National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-03-10
DISTRICT IKVEsiTaArIoN.

l Without COucIuul1H the evidence, the trial was
/ continued until to-day.
DISTRICT INVESTIGATION.
Tie Labor League on Hsua-why Contractors
Did Not Pay Thsir Handr.
The House Committee on the District Of C5lun-
bia continued their Investigation yesterday into
the affairs Of this District and board OF audit.
The members OF the committee had scarcely
arrived in the room and prepared themselve to
proceed with the examination before John Pope
Hodnett, the busiest man In town, claiming to be
the representative of the coIored lsbore-s who
had been in the employ of certain contractors,
and charge that they have received no pay for
their services, put 10 an appearance, backed by a
score Of Witnesses and asked permission TO state
the grievances OF those he represented.
HoDSErT's LABOR LEAGUE.
The committee consented, and a wsll-kaown
corporation contractor under the old city govern
ment, named Cornelius Clark, (coIored,) was
sworn. He testified that he had taken from
Mayor Bowen a contract 10 behalf of the laboring
men Of the First ward; He employed about nifty
men, and die work to the extent Of about 5000.
The conditions ofthe arrangement were expl aimed.
The mOrey paid on the work was dfvded pro rata
among the men employed on It. Had they re-
ceiTeI all their money they would have made we'll
out of tie job. This was a written CONTRACT and
the price was Is cents for grading II cents for
grayelng. 1 ness "a received the same as the
rest There is still due the sum of q $40 on that
work. The contract had been recognized by the
Boaro OF nuo l: WORKS, and the lsboriog men
haG bsen allowed to resume work after the change
Of government was made. Auditor Richards had
passed III on this account, hut Il was not ,I-ri n
special act Fes passed hv The Legislative Assem-
bly, authorizing the Payment OF this account
Governor Shepherd had referred the matter to
BE attorney Mr. Cook, since which time witness
hkd
LOST TRACE OF THE MATTER.
Re had been told that the account was now in the
Esrds Of an attorney in this CITY, who pretends to
have purchased It from one Henry Himber.
Ta1 lad fhof har
contractor under the late Board of Public
Works, and under the District Commissioners.
Here Is an ACCOUNT Of seSs4ui P bSpdfsS doiIsrs
rendered by laboring men claiming to hare
worked for you, which they say has not been
Witness. don't owe a dollar to any man for
labor under the Board Of Public Works nor the
District Commissioners.
Mr.. Buckner. That's enough.
Mr.. Men. continued, saying, "that man Hold
nett ought to be brought before the committee,
city between the colOred men and their employers
than enough. 1t is a shame"-
The chairman here cautioned the witness to be
more guarded in his language, and he closed his
statement.
EIGHT THOUSAND YARDS OF PAVING FOR DRINK
AND SMOKE.
Joshua King, colored, testified that he had
worked for Charles Stewart, on street, in 1874.
He put down about 5000 yards of paving, at 20
cents per yard, amounting to 81 500 or there
a5outs. The work had been measured and he had
NEVER TtCSlEtu Out q glass oil ale and a
cigar; Finley & Stewart were the contractors,
and he (vitness) was sub contracto He had
given bis claim to Hodnett. Witness did not
know whether there was anything due Stewart
or not from the District government Witness
did the work himself assisted BY Eli Kearney
Neither OF them had been paid.
Mr.. BueE..:sS. What is the reason these -sieeu
wefe tot paid?
Mr.. Hodnett. That is a question for the Dis
trict Commissioners to answer.
Auditor T6yler explained that so far as he re
collected there was found to be nothing due Stew
art. He explained that there was $4,000 appro-
priated BY Congress to pay of the laboring men,
which had been paid by the Commissioners,
Mr.. Hodnett replied that the money thus re-
ee!ved had not been paid out according TO the law
Solomon Hunter, cOlored, testified that he had
done work under Charley Stewart for sixty
was due him Ss5.75, Which he COULDN'T get. He
had presented his claim TO General Ketcham,
who had sent it to the board of audit. They
said there was nothing due Stewart.
