, 1875-10-10
DISTRICT JOBS.
HOW MILWAUKEE MAN GOT 4 conrRAcy-A MYs-
IERIpUs E6Q, Coo


to finish contracts which the old Board Q
Public Works had begun. The language Of tn
law is almost as vague and indefinite "a tha,
The Commissioners seem to have bean IS abso
lutte in their methods OF construction OF law q
they are autocratic and absolute in their admin
istration of this District. All persons who hs.
any knowledge Of the tedious District lnvesti
cations, and of the purpose Of the ligislstio,
creating this Board Of Commissioners, vii
admit that Congress only intended that tn
contracts to be completed should not emb1ac,
comprehensive stse eei improvements, bbt should
| only 80 to finishing such necessary work a. Was
essentiI for the health Of the CITY and the safety
! OF pubic travel Congress certainly did not In
| -eod that the Commissioners should take
bunghole aud make barrel to it, hnt they have
| been constantly doing this The street improve
rnents which they have been making this summer
are almost as comprehensive but not quite &C
| destructive, as we're those OF the late Board OF
| Public Works. Streets which were laid less
than two ysars ago With costly wood-pavemets
| are being torn mp. and reaid with other wood
] rayementa or With concrete. One firm alone il
doing work to the amount OF $4,000 n day.
Sewers are building, bridges are built and new
| roads laid out and constructed in tho remotest
! suburbs. There Was an unfinished contract for
! d certain alley. The contract has, been ex-
! tended 50 as to embrace tue curbing and filling
! OF an entire avenue.
|
| The pavements which ware laid two
years ago, with guarantee on the part OF
| the contractors that they should be kept in
] good repair for three years, are now being torn
| up IS worthless, while no attempts are making
to compel the contractors to fulfill their guaran-
tees The reason That this is not done is simple
| enough. The guarantees are worthless. The
| District Government never fulfilled any Of the
conditions Of its contracts, and, the lawyers say
cannot, therefore, now claim to bold the
+h4x%
The contracts between the contract.
ora and the old District Government
called for payments every thirty days in cash
for the work done. The payments we're not
made in cash every thirty days: thsy we're not
made in cash at all, but iu deprecated District
securities OF ali sorts, some OF which were al
oyet-sssue, aud most OF which we're not paid un~
I'll long after the work had been completed, and
many OF the contractors lad been ruined.
The 1aches Of the District Government
itself, and tho corrupt and reckless prodi-
Rality which characterized the adninistra-
tionof the Board OF Public Works, bare not
only ioat to the city the profits Of q considerable
portion Of its fne scheme Of improvements, but
have also rendered worthless its guarantees for
good work
JONATHAN TAILOR, OF MILWAUKEE, GETS con-
TDACT
Mr.. Jonathan Taylor, formerly member OF
the Common Council Of Milwaukee, and late-
y prominent contractor in this Dis
new method OF adjusting accounts with part
ner aud to what seems to be cnr1ous
operation Of the District Commission
ers- Mr. Taylor WAS member OF the firm
OF Flbert & Taylor, which, under the old dynas>
ty, did q great amount OF street-pREing here.
Dr. Fnbert. Taylor's partner, obtained a1l the
contracts in his OWL name as be Wna on more
intimate relations with the persons who had the
authority to award contracts. It Vas not possi-
ble for TAYLOR to obtain any money. except the
vouchers we're signed by FIbert: and, since the
old Government ia dead and general adjust
ment Of affairs has been begun, Taylor claims to
have been injured By his partner. He, accord
inglT, employed alaw-frm, one Of whose members
was prominently connected in Oongress with the
District Investigation, TO bring Buit against his
late partner Dr. Filbert, for the sum Of $780, U00.
This amount Taylor claims to be due him from
EilbeTt on account Of partnership transactions.
claims, that ali but S50000 of this difference has
been accounted for, aud that Taylor knows very
well himself that that $50 900 Was expended
in the interests OF the copartnership, aud
for purposes which he well understood Taylor
rejoins that he knows nothing OF the sort and
calls upon DR.. Fberr to make explanation OF
tho disposition OF that Loo. Those who
ought to snow great deaI about District a.
fairs say that the cat in the meal-tub lies just
there that Taylor does know well what became
f. s aa u s fsst f'of' 81 shs
both he and Dr. Fitbert nre cogntzsnt.
with respect to that sum, would be very uncom-
Portable for certain parties supposed to have
powerful influence over the present Commits
to tell what became Of that $4,000, and Taylor
is not understood privately to charge thas Fill
bert has appropriated it to himself.
What became Of it? The most strenuous ef-
forts are making to prevent any body from learn
ing that fact Mr. Taylor would have been glad to
have obtained = valuable contract from the new
Commissioners. Prior to the beginning OF this
suit against Dr.. Filbert, TAYLOR Was not able to
20 40; but, since the suit @as begun, he has had
concrete Of High street, in Georgetown. This
contract is large one and il the District
bonds, in which the Commissioners pay for work,
could be sold at par. instead OF at Is per cent or
less. experts say that the profits OF paving High
street. Georgetown, with concrete, would range
from $4,000 to $50, QUO.
This sum has marvellous similarity to the
amount which 31r. Taylor seeks to recover
from DR.. Filbert. Meauwhi'e. it is as-
serted that Mr. Taylor, in consideration Of re-
ceiving this contract has agreed to discontinue
further proceedings against Dr.. Filbert. and to
still leave the world III mystery as to the dis
position Of SO large an amount Of money by the
old partnership OF Taylor 4 Flbert. Taylor, at
all events has had the contract awarded
him, and some Of the witnesses who we're
relied upon to make siroug case against Dr..
Filberr have been informed that their services
will not be needed Taylor's machinery tor
paving High street is all ready, aud he himself
is IN New Yo:k making arrangements to COM
mence the work The pending difficulty be-
tween the Commissioners and the members OF
the Board Of Audit. as to the character OF i'm
prosements to be performed; and IS to the |
authority Of the Commissioners to undertake
them, has served temporarily to check Mr. |
Taylor in his operations.
NOTES AND NEWS.
IGNORES Ham. |