National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-05-22

OPPORTUNITY t0r examination mas excteC, there
are found serious, In many cases enormous, may
not say wlllful, errors and in mono OF them have
been errors against or to the loss Of the con-
OWE engineers, there were, In q very large num-
} Der Of cases no previous measurements by pro-
fles cross-sectiohs of tho streets and avenues
upon which work was to be done. but work was
began, heavy gradings and filings were made,
and the measurement Of the work afterward BY
approximations, often by sheer guessing, and the
, guess always fayoring the contractor. Such was
The het haste Of the board and their contractors
} placed upon the streets to make the necessary
I profles and cross sections, and, as the result
Snp ts ssry sheu cass n
grading at Massachusetts, avenue and Eleventh
street, and the account given of IT by Mr.. Barney
/ ured after work was dope by Mr. Forsyth, and re-
} ported by him at $4,000 yards. II was remeas-
, ured by Mr.. Barney for 10000 yards
, 1t was again measured by Engineers Same and
Barney, aided by testimony from the general
memory Of peOplein the neighbOrhoOd, and finally
! adjusted by referees, before whom Q brother OF
Governor Shepherd appeared as the advocate OF
the contractor, at los, 900 yards; aud Barney de-
WhstSG there
yards of excavation there, that he could not see
Of the tie testimony Of Mr. Engineer FORSYTH. at
pages 1928 and 1922 IL It be not already impressed
upon the memory of the committee, viii chow
how reliable was the evidence Of the Witness and
how near to the truth the referees came when
they based their award upon his evidence in oppo
sltion to that Of three other engineers. The tes-
timony Of Wright Rives, q graduate Of West
Point, and practical army engineer during the
at agS @ e. as to The TS16 Z, On the
urement and calculations, at page 1900 Of some
eighteen or twenty different cases, all show over.
and Inc Government Of the United States. and in
many instances so excessive that error is not the
Mord oy Tnieh 70 eharacterlIe the results which
for tile. sewerage IN the accounts rendered BY the
Board OF Public Works against the United States.
tanned in the reports of 1872 and 1873 compared
with the bills rendered against the United States
that in to the y several
hundred thousand dollars, tile-sewersge was |
charged against and paid for BY the United States
had been settled Tor with contractors at rates |
ranging from sl.s2 to sass per foot; and not only
against the United States, aggregatng more than |
three and o half millions Of dollars, so numerous
50 gross nave Sfsq from Sme aso
| Oertiy and Forsyth to explain away the Difficult
ties in which they had involved themselves In
contradictory accounts each confuting the other,
the reluctant confession has been extorted, on
cross-e1amination upon the stand, that the oliy
Uao Of GSng 1qses 70 ths Ghe fs w Sates 10
and, finally confronted by tho facts, so that there
was no escape. the same admission was compelled
that the only way to get at o true statement OF
the account between the District and the Govern
new account stated. And still after these deveL
opments comes the result OF the examinations and
Measurements Of ]. Blekensderter, the eminent
engineer chosen by this committee 10 inspect the
improvements of the city, and, as far ns possible
to ascertain the correctness OF the accounts and
measurements Of work done under the board,
The sum of the matter is this: That having
used every endeayor to make accurate measure |
ments, used cross-sectlons and profiles when he
could get them, and having awaited himself of
every appliance within his reach 10 form correct
opinion, he has In no case been able to reconcile
his measurements with those reported and acted
upon; that the amounts allowed TO contractors are
excessive, and the charges against the United
States are greater than the amounts paid to the
contractors; and in the matter OF excavation and
hauling, the Government is usually charged ten
cents per yard more for excavation and i've cents
per yard more for hauling than was paid to the
Contractors. Now, IT, as this resume shows, In ali
the cases where the opportunity for detection has
ers, to q greater or less degree arc fabricated,
false, and fraudulent throughout The maxim,
gent when applied to the transactions OF the
Board OF Public Works as to any other human
agency. 1t is therefore confidently submitted | ,
that the twelfth charge of the memorial!sts is
proved TO the fullest extent Of Its avernents
Without iatlguing tho committee with dis | {
of the Board Of Public Works the obiections 10 | ,
which are stated in the frame OF the thirteenth |
to the manner Of the administration OF thai ONCE
Tho confusion which exists in the finances Of the
District by the practical establishment Of two In
utterly empty of money and destitute OF credit |
has been apparent throughout the examination {
this case. IL mas Deen OF the chief tlcul
ties in getting at intelligent idea OF the actual
Indictment OF the District OF Columbia, and the
ready instrument Of subterfuge when inquiry !,
has been made In that regard by aiding witnesses
to evade the actual truth and preserve the formal
words of truth In written or verbal statements
TO the amount Of public debt.
