The Morning herald., 1876-08-26

the amount of 81, while none of the bills
rendered by Mr.. Davis, and approved "
for doing the same work
showed that he charged over $3.50, as no
deemed It plenty for such work, and Il it
could be done for that by Mr.. Davis, tir.
Simmons made exactly $3 SO.
In bill rendered, July 9th, 1876, BY %r.
Davis, there were four items of digg.s.g
at $500 each. To show that 7Ir.
is not partial to his friends, as
is claimed, he approved the bills after re-
duction of $6 rs overcbarres upon bis price
for digging crossings haG l,een made.
The writer then speaks of large amounts
being paid unlawfully for the cleaning of
sewers. The amount expended for cleaning
out sewers has run up to such high figure
because they were 80 much damaged by rain
that they had to be worked in quickly,an q
large force Of men had to be employed. It
was ordered by Council to he done imme.
diately, in answer to petition from large
number of citizens. As an instance, we cite
the sewer on Fourth street between Madison
and Monroe, which, had 1t not been at
tended to at once, would have washed the
whole of Fourth street out, and c&dsed 4
ditch that it would have cost thousands to
repair.
In the same paragraph 1t is said that If
this work had been let out by contract at
one-third less thaa 1t cost to clean them,
the saving would have been considerable.
Now where were the contractors to come
froms In several instances the force of
workmen that Mr.. McMensmin had on re-
fused to work IN such filth, and he was
compelled to ghira another force of men to
txhe 4hsiFpiaces for the time that the work
was being done.
In another paragraph 1t Is stated that
work has been let out BY mere agreement
to private parties, without any advertising
for proposals, and without written con-
tract approved by the committee
SOMETHING OF CONTRACTS.
The writer is informed that contracts Uro
never approved by the COMMITTEES. They
are signed BY the contractor and the Mayor.
The Committee only makes report award
ing the contract.
It is said in the same paper that during
the months of February, March, April,
May, June and July, no paving was done
by the city but the work was given to Da-
Wis. He knows not whereof he speaks, as
in these months Delaware avenue was
paved from Clayton street to the depot,
and the contract awarded to James Murray
while Mr.. Davis was bidder for the same
work.
The writer then speaks of the opening,
grading and curbing of streets to keep Mr..
Davis employed, and alludes to the opening
OF Fourth street from Broome to Rodney,
and Jackson street between Eighth and
Ninth. It was work ordered and there Is
authority for itr left unfinished by the for
ner committee. In the same paragraph 1t Is
Ah1 nf
streets never was petitioned for and cites 1t
as instance of the reckless irregularity and
the useless expenditure of money of which
the Street Committee has been guilty. The
writer has been very hasty. A reference to
the books Of the Clerk of City Council
shows, that the petition for this work was
granted September 2, 1875, for grading and
paving. And the petition asked for the
grading and paving of Fourth street from
sBroome street to Union street, which is
even further than Mr.. McMenamin went.
In the same paragraph, the writer speaks
of the large quantities of bricks being
ordered by the city, and allowed to stand on
the streets to be broken up or stolen. We
will speak particularly ofthe case the paper
speaks of as over Third street bridge, as 1t
will cover both cases.
Mr.. Coylc, then the Street Commissioner,
had ordered large quantity OF bricks from
the Wilmington Steam Brick Company,
| Mr.. McMenamin had also ordered bricks
| from Coke & Allen for the same work. As
soon as the Chairman found It out he order
ed Mr.. Ceyle to cancel his order for bricks,
about Is, 900 Of them, and the bricks at that
time were not delivered. Mr.. Springer, the
! Assistant Street Commissioner, took the
order 10 Mr.. WIN. B. Cole, Superintendent
of the Steam Brick Works, and read 1t to
him in the presence of witnesses. Mr.. Cole
refused to recognize the order and COM
| menced sending bricks and had
them dumped in the street, and Coke 81
Aliens bricks were also brought there.
The bill was presented, and Mr.. McMena-
min cut the amount for the Steam COM
pany's bricks of; and so reported 1t to
Council. At the request of Mr.. Candy It
was recommitted to the committee and
after the bill came back to Council, Mr..
McMenamin went to see Mr.. George W..
Bush, the President of the Company, and
he acknowledged that Mr.. Cole did receive
the order, and he (Mr. Bush) agreed to
remove the bricks to another street where
paving was being done, and to make all
losses for breaking, stealing and otherwise,
good.
This does not look a great deal like .
reckless expenditures Of money for bricsss
HOW MR.. McMENAMrN PAID HrMsHLF.
Iu the same paragraph It is stated, that
Thousands of dollars have been paid to other
parties, among these It mentions money
being paid to Mr.. McMcnanin, himself
Ailusion is made by the writer to sir.
Nc Menamin having pad himself money
It happened as follows: one of the contract
ors, H. A. Meredith, who furnishes single
teams, failed to put in his bill on time, and
BY rule of Council the amount would have
had to 20 over to the next month. This
Mr.. Meredith could hardly afford, having
immediate use for his money, and Mr.. Nc
Menamin appreciating his position, drew up
a check for the full amount of the bill
$247.5O, and received an order from Mr..