Robert James, colored, testified that he had
worked for Billy Adams on sewer work near the
Eastern Branch. He bad got small order on a
grocery store; this is all be had got: There is
$50 due him now. Other amounts are due other
men.
SAM sTRoNG's MEN NOT PAID.
George Walker, colored, testified that Sam.
Strong, contractor, owes him S23 so for day
labor. Strong says he i'd no money coming to
him. Don't know whether Strong has bssn paid
or not. Strong gave me this order, (sho wing it,
the old Board of Public Works. Alter wards
presented it 10 the District Commissioners who
said they did not owe Strong anything.
Jacob Darlington, colored, testified that he
worked for MIR. Chase, superintendent of sewers,
who owes him s2:6.5 so for work done for the Board
OF Public Works. Don't know why his claim has
not been allowed; SlSl.25 has been paid by the
District Commissioners. Don't know why the
rest has not been Paid.
Mr.. Hodnett interrupted at this point and said
that il was the practice Of the psymasters Of the
Board Of Public Works. when an ignorant Irish
man or colored man came in for his pay, they
would give him about one half that was on the
rolls and then push him out, and that the labor
eIs mad no redress. He aad his detectives caught
VIM. Butcher, colored, testified that the Board
of Public Works owed him s9T, on which $50 had
been allowed; worked under Chase, but could
eers. ~ ''-, WIZ '''''-'' " ~
HoDNETT RISES TO EXPLAIN.
| Mr.. HOtnett, who had been silent ten minutes,
| again arose and proceeded to explain matters TO
He said that the District Commissioners told
| him that they were not responibie to any one
tSsr Ino nov ne wants OHngress 20 nSia
| that he was employed as counsel Tor the working
| men Of the District. He had claims amounting
| SIS COO. The press of the District had charged
that he had swndled the laborsrs, but he asserted
f6l IN M S T b I've years ne 9ad made 6qs
| the Union Labor League of the United States of
America He had power of attorney from each
| laborer. He had mass meetings of five or six
| thousand mento protest against this matter. He
only could receive ten per cent. of the claims for
| his services; The people in this city would un-
| oerstand this matter.
| SETTLING THESE CLAIMS.
Gen. Birney, assistant District attorney, ex
planned TO the committee the difficulty 10 settling
| these claims OF workingmen account of the
many orders that had been issued by contractors,
Il many Of whom ware in the hands of the shop
| Keepers. False PRESERVATION often occurred and
/ false pay rolls were made out and to-day there
are two men in the psnitentiary for making out
l the same.
I At this point a further examination of the
\ laborers was postponed.
THE EXPERT RECALLED.
Mr.. John Morris was recalled and examined in
relation TO the eXamin alton made by him Of the
accounts OF Contractor J. w. Vandenburg.
| The witness submitted the following as the re-
| "YoUcHER II,0e2-J. V. W. Vandenburgh:
Paid February 2s lsT5-63. 245 car loads of earth
deposited IN the canal, Is cents per ca6ic yard,
loads to the yard, s., l62.3O. The bill for this
Il work and schedule Of number Of loads hauled
bear date 1873 It should, therefore, have been
Il ruled out as coming within the time when the in
| creased price Of hsulwas paid.
| "NoUcHERs Il, 573 to 81 V. W. Yandenburgh:
/, Pale June 10 ard Il, 1876;
| Allowance On S552s9l 10 certifi-
Gates auditor B. p. W. paid
| in per cent. special Improve
ment certihcates, :.......... .s1OssS 81
| Interest at Per cent. to Au-
| gust !, lsIs.................... 102o 81
/ Allowance on 9S25. 50 certih.
Gates auditor b. p. w. paid
4 In sewer certi6cates and s5-
$40 IS paid in board Of audit
certifca.es-.....:..:.:...:... u ses %
| Interest at 0 per cent. TO Au-
4 gust l, 1ss4................... s3s27
- 400 20
s1s7al 81
'This is claim based on the difference between
| special Improvement certificates and sewer GER
theates Of the Board Of PUBLIC works, certificates