, 1879-07-29
AID. COOK.

lA1Ds COA5hs
THE E1-cuAlRNAN or THE BUILDING COMMIT
TEE.
Ex-Ald. Cook, Chairman Of tho Building
Committee In the Council last year, was scsa
by the reporter.
In the course Of The conversation, Mr. Cook
stated that lo was glal whcn hc found out that
Thomlfnson E Reed lad gotten tho contzact lot
stone-wotk on tho City-Hall, for he did not
know either OF the men.
Tho reporter told hin that Mr.. Heath had
alluded to tho doing away with soma baIus.
trades in Bonc uppcr-etory wtndows, and be
did not remember whether this had beon done
or not
ornnmcntatlon that had been done away within
tho CLANS had been done before they weEo sub
mitted to the contractors He sud TIM plans
had been marked plainly with q bl1o limo, and
everything waa fully explained to each md
E!-All. Van osdo1, who was present at the H.
tcrvlcw, here exclaimed: ;" know that blue
line was there. for marked IT tny.olfn
Mr.. Cook stated tnt ho knuw Of no two sets
t',e Committee, ami ho know there was but QUO
| set.
| IN nEaA1tD TO TIE sToHh-WoRK,
| Mr. Cook said special committee composed Of
all the prominent builders aad architects In tho
They camo to tho granite course, md 1t "a.
found that thero were seyerat stones that did
/ not como up to the specifications in width. The
Committee unanimously. agreed that thcT
but Mayor Heath. contrary to the advice ot
these men, insisted upon having the stones
taken cut and replaced with thicker ones.
which provoked the. experts, who regarded It
after ho had invited. them to examine tho
| work. Tie stone was greater In thick
| ness n1l through whom tue work W@
completed than the specifications called for, and
| TnH hf1f1f f.afN tYNa tr4S7
WA also fully up to tic requirements. Ono Of
tho experts alluded to said to AID. Cook at tfs
time. "This Is the beat ioo Of ssonc~work e7as
Mr. Cook ntated. ts,at ho was thoroughly
amazed when he read ta report OF this special
committee Of experts. There wore son1o men
on tils Committee Of whom 10 did not expect
| much, but ho dill not think TINT man like nE.
| Mcdowell would lenI himself TO any such
scheme, ansl sign document making whole
snlo charges OF robbery mud pccufatton upoa
persons BY lnenuattpn. It these charges wes9
lay the blame whcro It belongcda' Tho Com.
lntttee never sent for tho Building Committee
nor asked any Of them question. From whom
did they ret their fnformn,ions WHY d!d not
they name the eourco1 How could that Com.
| Mittce OF tnortafs Eaze at the face OF bslcA
wall mud tell whutier IT. was slushcd too little
or too n,uehl How could they tell whether the
Tic solid wnll one-ha,f of their surfaco Or noti
How could they decide whether there Was q sat-
iiccnt nu mber OF bol..l-atOncsl ue would like
ttle Committee to answer sous Of these
questions, n and ood thought + IT, TS"a ,S,%
to hare explained themselves lt.tla
more fully In tick rcrort before s1ntrchEng ths
chasactrr OF honorable citizens Of chicago.
Aud furthermore, Mr. Cook thought II
| TuK so-oALLEp rooR JOINTS
In tho Elty-lfall wcro taken a. standard, then
every Joint iu the County Building WAS poor
oue. Tile report admitted that there HeEn but
tiyo stones IN the whole steuctnro that ought 70
was not worth all the fuss that had been made.
But. the Comnnittce had been hired by the L.
/ Munt Stone RlHE, aud they were compelled 70
make SONG Kind of report. They wcro hound.
cd continually. day after day, By pack o.
down within two Years, but they hardiy dared
to do thts, restrained by such men ~ McDoF"
oil anu tic more respectable members.
The reporter asked what he proposed to 10
liz replied that lo thought bona.hde COM
suadea to make au examination. Then ~
them aIone,-hoth Sides keep away from them
entirely, anh let them sec what Was tho trouble
liz hoped tho matter would como before ~
Gra1ui Jury, and II those meu did not Set
showing up, then be Was mistaken.
COMMISSIONER WALLER,
head Of the Department ot PUBLIC Works, ~
work OF tito Clty-llail, MIR. Waller stated thst
the work OF Investigation VIVA going on when %
took his position. Tho eontractore had bcea
working along stoWly, and as for hinsel1' %
dcslrcd to take au Inventory OF tho prcultses q.
fora 10 did much. lIe hardly knew where ~
stood yet. Or how much work bad been douo ~
fore OF since 10 took bold.
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