New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-04-08

ing the relations of that corporation 10 oho D'
Public Works This Company has about 10 mics VI
track IN this city and Georgetown anu wac
organized under a charter granted By Congress
which requires il to keep the space be-
tween its rails. and for two feet on oacn
side, well paved and in repair If this Is 70
construed as to require the Company to pave the
portion of the street which it uses in the same man
ner as the remainder of the street. the cost 10 ,ho
Company would be about $4,000 mile, an expense
which Mr. Thompson said no street railway couiu
possibly paw The question whether the law means
that the Board of Public Works or the railroad COM
pany shall decide;what pavement to put uo"n !"
now before the courts of the District. Meahwniie
the Board has collected onethird the cost OF pa's
between the rails of this Company from the PROV
erty holders. and tSo-thirds has been paid out oi
the general fund. ,,
Another witness examined this morning was MT
Riley an sasessor in the eastern part oil inc Guy
and he was questioned to show the gross lnJuS.ioo
and inequality of the sewer tax levied by the iiiS'
Legislature. He showed from his books that shelo
were in his district % squares when, assessor "0
their highest cash value worth only one cents
SQUARE foot and that there were more than dozeh
more that were valued at only two cents square
foot All Of this property is taxed by the law re-
ferred to above, to pay for main sewers, two Genus
a foot or from 100 to 200 per cent OF
its yane But even this incredible as it may seem,
is not the full extent Of the outrage. This land oil
lies to the southeast of a ridge which divides IL
from the section of tho city drained by tho sewer
it is taxed to build so that it would be physically
impossble TO get the water from it into that sewer
IL is doubtful if there is record another case Oh
such outrageously oppressive taxation. VIM "A.
Cook attorney of the District and of the Board oi
Public Works, and VIGOROUSLY the INSTRUMENT
of the latter in preparing the Dill unuoi
authority Of which this outrage was per
petrated for the purpose OIL saving N
Board from bankruptcy, was recalled Dut peyonu
an admission that he had consultations with the
Governor and members of the Board, sklltuy
evaded giving the Committee any information
whatever. The present investigation, as IL au-
yances exposes frauds of two kinds-overcharges
against the citizens of the District and against tue
United States Government. striking case OF Inc
latter was shown this afternoon by the testimony oi
a Mr.. Fletcher. This gentleman took the contract
from the Board of Public Works to lay the tagging
opposite the Botanical Gardens on lhrd-st'
and Penusylvania-ave As the Board was cut
ting down the streets around the Interior ana
Post Office Departments, the Tagging around
those buildings which belonged to the United States,
and was of excellent quality, had to be removed
These stones were taken to the Botanical Gardens
and there delivered to Mr. Fletcher, who relaid
1900 feet of them on Third-st., between Pennsyl-
vania and Mssouri-aves. The contractor was to re-
ceive for dressing and laying the stones, "a cents
foot not one cent of which, according TO lis
testimony, has the Board paid to this day.
But the Botanical Gardens are Government
property, and this work was therefore, charged
to the United States By referring to the answer OF
Gov. Shepherd, filed with the Committee at the
opening Of this investigation. pages 45 and 49, IL
will be seen that in August and September 1873, the
United States paid for 1864 feet of this same
tagging as though it new, at the rate OF II 70
a foot. The reason the whole 1900 feet
was not paid for at that time that the work
was not then completed. Here, then, it is proved
that the Board of Public Works took the property
of the United States, moved it few squares, reset
it, and then charged the United States for IT, Just as
though it had been material furnished by the
Board. What makes the case worse Is that although
the Board collected 81 % foot for this work,
in cash. from the United States six months ago, it
has not yet paid the contractor the "a cents due him.
and which was the only item Of expense except the
cost of hauling, that the Board had to pay.
Mr. Bridget who was the only other important
witnesson the stand to-day testified that he had sub
contracted to do large amount of sodding in tho
W,
yard the Board paid so cents square yard for the
work; this work was not done according to the
specifications of the Board but the work was &C
cepted and paid for by the Board.
An examination of the check-book of Gen. Strong,
the forgetful contractor, who testified before the
District Investigating Committee last week. showed
that he had made check on Nov. p, 1872 payable
to Theo b. Same, Gen. Babcock's assistant engineer.
To relieve himself of suspicion, Mr.. Same has sent
to the Committee copy of letter of the same date,
which, while it exonerates him, does not help
Strong 1t is as follows:
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Nov. Is, 1871
MI DEAR STRONG: The favor did you last week COST
me nothing, and II my duty to do what did. l
certainly did not intend TO charge for IT, and little re-
lection will convince you that 1t would be- highly i'm
proper for me to accept compensation for the same
Therefore return the check with the assurance that
thoroughly appreciate the feelings that prompted you
TO send it, and remain ever, yours truly,
To Samuel Strong, esq. THEODORE H. SAho.
Icerfy that the is correct copy OF the letter
sent TO Samuel Strong that the check Of $50 was n
closed therein. r. A. ED"ARDs'
GENERAL PRRsssDrsPATcHI
The following telegram was received at the Indian
Office to-day: -
CHEYENNE, Wyoming, April 9, 1874
The Hon. f. p. SMITH. Commissioner:
find unfriendly newspaper dispatches about the Dis
trict Investigation. VIII my going West as Commits
sioner in any way embarrass youi cannot learn the
nature Of the testimony, but can state trhfuly
any transactions Of mine that honest should be
ashamed Of F. ii. SMITH.