, 1874-06-17

lnak o1 naf1 Wura8 al1tl VcHeueHt ,cuaIActoil1a-
Il N, winch thoy will appreciate aftor q while AZ
tho truo Htrongth Of II model report.
GOV. sltEpHERD's FnlENDs
profosa to DO greatly delighted with tho grace
ful thing undor tho circu'uataucoB.
TEE REPORT.
WASHINGTON, D. O., June 1G.--Tho Joint Select
Committee to inquire into tho affairs OF tho Dis
trot Of Columbia comnouco their report by Civ
lug the resolution under which they acted:
Oh the 2oh Of juno, 1911 the Hoard Of Public WorkA
submitted to tho 1eEassivo Assembly, III compliance
with the resolution EequeHtluB such information.
\ COMPREHENSIVE rI-AN OF THE PROPOSED 1ArnoyE-
MINT
LII tho District, comprising improvements Of tho streets
Ind avenues, aud thu erection Ut MAN Eowors Thu
csn,ated coat OF this system complete sG57s397,
nne-hrd Of which was to 10 bor1le by tho property
alia ont to improvements, the remainder Of Gust y
Washington aud Georgetown, an. tho District outsi,
respectively. This plan waa aubmittod IN great dota!l
to tin Legislative Assembly, the statement q ths elar
extent ntated by tue uoart. It IN manifest, from this
'nenl Of tho Legislative assembly. tint lhe puard
larll.tr provisions by law ohould 10 n,ado by ths
Grvss absolutely prohibited contracts from being mudo
y esess or II advance Of TIC approximation. The
Ioaru hiv1 expanded and contracted to Gxpcnd,
c"rl''z to tho Governors showing. III hlH lnswer,
slaSi..6G5. or
uf tho estimated cost of tho proposed plum and largo
i IN ssss e 1 s S1 ws 'ae "
lsaVt liable basis upon which to nllka eontr4cts
Of rihlio woska That the Hoard hal lawful
g:ess I'D y sho Legislative Assembly, to Incur theso
0tlisd:ons au make tho eotra Ut which they form
s s a n rsarsa 5 T. T.
great aFdcn. as hayo hocn imposed should in soo
,a.lne: receise adVanco g legs!s.tvs sanct1on Your
liit ot this DISTRICT xd tins SERIOUS complications
which now environ s atrnirs arc primarily chnsgea
over ii nauglrate comprehensive aud cogtIy aya-
tcln cf improvements, to be completed in q bliat
complexion several years. ssssen Of improvements
covering uuch territory to bu undertaken at sin,
te htr 10 without preliminary organization o ls W;
Fi"R ststs Of engineering work md ats pima, and
eati,nso4 in community situated was this as Tho
sano salc gould not 10 otherwise than perntco'ls:
Nli!e YOUR cun1ntee join in general expression Of
gGliA< lon at ueholdng the improved condition Of
tho Nsii"ual Capital, Tho embellishments and ado,n-
nclho.:s by which she sudden md rnpl transition
was nesurel. Taking Into consideration the expenses
urc Of opluon tat the Board adopted III srroneoua
Fnl IN ,a results vicious, mathod Ct letug.contrAc,s
M VIZ aooa m ns sl 80
THE rAY,sEsr or AN INCREASED rE1oE
over ard nboye wnnt would LaYa been paid II oren
fair u; froo competition hal been Invited. After ths
1assagn OF the Loan net OF s4.oOuu00 ihs Board OF
10 dor In pursuance Of said plan, and tho ls Of
6atcbsr opened Rll teso var1ous bids, giving nottco
for vaoua clasaoa Of work, nut, lot tho coptrnct 1t
tacr discretion upon this scaio Of fixed prices This
OPENED THE WAY Fun FAFoRtrtsM
In the loting If contracts, and for hyste of ckor
Ing iii contrca which was denoraiziug III itA resus,
unaeelstomsa 10 perform ths work rsqu!rod and
enabling legitimate contractors to pay larga price
%ss tho s s
artcs disclosed in the Testimony of loing contracts.
Any aystem which would enablo IN adyenturer to
fn = kfrn ntrJ@ In $11h R$
tsacting firm, nuke protera of 20 cents per yard to
my Issson having, Of supposed to hayc ii!ucnce with
tul, far persistent effort, succeed in obtaining
eontrsct, md actually Mndng hs prjucirss-tho
Ut pa vc,aent siter an effort Of i've onts to sScurs
lLe g:oss amount to ba recaived,-bslug ouly about
r0o,ooo-is in ,ts very nauEt. ylsloue. and
OUGHT TO Lii CoADEMNHD
not sufficient answer to such proc adings to cay
That tho contrussors lost money. by rcsaon Of do.
Elesuvcs disclosed in thu evidences illustrate Lo evil.
i tle systorn adopted. This system haa smother
who 81 s1estsd s Sarfora seAiss tne.
put who enabled to seu tho,n for consideration
f.. + IL Wss to q f. tsss tss 1
a'!lng when noeeEsa,y, without extra compensation,
but instead ot taking tho preeantion to sava thas
anr:ovenent, % f in sevorai cases Contracts ss for
traling thu streets were given to ons contractor,
aa tue conract for paving to auother ami thas III
Mo fset Of gradng wuro It o1isod was pa1d ID fer
M1fe. Although ttB &yHtgiia H6a lhaHnfAtlu IN 1911,
.nI continued, 1t was not oven alluded to In tic
iatEts nlatls Agatst tho Board In tho investigation
1871, was 1t commented upon by tho Iousq
eo'nnittea that 1naycd Tho investigation.
IN DEFENRE IaEls SYSTEM
lo Board claim that Tho prices hxul wtro lower than
NtrGgs bids oputl the 1Ht Of September, 1a7l Thts
re, hui 1t d0ea not justify tho sfHteu, for 1t would
lh!o been oaAy {oe tho Hoard to have reaeryod tho
Eht to reject unreasonable bidy aud thus eventually
cro performance Of tho work ut tito propor prtcoa
.ides concrete lMyelnents, tuse differing IN quality
I'D sast wsrs lott 4 Uniform price. .nd tha wood
lAveMents, though d!dcruut, wera let III the same
l4nner aud tho payer who Ind tho excavation TO do
r.a paid as nuei. au the who had two feat ot
p4dng. prlcea, however that wore excessive In 1871
July beca,no reasonable ia ld73 whar payments werd
sAle In darecatou secur!tius III tho District 1t wna
u error of judgment on tho Mrs VI tho uoar to lay
10 much wood pavement, WHOM, in tho nature oi
hings, carly removals. would l's required, and tho
question Of tho durability Of tho patented psocesxea
lefenso VI their conduct III Ls regard tho Doard aul-
utttcd = lnrge number of petitions Of e!ti.
jcus living udjacsnt to tho proposed iIn,
Provement. asking that rood rayelarnta In
I'D. With a plan thus Comprehensive
oquiring great n.n,ur OF persons to exa:utu 1t vi
ontract0ra at employees, anl requiring extended Bl-
{ervsion aud control It could hardly h0 expected thai
l work would be well doae or that al tho cou.ract-
ra would e1ocute their contracts In good futh sape.
Aa work, could not be properly Inspected It pro
resged. Tia CoHntGa employed an engineer tt
peasuse portions Of tho wofk, and hta measurement
tselosed .-......-
MANY rnnons AND M1gTAHEs
n tho etrees anu Ayonues. M0at sof theas were &c.
buatsa Gax, Aowsfaz, hT 4s augaesea IN caargt