet
| road, stated that material was put into tue tm-
proyoment on that road which Ind boom con-
domned aa unfit. Thoy charged wituosH tor 100
foot front moro than ills property mo4suroa an
the Seventh street road. The road was better
for width twenty.iour feet before 1t WAS improved
than 1t 1s now.
late Auditor OF tho Dintricf Government testified
that ii Waa ha official duty to act on all accounts