But how have the accounts Of the offlce been in
fact kept2 As loosely and unsatisfactorily as |
every other branch OF the service has been ad. :
counts Of October. 1872, taken no note of In the
current expenses until October q, 1873. Nothing
to mark the distinction between payments IN mo:
to show who was the favorite receiv- /
ing money and who received certificates, which
sold In the common market all the way down to I
40 per cent. discount. Sewer certificates and bonds
to the amount Of one and half milloLs of dollars
were used in the progress of his business and the
custody Of the treasurer, and no entry whatever
Of the transaction in his accounts to show the
mony, pages 1879 and lssO) he has them in his safe
and that he stated in letter to tho Governor and
in another to the treasurer Of the sinking fund,
belong to the sinking fund, he has been SO very 4
busy that he has mover thought about turning
when visiting the place Of business of that oicer
All this may be very satisfactory personally to {
Of course can do no wrong and from whose care. | ,
lessness It is impossible that the public should
ever suffer; but In the administration Of public n
right and proper, and whether an office should be
tolerated through which nearly twenty millions | .
have passed, and the business OF which Is con- |
Quoted as to invite rather than guard against the
most serious losses and where defalcatIop, If il
exist, must be certain to escape detection? Were
Il conceivable that the office is to be continued +
then it would be imperative upon Congress to l
provide some stern mode Of enforcing its careful
conduct.
gance and tolly-of proiigacy, favoritism, fraud T.
disregard of law, and open usurpation of power | :
who are to be held responsIbie? Are we to pass y
that the laws DO faithfully executed ana seek for
scape-goats among the trembling underlngs Of p
VOTES TeGured By shs .tsu1s TO have civil
gneer as one of Its body, and lay the blame upon
he chancarrIers and Jewelers. In the feldf Are In
Who until he became the Governor few months ,
'inoe had the almost exclusive control Of award
ns contracts , and Of seeing that they were let to
ook to such adyenturers as Kirkland and Chit n
enden to bear the shame and SCANDAL Qf having -
fifth Of the contract price OF the work to be Il
lone; SO rich were the rewards Of contractors un-
ss Of letting nngs to
ng to the lowest responsible bidder7 Are we to y
oncude that this executive officer, who, as 1t is n,
he administration, who was familiar with all Its q
ietsils and the handspring OF every action, him D,
elf practical mechanic, and mixing daily with r
Ill classes OF people. and studious to supervise
md know all that was passing, should be pro-
Oundly acquainted with all tho good and pro-
oundly ignorant Of all the shortcomings all the
-enality, all the corruptons which lay broadcast
md patent to all other eyes and which even en-
ercd the sanctuary OF his business companion | n.
hips and dwelt as household gods at the hreside or
4 his most familiar friends7 All-eomprehensive | -
and profound ignorance seldom II ever 10
well side by side. NJ
Arc We TO conclude that the Board of Public in
Works exhausted their entire control over the pr
improvements of the city by devising q compre- | o.
ensye plan Of underlined extent and unlimited "
xpense and that when they appointed BARRIERS ~
s superlntendents and inspectors of sewer | al
Masonry, and tallors to direct the execution of
ontracts for sodding and grading, they were | cI
no longer responsible for the manner -
4 which the public work was executed3 Mr. er
harms al and gentlemen, is 1t possible to con- ID
eiyo that with all the notoriety of contracts F
eing bought and sold upon the Streets with all ar
he clamors Of citizens on account OF the indi- a.
idual wrongs to them IN over-assessments and VI
Distractions Of materials which were there own: tn
18th all the complaints Of the imperiectlon OF m
FORK done by contractors; with the positive On
that contractors were brlblng, or 40
tempting to bribe, subordinatcs In office; with ~
II these things, the subjects OF daily comment at m
be streetcorners is It possible to escape from or
conclusion either Of guilty knowledge or gross co
egligence, ignorance and tncompetency on the hs
art OF all the ruling powers? say all; for IL -
here had been q single one faithful and fearless W.
the discharge Of his duty, he could have ar OF
ssted the evils which prevailed, and exposed the 90
riminal agencies that were at work. or, at least "a
Ike Lot. he could have fed from the ahonna- -