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

was couhsed IN anything eise except that Wfiel
Virginia sfeaue crosses7 4. That Is 1t.
q. But evcti taking the limits 80 now ascel
tanned TO be, there was mistake In Mr.. Bal
ney's which you have explained; there was
mistake In Mr.. Philips, and there was 8 mis-
take In Mr.. ForsythfS A. Yes, sir
9. Each had q mistakei A. Yea, str.
Y. Have you examined that measurement b
X. fnillips and Mr.. Forsyth to see whetbe
there was any explanation Of that5 A. Tn
principal thing was not measured ct al. Il
that Government account
Q. do not mean any explssation. Had yoS
made an examination Of the ground since this
A. Oh, yes.
@. Can VOC make any expiaat,on of IN,
contract; for instance, of Hulse's, made BY M
Forsyth He made estimates for II In which
there was an over measurement Of sixteen
hundred and odd dollarsi A. This, In con
sideration of the whole concern, Il o small
matter, and look only at big discrepancies
and the big discrepancy Is in the measurement
Of that fill. That has never been measured or
paid for by the board. It came in from Other
streets.
Q. How did that discrepancy arisei A. Mr
Blinkensderfer got the cross section for IL but
the cross-section had been taken by our en-
gfncer, but never worked out because it was
not paid. The cross sections are only worked
ous and calculated, If final voucher Is asked
for.
Q. Tho contractors are paid. Each con-
tractor along there according to his measure
ment with the vouchers in have been over
paid! A. This is out on the Boundry, be-
lieve.
Q. Taking the whole thing, from Potomac
river to Boundary, and taking the vouchers
already in, every contractor has been oyerpaid
more or less. Murray was overpgid g., 900,
more largely than ali the others, but they were
all overpaid. Now, without any final vouch-
ers coming in, they have been oyerpaid to this
time; did you certify to that bill OF FersYth's
that Hulse brought In? A. No, sir; IL was
before my time.
Q. And Phillips was before your time7 A.
Yes, sir. I went with Mr.. Blickensderfer, al
his request, to Boundary street, and saw the
work there, and saw that the evidence which
Mr.. Forsyth had put down for about 8 500
yards of grading which he requested me To
help him see. could not see it.
Q. Then you have no way of accounting foI
that detciencyl A. Carelessness.
Q. No way further than you have made as
to the mistake where they crossed the avenue
In the certificates made by Barney you cannot
make any further explanation of IL than the
statement made by Mr.. Blickensderferl A.
No, sir.
BY Mr.. Wilson: Q. intended to have asked
you something about Pennsylvania avenue and
New York avenue. Have you ever made any
examination to see whether there was any
oyercharge to the Government on account Of
these avenuesl A. have not been able to do
that In this short time, though, in order to en-
tighten the committee a little bit on this mud
died question of assessments, l thought 1could
do better service by combining myself TO one
point of these three or four which you laid be-
fore me. / have here, since Saturday night,
an assessment sheet of the property from
PENNSYLVANIA avenue east from First to Sew
enth street. viii first read to you this paper,
then 1 can afterwsrd explain TO you more
knowingly. The Governors answer, on pages
Al and AS, from First to Fourth and from
Sixth to Seventh streets, shows number OF
payments. In regard to this, would like to
call attention to palpable arithmetical error
which goes through all the Government assess
ments. Allow me to illustrate. There Is, for
instance, an avenue costing $4,000. Oh
course under the principle adopted the Govern
ment pays two thirds of that; that is to say,
two thirds of s12O, 900, which would be $780,
900. Now, the Government measurers went
to work. They say chargeable and due, $780,
900; received on account, say 1900; deduct
100000 from S120, 0G0, leaves $50, 1000; two
thirds of $50 900 makes 1000. Now, you sec
they have levied upon the Government for $780,
900 and so, 900 instead Of for $50, 600. If you
will allow me totake up one of these cases II
goes all the way through. Here is Penrsyl-
vania avenue, 1t cost 1891 900. That Is at page
A.
BY llr. Mattingly: Q. Do you not know that
that includes Pennsylvania avenue also, from
Fifteenth street to Rock Creekl A. am very
we'll aware of that. Take page S91, he pre-
tends to charge the Government two-thirds Of
that. Two-thirds of 1891 900 would be, in q
round sum, $3.50, 900. But what does he levy
here? He leyies S146, 743, and then again he has
received on account before, s171 ,746 in full.
By Mfr. Bass: Q. You thought that one,
third should be taken out before deduction
A. Yes, sir.
O. The committee have looked at this. SCI
If this is not the solution of it. If you will
look on that appropriation Of June 10, 1872
Do you not find that the work which is deduct
ed should be entirely paid for by the unitet
States and not simply two-thirds of it. If thu
truth Is that the work at Lafayette square
say, is deducted, (see page AID and at tn
Treasury and War Departments, $4,000, a
Twenty-irst street west, $40, O0o, and so OH
II appears in fact shat the Government ough
to paw all and not merely two-thirds OF that
the deduction is properly made. a. Then tn
deduction is properly made.
O. The committee have had that in exami
nationl A have not examined this part
IL. I have only examined this part Of tn
voucher which relates to east Pennsylvania
avenue.
Mr.. Stewart. want your idea of making al
assessment where the Government own on on
side and private property on the other; sup
pose there was $4,000 worth Of work done
the Government owning ono side and prtvat
property the other.
A, SUPPOSE it was SIS, OOO... The Govern
ment pays two thirds, making $4,000. Tn
private property on one side pays 81, 900 an
then on the other side the Government pay
s., 900.
q. The Government would pay of that SIS,
600 and the private property s3y0oN A. Yes
sir.
O. Is that the way It is aguredl A. That il
their theory, sir. have reduced the follow
| ing to writing:
Thirtesnth Query Such papers and document
| as may be necessary to show the amount PAID D
the United States on account OF PennsyIysnii
avenue, and the amount properly chargeaole I
the United States.
This question, am sorry, could not De ansWere
In direct way An explanation y nscsss ais fl
work on avenues has been to substitute 1t tor Tn
| District government, and therefore, aside
special work on or around Government roSet ~
Government has paid so far
From First to Fourth street, and from
Sixth to Seventh street slol,ooo
| For reservation between Fourth and
| Sixth streets, including $aISo for
] posts and chains H'Oo
f Streets Ss'"''H Z " 1ss.sss
For worS between Seventh and Eighth
| streets = @4'o''
Appropriateness FIrsssO Eighth ,,,o,,
| street. 1LsSI-
However, this is considered an open sceoun
for the assessment, page 157. report oil lSi'
'1 Pe51syIyanis avenue from First to ssvsnt
charge the United states sl9S.4S3
Charge general fund "'6l
Total, Including. the -rsserva- .-,,.,
Add, ia posts and chains on ressrva-
lions, not Includedd In assessment
sheet, @IS
and ssyent6 streets, 2Te,sl5
Assistant Engineef Oertly, notice on PAT
1873 Of testimony before this committees, las MAJ
M another computation for Pennsylvania aV
nua, between First and Seventh streets. 81
sums up, against the United states, szsAoS--s
instead OF Mr.. Egrsyth's S2T9, $3.50
| In considerations these conflicting 3tateme nl
neither of which IT, backed up oy clear and cor
prehenslye statement Of actual measurement
. detail had an asssssm emit map prepares, a. 20
| as the very limited time admitted RUS Is ~
On such lndisputable facts have oaSed esse;
ment-sheets, asnear as possible, aoeoruins " y
maxims prevailing lately. Those saeets srs al
The process OF computation haSnssn ysrE sl
~. C.oxsr,ms,t IA charged in full for ths:woi