Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-06-16

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4 TERED 10, aud enlarged as stated, your COM
| miJtee are Of opinion that the board adopted an
erroneous, and, in its results. y vicious method
Of letting contracts for this work. viz, without
| composition open 10 the public; AMI that the
| method adopted by the board resulted in the
payment Of an increased price over and above
| what would have been paid IL open, fair, and
| Tree competition had been invited.
After the passage OF the loan act OF 81 600 Co.,
| the Board Of Public Works invited proposal.
| ard bids Tor work 20 be done in pursuance OF
| said plan, and on the LIST of September opened
AL these various bids, giving notice afterward
| 10 the bidders that none OF the bids would be
| accepted, but that the board would fx 4 scale
| VI prices for the various classes OF work, aud
ct contracts, at their discretion, Upon this
/ Gale Of fixed prices. This opened the way for
| fayor!tism in the letting OF contracts, and for
| tsystem OF brokerage in contracts which was
demoraliZIng in Its results, bringing into the
nst OF contractors Class OF people unaccus-
| toned 10 perform the work required, ana
| enabling legitimate contractors 70 pay large
prices in Greer TO secure contracts, and, in the
| opinion OF your committee, was the beginning
| # nearly all the irregularities disclosed in the
| testimony in the letting OF contracts. Any sys-
| tenn which would enable an sdveHturer 20 come
from distant city, and, in the name OF a con-
uacting firm, make proflers OF 50 cents per yard
20 any person having, or supposed 10 have, in-
| huence with the board, whereby a paving con
Isct could be secured, and, after persistent
| tnoTt succeed In securing contract, and &C
tuahy binding his principals, the contractors,
70 pay $50 900 for contract OF 200 600 wards OF
| pavement, after an effort Of five months TO Sc
only about 100000, In its nature must be
vicious, and ought 20 be condemned.
IL is not sufhc ent answer TO such proceedings
% say that the contractors lost money BY re assn
OF deprecated securities or otherwise. The
transactions themselves, Sc disclosed in the
evidence, illustrate the evils OF the system
sdopted.
This system made easy another reprehensible
feature OF this business, viz: the awarding of
contracts to persons who were not expected 70
perform them, but vino we're thereby enabled 10
sell them for a cons. deratiOn TO others TO exc
cute. lSee Record, Testimony, pages 1913
lOl4, 1888, 2ll5, 2l43, 2lI6 and 1851
by the terms Of these paving contracts the
contractor Was 20 do two feet OF grading when
necessary without extra compensation; but in
stead of taking the precautiOn TO save that
mount OF grading TO the cost of the improve
ment, IN several cases the contract for grazing
the street was given 10 one contractor who
would prepare the street for the pavement and
he contract for the paving 70 another, and thus
he two feet Of grading, where IL existed, was
paid Tor twice. This occurred on PENNSYLVANIA
avenue east and several other streets.
Although this system was inalgursted In
leil, and continued, IL was not even alluded 70
IN the charges made against the board in the
Investigation of 1872, nor was IL commented
lpon by the House committee that made the
invest cation. In defence Of this system, tue
board claim that the prices fixed were lover
tember, 1871.
This is true, bu. il does not justify the sys
,em, for il would have been essg for the board
% have reserved the right 10 reject uurea soma
ole bids, and thus eventually secure the per
iormsnce of the work at proper prices. Besides,
he concrete psyementS, though differing In
lDSlIty aud cost, were let AZ a uniform price;
and the wood psvements though widely diher-
INT. were Vet IN the same manner; and the
payer who had no excavation 20 Do was paid as
much as be who did two feet OF grading.
Prices. however, which we're excessive in
1872, only became reasonable in 1873, when pay
ments were mace i'll the deprecated securities
II the District. 1t was An error of Judgment on
he part OF the board 10 lay 50 much wood pave
ment, when, in the nature or things. early re-
1ewais would be required, and the question of
he durability OF patented processes for treat
'ng wood was still an experimental one. In
defense OF their conduct in this regard, the
board submitte" large number OF petitions of
citizens Living adjacent to proposed improve
nents, asking that wood pavements be led.
With plan thus comprehensive, requiring
great number Of persons to execute II, as con-
tractors and employees requiring extended super
slsion and control, il could hardly be expected
hat all the work would be well done, or that
all the contractors would execute Their con
Tacts In good filth, especially when, from the
nature and character OF much of the work, il
'ould only be properly inspected as it pro-
crossed.
The engineer in chief claimed in his testi-
mony that in the main this work was accurately
and carefully measured 50 far as it was possible
contractors so eager 20 begin their operations
that in many instances work was begun before
proper preliminary surveys and crOss-sections
could be made.
Your committee employed an engineer 70
measure portions of the work, and his me ssure-
nents disclosed many errors and mistakes on
he streets and avenues, as will appear by ex-
animation of his testimony. Most OF these were
accounted for, however, by the engineers in
charge Of the work as mistakes; and the engi-
neer in chief expressed the opinion that the
work was for the most part properly and accu-
rately measured, and he challenged the most
rigid scrutiny of the work of his department.
The board, after its creation, then composed
Of Governor Cooke, A. X. Shepherd, j. A. Ma
gruder, A. b. Mullett and s. p. Brown pro-
eeeGed TO organize by the selection of a vice
president, Mr.. Shepherd, and q treasurer, Mr..
Magruder.
on the 9th of October, the board clothed the
vice president with authority. Here follows a
quotation from the records Of the board Octo.
Der 9, 1871, on this point
Pursuant to this authority, for no other seems
20 have been relied upon, the vice. president
| ultimately came TO be, practically, the Board
Of Public Works, and exercised the powers OF
the board almost as absolutely a. though no one
else had been associated with him.
During considerable portion of the succeed
| ing time, Notwithstanding the most extensive
| operations we're being carried on, and expendi-
lures were being made by the millions, there
we're no stated times for board meetings, and
but comparatively few board meetings were in
fact held, but entries were made in the record
| purportipg 10 contain the proceedlngs of the
| BOARD, which were, in fact, made mp by the
Secretary from letters and papers that came TO
| he office, and from directions made by the
| Sice- president. Some of these were entries
| made Of business transacted by the vice pTesi-
| dent at his private office, and afterwards placed
on the records as having been business trans
| cd by the board.
These minutes were rarely, If ever, read and
| lpprovef. As an illustration OF the M amer In
| which this business was transacted, reference
| is made to the testimony of Charles 5. John
son, assistant secretary, Opp. 23l9-232s, inclu-
| siye.)
THE TRRAsURRR's DEPARTMENT..
The treasurer was made the sole custOd an of
| all the moneys received and securities sued,
and the sole disbursing officer OF the same with
out any check upon him whatsoever. He cOu q
| draw his checks upon the public moneys in
| favor OF whomsoever and for any amount he
| chose, and ON any account he might think
proper, without any other member of the board
| or officer thereof having any knowledge of it
| whatever. He has kept ne cash account. and
the checks he has issued do not correspond with
the several amounts reported by him TO have
/ been paid; go that there is, as he comedies, no
means of sscertaining whether his accounts are
/ correct, other than by examining his books and
/ papers in detail, which would have required
more time than the committee could devote TO
| it. besides requiring the services OF a skillfui
| accountant. From the organization of this
4 board, June, 1871, 70 this time. the board has
i not examined these accounts.
AUDITORS OFFICE.
The mode OF doing business in this Office was
as follows: Upon the presentation 10 the auditor
Of an account, or estimate purporting TO be APP
| proved by the Board Of Public Works, the audi