Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-09-25
The Contractors Association.


| IMPORTANT MEETINGS LAST NIGHT AND To-
DAY.
The regular meeting of the Contractors As
| ISOLATION was held last night at their rooms on
Pennsylvania avenue; the president. Mr.. Joseph
Williams, in the chair, and Henry Himber sec
rotary: Some forty members were present.
Mr.. Thomas Lucas stated that he had de JOS
TIED his accounts with the auditor, as he could
not wait any longer for uniform action on the
part OF his colleagues; but would request of the
auditor to put them with the other claims and
let them all take the same course.
the chair stated that Mr.. Taylor (controller)
had informed him that, should the contractors
leave their accounts with him, with a request
that immediate action be had on them, that he
would do go, suspending other business for th at
purpose By this means the contractors wo1ld
tiously.
After further discussion, it was agreed 70
meet to- day at 10 O'Clock; that all should bring
in their accounts and let the secretary make a
schedule OF them to forward to the board of
audit.
Messrs. William Blake, James Fitzpatrick,
Burnside, owen and OHare were elected mem
beTs of the association.
Mr.. Finley, chairman OF the special commit.
tee to visit the New York bankers to negotiate
the securities held by the Washington c0ntrac-
tors made a verbal report stating that they had
waited upon some of the largest and most re-
spectacle houses in that city, and had met with
great courtesy and attention. They had had
several yery flatterine proposals TO take Ave
millions or upwards of the bonds and Gel df-
Gates held by them at much larger advances
and at from seven to eight per cent. interest
They found one or two places where bar 'Iers
were inclined to throw cold w9te on ou- Dis
trict securities, but the reason of this was very
apparent to them; they had been tempered with
by ceTtain Washington influence Supposed to all
improvements and taxation, yet the most eager
to make profit on the bonds and other paper
held by the contractors. On the whole the com
mittee and the association had cause to con-
grltulAte themselves on the success net with.
They will receive in aday or two several prOpo-
- fra at
he promised would be in all respects highly
gratifying to all. He was not at liberty TO put
hcly state what the details of theIr ARA nge-
ments were, but would give such in 'OrmatiOn,
where IL is necessary to be done, TO the memb .rs
The president (Mr. WilIiams) stated that some
half dozen Of the contractors had waited upon
Messrs. Taylor and BrOdhead of the auditing
commission, who had informed them that they
had not taken up any of the accounts again.
contractors; that they had never been request
"a 10 DO soj but the auditing commission were
ready TO do so II il was deemed best for The
public good. The committee informed the
commissioners that IL was important-much de-
pended on reviewing the pressure of the money
market here, caused very largely by the COZ
C'tiOn o. the accounts and securities row held
by contractors and brokers. The commission
eIs il formed them that it these accounts were
sent in they would give them immI Hate atten
ton. MIR. Williams said there appeared to be a
disposition among certain class of the kid
glOyed to throw cold water on the contractors
association. The contractors had borne the
heat and burden of the day, had invest
ed their means in the improvement OF the
District, and they have been denounced
generally by these dIones and moths as
thieves and robbers. Indeed, it had only to
be said of q man that she is q contractor" to
receive the contumely and contem OF OF these
public croskers. A ring of financial sharks
were after them, and if they do not band to
gether for mutual protection these sharks will
swallow up their hard earnings He was sorry
10 ZEE that some Of their worst enemies are
among their own ranks. He thought this a
strange state Of affairs. They should have each
others interest at heart, and not regard each
other with Jealousy. As for his part. he thought
the contractors or this city an honorable and
high-toned set Of gentleman as a class. They
are capable, and have the means OF making
this District. Let them act together as a unit,
and no combination Of memorislists or ANY
other combination can injure them.
Adjourned to meet this morning at 10 O'Clock.
THE MEETING TO DAY.
This morning, the contractors met al their
headquarters, and general discussion was held
in relation to the amount of claims now before the
auditing commission which had been passed
upon.
The chairman, Mr.. Williams, called attention
to the report in a morning paper Of their meet
ing last night, and denied that he had in his re-
marks made any allusion TO neglect in auditing
contractors claims. No such allusiOn had been
made by any one; what he did say was that h.
found that very little attention had been given
by the auditing commission to contractors &C
counts, for the reason that the contractors
had not urged Immediate action; but no
imputation was intended that there had
been any neglect on the part OF the officials
whose duty 1t was to take up these claims in
their regular order. again, he had not said
that there was a time when contractors were
thieves and robbers; what he did say was that
contractors had been looked upon as thieves
and robbers by a certain class, but that that
time had passed.
A Communication was drawn ND to present
to the Auditing Commission, stating the sggre-
gate amount of certificates OF the Board of
Public Works now on fle in that Office Is about
one million of dollars, and that there is also
nearly twice that amount in unmeasured work
ard accounts now due them on unfinished con-
tracts, many Of the latter being under suspen-
sior,