National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1877-06-23
PROTESTING TAXPAYERS.
CITIZENS OBJECT 70 CRAWFORD q
HOFFMANs POULTICE PATEMENT

An Interview with the Commissioners Yes
terday-How Their Protestations Were
Mct-The Way In which Contracts Are
Extended TO Favorites.
The indications are that the property
holders on + street northwest do not propose
to tamcly submit to the imposition upon them
Of Crawford 4 Hofman's poulticc pavement
without protesting against the Outrage and
making an effort to have u kept oil that
street. Like the procedure on l. street, the
contractors went to work ripping up the old
wood pavement in spots and were about to
patch with concrete in Others, and proposed to
get the job well under way before the resi-.
dents realized what they were about and had
time to interpose objections.
Fortunately they encountered few rcso-
lutte and determined men on J street who
would not be hoodwinked by their ma
n9uvrcs and took prompt action to ascertain
not only what they contemplated doing but
in what condition they expected TO leave the
street when they should regard it as nm
ished.
Messrs. John C. McKelden, W. W. Cox, J. l..
Blinkhorn and Asa Whitehead, as committee
representing tho property holders on +, be-
tween Fifth and Seventh streets, paid visit
to the District Commissioner Office yesterday
morning. They did not find General ketcham
in, for at that time he was on =, near Eleventh
tractors and Engineer Hoxie, taking survey
Of the street and the proposed work Of repair,
which was another Of the kind where wood
pavement comes up and concrete goes down.
Commissioner Phelps met the delegation and
heard their grievances, and In answer said that
the intentions Of the Commissioners as to re-
pairs on the street were that no work should
be done east of Seventh street, but that the
contractors had torn up the wood pavement
before they were aware that they were work
| ing In that vicinity. He advanced the gratui-
tons information that the board was obliged to
be close with the money, and II they should
| put street in perfect order from Filth to
Fifteenth that the fund would be exhausted.
One of the gentlemen made the suggestive re-
mark that the wood pavement now lying there
would not last eight more months. In which
opinion Commissioner Phelps concurrcd, and
regretted that the concrete could not be sub
stituted for the wood.
| II was then urged that the repairs be made
| in q continuous line, and the Commissioners
made partial promise to comply with their
desire. In going over the street last night II
was discovered that the contractors had been
very active and II they begun without orders
they were making rapid progress on their own
hook. Nobody doubts, however, but that they
will receive $3.50 per square yard for every
yard between Fifth and seventh streets that
they lay, II they do not get more than that
sum. Il Is the favorites Of the ring who have
this fat job, and the taxpayers can rest as
surcd that the Commissioners will not let them
(the contradictory lose n dollar. They have the
wood pavement all of the north side of +, be-
tween Fifth and Sixth and the south side be-
tween Sixth and Seventh, and both sides be-
tween Tenth and Eleventh, and the north side
between Eleventh and Twelfth streets.
1.-THE Commissioners did not know that they
were going to commence this, how came Gen.
Ketcham on the works. only yesterday morn
ing, in company with the District Engineer
He was seen there little after 0 o clock.
Commissioner Phelps neglected to tell the
visiting delegation that they had sufficient
money to extend Mr.. Murdock's contract to
take In Corcoan street, between Thirteenth
and Fourteenth, and Massachusetts, avenue,
between Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets,
and another contractors on First, between II
and Defrees streets. That eats up the balance
Of the $3.50, 1000 appropriation, and the pet ring
contractors got all the cream Of the work, AZ
Il was mapped out that they should.