National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-05-25
DISTRICT INVESTIGATION


meeting Of the board, while that was under
consideration, when it was finally settled, al
nrst refuse to agree with the other members Of
the boardl A. In what3 -'--
Q. In settling with Mr. Fletcher. Perhaps
can retresh your recollection. Were not thu
yeas and nays demanded, and you voted We;
With the rest Of themi A. Will you please t.
show the minu.es!,
Q. Do you remember that
The Witness. VIII you please to show thu
miuutesf
q. Doyou remember that? A. 1 do not re
member that exactly.
Q. You do not remember that exactlyl A
know 90 much that said
%. What h your recollection of 1t A. Ms
recollection Of it was-the question was, Mr.
Fletcher pretended that he had been made u
agn two contracts, the first one
o. am not talking of that; am talking o.
the action of the boardl A. This Is the an
ewer: He said in the first contract no parking
was included, but was in the second. Tht
question before the board, as far as recollect
was whether this parking should be paid, ant
how the action ofthe board on that was coulC
not say without having reference to the min
utes. Are the minutes not herel
Q. You could not state without looking al
he minutes? 4. OF course always rely upor
1ecords. ] am sorry that, q couple of times,
have gone away from this, my firm rule, ant
against my will, and have made some errors
Q. 1t has not been very long since this &C
curredl
The Witness. have good deal to do, Mr.
edattingiy.
O. Has it been very long since this occurred
a. No; may be three or four weeks.
! Q. Do you think it has been that longi A
Well, this correspondence shows.
: @. You read q letter over where Mr..
Fletcher's contract or proposal, or something,
for doing work at the Botanic Garden was re.
ferred to you, and in which the price was
stated at "a cents, did you noti A. Where
was directed to pay 81 cents.
Q, Did you not at the time recognize the
price of 81 cents as having been the price pre-
yiously fixed by you! A. iii was new flag
ging it would have been; yes, sir.
Q. You did recognize the fact, then, that that
price of 81 cents had been fixed by you; is that
sol A. No, sir; have asked for those records
70 be brought here, and they will show my &C,
tion In unmistakable terms.
Q. Did you at that time make any statement
TO the board, or any complaint, that the price
was too hight A. The records will show that
why do you not bring the reeordsl
Q. Did you o. did you notl A. Will you
please bring the recordsi The records speak
for themselves.
4 Q. Can you answer that question: A. want
the records to show. What is in record, &c
by.
. By the Chairman: Q. VIII you answer that
question: If you do not know, you should say
so. A. could not say, sir.
Q. If you do not know you should state To
the best of your knowledge. These gentlemen
have a right to test your memory and your re-
collection about everything with reference tC
these matters. A. l cannot recollect the de.
tails of these meetings.
By Mr.. Mattingly; Q. If you did make any
statement Of that character it was in writing
was it, A. do not recollect.
By Mr.. Wilson: Q. What record is It that
you wantl A. The letter where the vice presi
upon which he afterward tells me q pay thirty
four cents.
Mr.. Hubbell. That is not the question Of Mr..
Mattingly at all. His question is q perfectly
legitimate one. Mr.. MRttingly asks this wit.
ness if he did not know at the time that thirty
four cents was the established price. Then he
asks him If he made any objection to fixing
this price In this contract. His reply is that
he wants the records. think he ought to an
swcr that question.
The Witness. This letter shows on it's face
that it was Old tagging. If this had been new
tagging 1t would have been quite different
from old tagging. That is jointed and taken
out of wind. This letter did not show that il
was old tagging 10 be laid.
By Mr.. Mattingly: Q. Did you not know
whether or no. 1t was TO I've old or new fsggingl
A. Not at that time; no, sir.
Q. You did not knOwl No, sir.
O. Then that 81 cents is the proper price If II
was new tagging! A. 1t is too much. / have
explained under what circumstances ] have
signed this. The original paper will show that
it was submitted to me in the handwriting of
Oertly and believing it was Il small matter
Mr.. Mattingly. Here is the record in the
fetch er matter.
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS,
DISTRICT OE COLUMBIA,
WAsuINGroN, May l5 lsa4. }
The board met at - IN.
Present: Messrs Willard, Magruder, oluss and
Blake.
In regard to the application OF Jos Il. Fletcher
for allowance Of the amount Of parking done by
him around Botanic Garden on Third street, and
also the nineleen feet deducted from his account
for Maryland avenue. DIR. Blake moved that he
he allowed regular board prices for the parking
which he had already done, and that the amount
retained account Of that to be done be returned
to him.
Adopted unanimously, and the engineer ordered
to make up the account.
The Witness. That was the second meeting
there was another meeting before that. Ii
must have been about one week previous tc
this, to the best of my recollection.
Q. Here is the other record to which you
probably refer:
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS, d. c.,
WASHINGToN, May IL, 1874. !
The board met at Il IN.
Present: Messrs. willard, Magruder, Cluss and
Blake.
Hon. A. r. Shepherd, Governor District Of
Columbia, was notified. in reply TO his letter in
70 mi
on Third street and Maryland avenue, that the
vice president has carefully examined the whole
case, with the contract before him. and finds from
mn.
nications and orders on file, that the accounts
which have already been forwarded to the audi
tatiOn, and this opinion is confirmed BY other
members Of the board to whom the matter was
Dresentedi and If Mr.. Fletcher is 10 be allowed
anything additional, II should come through q
formal application.
The Witness. That is It. will say here that
at one meeting that sOdding was refused to be
pad for, and in the next meeting 1t was after
wards allowed.
By Mr. Mattingly: Q. Then the Governor,
as l understand that declined so far as he was
concerned, to accede to an allowance for that
A. / understood that Mr.. Fletcher brought the
deter from the Governor, and the action Of the
board depended upon this letter which came
from the Governor.
By the Chairman: Q. / see this settlement
was agreed to unanimously on May 1a A.
Yes, sir. -.-.-l --...'. .. .
O. Was that settlement as made then, q
proper settlement A. Well, according to my
reading of the records, this Tagging, or rather
this sodding was not originally in the contract.
Q. ask you il yoHthiRk It was a proper
settlement to makel A. Well, q contract had
been made in certain way and there was no
way that l could see to get out of it. We had
to pay it because they had agreed to pay it..
@. Under all the circumstances you thought
It was proper settlement to makea A. 1t
was.
Q. And you agreed to III A. I agreed to 1t
yes, sir. After l had stated my position.
stated In this letter that did not want to be
captious. l have here q voucher OF John o.
Evans. He writes to the board:
WASHINGTON, d. c., August o, 1s73
GENTLEMEN: The following work done by me
under contract with your board has been CON-
pleted, and would respectfully request that o
nnEl measurement be made and that the auditor
settle the account for the same, viz:
Seventh street south, between north and B
south,
Twelfth street south, between B north and B
south. r--
Fourteenth street south, between north and
b south. ..-.-. ....- -..--- ... -
B street north, between Twelfth and Four
teeIith west. ... H. &C.. -.... 90
Reservations Farragut Square, P-strest circle,
and Connecticut avenue. -. - :
Sixteenth street, Massachusetts avenue, and
Rhode Island avenue:
Mount Vernon Place, intersection New York
and Massachusetts avenue:
Seventeenth street, between New York avenue
and street north. 30
Would also like a partial estimate on b street
nQrth bet Ueen Eaurteeafh and Seventeenth.