Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-06-22

tracts, payable in $65 bonds, as appears by
the engineers report, November 80, ISIS, In
sos % Making the ,e COST OF All Of SAID
lbs contracts, inclusive OF said repair work,
| S5,oS2 357 81
In connection with this subject of the ex-
| cess of the actual amount of SOS bonds over
I the amount which the joint committee OF
| 1s74 estimated upon the Information before
them as the probable amount which would
| be funded in those bonds, it is farther 10 he
remarked that, after the enactment of June
20, 1874, and at the next sess sion OF Congress,
| the Jurisdiction of the board OF audit was In
creas ed as respects damages to real estate
| by reason Of the improvements made by the
board of public works; and as respects also
| the claim of one Bowen for WORK under con-
tract with the board of health.
The funded debt on June 1, lSl6,
Ard the 5 Is bonded debt amount. '''''
TO-. To- - ,250 90
s22I5s,IIs g
There are outstanding unconverted certifi.
Gates of the board OF audit and measure
ments in the engine RS Office not certified
| u amounting to SLIT ,O09.i2, and represent
ing floating Indebtedness which is more
than Offset by the excess OF special assess
mems, made and To be made, amounting to
sl,GO9,S.LI4 lsee Commissioners report,
| 1873, p. 252 over and above the eight
| per cent certificates for which they are
| pledged, and which excess Congress direct
shall be applied 10 the reduction OF the Dis
IL is the judgment OF this committee that
| neither the commissioners Dor the engineer
| can be held responsible because the work
| needful to finish the contracts OF the board
| of public works required larger expendi-
| ture than the estimate furnished by the late
governor, and guardedly mentioned in the
report of the committee of 1874. The resolu.
tion OF the House also directs the committee
| to inquire whether the Commissioners have
| enlarged and extended said contracts and
caused larger amour Is OF work and labor to
| be done than was contemplated by the act
OF June 20, 1874. This question is presented
| with reference to notifications or extern
| sions OF contracts or substitution OF an
| equivalent or less amount OF work in place
| of that originally called for by the letter OF
| the contracts; such changes, whether by
| modification, dfminution. enlargement, or
substitution, being in practice Invariably
called extensions, and such modification,
enlargement or substitution having been
made with view to the accomplishment
OF work rendered necessary in the prosecu-
ton OF the original contract or by the per-
Torrance OF other contracts or by the
condition IN which the streets were left
same question arises also with reference to
what are called contracts for repair work
made by the Commissioners under a section
| In contracts OF the board OF public works,
| providing "that IL within specified period
| from the completion of said contracts any
part OF the work shall become defective from
improper material or construction ana re-
| quire repair, the contractors will, on being
| notified, commence and complete the same,
or, in case of failure and neglect so to do,
of the authorities at the expense OF the con-
tractors"
The rapid deterioration of wooden pave
ments which had been laid by the late Dis
trtct authorities rendered necessary large
amount of repair work In order to preserve
and protect existing improvements" to pre-
vent highways from becoming impossible,
and TO avoid persor al injury, and damages
| 70 public and private property. This repair
work has also been well and economically
done. Experience Of this rapid deterioration
WQCl6n movements. lQFaf
| difficulty of travelling over them, to-
| gether with sanitary considerations, re-
quiTed the substitution OF concrete for
wooden pavements, as well In relayipg
| pavements by way of necessary repair as in
| The further performance of unfinished con-
tracts Congress p as. made Emo no "a sppr2pristion OF
| OF the appropriation laws of that session, to
| defray the cost OF any OF the above named
work. Section 1 OF the act of June 20, 1874, is
| specific as 10 the application by the Com
missioners Of the revenue from tax alton for
| the ensuing fiscal year, and authorized no
| portion OF 1t TO be used in pay ment OF the
| unfunded or floating debt, or for improve
| msnts in performance OF unfinished con-
| tracts OF the board of public works. Tae
| only means MADE available for this purpose
by the act OF June 20, 1874, were 3 to bonds, to
| be issued by the sinking fund comm ssioners
1 GA the certificates OF the board OF audit after
| ANIMATION and allowance by the latter
| toard, OF claims To be created after June 90
1874, arising out of contracts, written or oral,
| made by the board OF public works.
The committee have no doubt that in the
eose Of pc rformance OF contracts of the late
| beard Of public works, which had not been
| completely executed at the time of the pas
| sage Of the act OF June 20, 1874, the law re-
| quired that the cost should be betrayed by
| the settlement Of claims hereunder by the
| board of audit, and the issuing OF certificates
1 OF that board convertible into 365 bonds.
| Whether the same mode of settlement was
necessary or proper In respect to work done
| under necessary notifications and extern
| slons OF said contracts, or la respect TO the
| repair work above mentioned, involves the
determination OF question OF construction
| Of the law upon which 1t is not deemed ne
| cessary for this committee to come to a de-
| termination, because there is no evidence
| before us creating suspicion as to the good
| faith with which the Commissioners, under
1 tie advice OF counsel and the First and Sec
| ond Comptrollers OF the Treasury, compos-
| ing the board OF audit, adopted their con-
| struction, or the good faith with which they
| carried IL out In the judgment OF the
committee the 3.65 bonds issued under
| authority Of the act of Congress OF June %,
| lS74, and now outstanding, are legal obliga-
! lions, and the faith OF the United States.
which, by that enactment, was pledged to
lions end taxation for the pay ment OF the
| pl1ncipal and interest of the same should be
Kept inviolate. By an act OF Congress ap
| these bonds is made pay able at the Treasury
| OF the United States. In the opinion OF this
| committee there should be immediate legis-
| lation to permanently prevent delay or
| default IN the payment of that interest by
the Secretary OF the Treasury, as 1t shall
become due. IL is proper 10 add, in this
Coz lection, that all the notifications or
| extensions OF contracts by the Commits
| sioners were made on the recommendation
OF the engineer, who is especially charged
by the act OF June 20, 1874, with
tie work OF repair and improvement
| of all streets, avenues, sewers, &c, aud
| tie total cost of all the contract
| work, including all the extensions and
| notifications, the engineer reports is con-
| siderably less than would have been the csst
| Of completing the contracts according to the
| terms of the same within the limits and upon
tire streets covered by them, and In accord
| ance with the general plans of the late board
| OF public works. All future work must be
paid for in cash. No expenditures can be
| made except for what is necessary, and alb
| solutely within the cash resources of the
District government, or for what is strictly
in pursuance ef appropriations previously
made by Congress and within the limits OF
| such appropriation.
This committee early came to the conclu.
| sion that 1t was very Important to put at
| once and positively at an end the exercise of
| the power by which, however discreetly, the
authority may have hitherto been exercised
the bonded Indebtedness might In the future
be indefinitely and GENEROUSLY increased. A