National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-27

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e. y yas esllsesee - ns2v2a11, vheN,
lmals tAat. coula ~ kNo 81 : r
simply fbr Tie es11pey Il - - = and
tain c,rtain &rieS II lsxlne ID fksgp(bS
ea1oett1Osth1n - - $500
that eeefiaesway 1DaSly lafeeeM agdna
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tc.se s1fadefs Of aasent wek ~
By hspscssn..s,vd Wusoa: q: ma you I
s:IA a. sae,nass = Gen. Da6soekt 2. e
Q. DA you also return the. prices paid b,
each Of those Items Of labori 4. Yes, cir.
Q. Did yoa certify to hin that they wes
reasonable and proper chargesa A. No; he
nothing to do with the peices Of this. toll
him how We had arivod-how the board h
arrived 1t this price for the circle eurhine,
By Mr.. Harrington: 9. would AJAX 70
to explain how you came TO make thep
measurements prior TO the approval Of the bjl
making the appropriation A. wns sdyiea
to make these estimates b. General Babcock
He stated 20 mo that the appropriatinn hGll he
passed the Ho1ss-had also passed the Senate
after an amendnent. This was IN Decembes
1879. Pending this amendment Congress hal
adjourned, and Governor Shepherd wished hin
70 nave tho measufemcnte made 70 ~ 70 hav
the estimates ready when Congress reassem
bled, m the event Of their passing thu appgo
priation bill. Acting under his order, I com
menced, the 24th Of December, 1871, TO maxi
the measurements, and finished on the 10th o
Japuasy, 1874. =,
| Q. The bil having passed both Houses, an,
an amendment put In BY the Senatei A
Thew was an amendment put IN, I believe
that required n TO be concurred In before /
became law. =.
o. Dd 1 understand You to say cleafly an
distinctly that no attention was paid to tn,
estimate made In the book of 18TH A. Ineve
paid any attention to It whatever. was d
rected 70 measure the work on the ground.
Mr.. Harrington. The work had been partly
done around the difcren. reservations belong
ing to the Government. Mr.. Oertly, one of tn
engineers, made . general estimate Of what
tho United States owed the District of Colum
bia for work done around their property, and
upon the basis Of that estimate-of this state
ment, which was merely an estimate-Congresl
appropriated this amount, but provided that 4
should be measured by the superintendent
the engineer in charge Of public buildings. Ii
the measurement no attention whateyer VA
paid to this estimate.
Mr.. Stewart. Q. ID that provision In tn
actl A. Yes, sir; I think 20. 'rsT - =
The Chairman. Who made up these est
matesl A, Mr.. Oertly. s
@. This estimate that We find November Is
| 1871 A. Yes, ctr; that was mere estimate
BY Mr. Oertly, upon which the bill that passed
Congress was prodicated, but all the payments
made BY the United States to the District o.
Columbia were made under the measurement.
as made by General Babc0ck, through Colonel
| Same. IS -
Governor Shepherd. The organic act requires
that the Board of Public Works shall, on the
first day Of November, submit to the President,
to be transmitted to Congress, . report Of
their proceedings for the past year. In con,
formity with that I Instructed oar engineer In
October to make up an estimate, Is near as he
could, Of what would be done by the United
states Government around reservations 0i
Government property, to be incorporated In
the report, which was done; and which formed
basis upon which that appropriation was
made; but It was not intended Is anything but
q simple estimate. -,
The Chairpan. It was not an actual meas
GoVernef Shepherd. A mere estimate; that Is
all:
by Mr.. Harrington: 9. With the exception
OF this matter OF asphalt pavement which you
have mentioned, where you think you may
have made slight mistake, do You believe
that these measurements are correct, all your
measurements generality A. believe that the
whole is less than the actual amount done. /
have no doubt If It was remeasured there
would be mistakes discovered, and have no
doubt that there would be some work that
would be estimated more than have made It.
z. Are you willing to risk your reputation
as civil engineer upon the correctness OF, the
result of all your measurement A. On gen.
eral results, am, am confident that new
measurement would be largely In excess OF
what have made.
Y. BY whose orders did you make these
measurements A. General Babcock ordered
me TO make them.
Y. What were General Babcock's directions
to you! A. General Babcock gave me instruc-
tons from hmeto time to make these measure
menfs, and to use every care possible, TO be
sure to make no mistakes, and to have them
as correct as could possibly get them.
Q. Did Governor Shepherd ever give you IN
structionsi A. Yes, sir; be gave me no ad-
vice.
Q. What was 1T A. The same as General
Babcock had in substance.
Q. Did any contractor who was connected at
any time with the Board of Public Works ever
ask you to overestimate his work.. A. No.
Q. Or In any way ask you to favor hint A.
Never.
Or offer you any inducements to DO sos
Q. When you made these measurements did
you know the name OF the contractor who had
performed the work. A. did not, and DO not
now, excepting very few instances. do not
know as could, from my own knowledge, tell
the name Of single contractor for any psrtic-