New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-22
NATIONAL CAPITAL TOPICS.
ARCHITECT HILLS REPLY
4 REVIEW OF THE INVESTIGATING Hhfo4'i MO
INDIFFERENCE TO IT.
fpY TELEGRAPH 10 The F"IBUNE.I

~.
49,. tI, has addressed TO secretary OF the treasury
long letter reviewing the report OF the committee '
snvssr1gated the charges against nm nc cV"P'ai"'
tba, the committee made mistakes In the appea
ton OF evidence failed TO appreciate the Vaiue OF SUMO
tastmony, construed rgidy the law respecting
,hc advertisements and failed TO understand either
5ha character OF the architects office, or the eystem
upder investigation MI. Hill complains toothatthe com
,ttee did great injustice superior ohcers ana 10
his suoordinates, work has been Conscientious
and intelligent He holds that In the technical aHars OF
his Office his trained professional jnGgmenti IS better
Ihsn haSof the committee, whose time was Limited anu
interrupted by duties Mr. Hill reminds tue Sec
rotary of the "vaunting manfestoes" and se"hu"o"'
statements made on the floor OF the House ny |oh'
gresham Murcn, the chief accuser anu oon
plains that the charges were so vague "nu
fhe specifications so indefinite as greatly
IN embarrass the defence The could maze no
objection" he says, to the organization OF the Oo'
ats methods without at once raising the preS"'"p'
fear or an accusation OF an effort 10 suppress e'"
ana prevent fair Investigation" MT Hin says Vnav no
came out Of the investigation with sucn sense VI us
gust after than two months OF unbroAen ana IN
fntrrrnoted insult" as be measuraby indifferent as
10 what might be the results OF "such dsordery anu
irregular procedure"
lie appeals with confidence Secretary Folger Tor
careful review committees hndings ana then pro-
coed TO crcise in detail He says he reiers W 0
findings in regard the 10 per cent contracts ony or
the purpose of calling attention the fact tha the Oo
,nittea avoided any allusiou TO Murchs tcsV'
mony IN which no admitted us OWN p'0"
lations and fraud. He then goes o" /"
discuss the verdict Of the committee that ne mas oeen
guilty OF official favortsm This, he says is Daseu upon
ave alleged instancestwo in favor OF george L. Daoh
and three in favor Bartlett, Hayward Co. Respect
ing the ormer-cases in which hreproo shutters vaults
and safes were procured-Mr. Hill asserts that the %
mittee was partially In error AS TO iacts' ana ue0'
that his action was In contavent'on VI '""'
His main defence TO the vaults and sates however
ia thai the prices he paid IL TO Is per cent lower
Than he is now compelled TO after advertisement TOT
bids He asserts that freproo shutter offered oy
Manly Cooper Co. fairly tested ana toat the test
showed the be unsuitable was also dinereh
from the one plated In the proposal ihs'eao vi
failing to save Government $4,000 he says ne ac'u
ally saved IL 666 amount OF Manly Cooper Co
hid for money paid for shutters for public building
vou,d have been wasted In regard 10 the payment OF
20 BARTLETT Hay Co. for plans ana sPecihcs
lions for heating apparatus Mr nave
been as impossible to secure proper plans anu
lions py the lowesbidder method as 1t would be TO
SECURE sound legal opinion in difficult and complicated
cases py the same method. Respecting tho employment
of NewIon a former empoye of Bartlett, Haywood q
10. IA inspector Of the heating apparatus
In thu Chicago building, MIR. Hill says ne
has nothing to offer beyond the testimony SUD-
Yoitted and asserts that his employment even
admitting all the variations 10 the worn 70 nave re-
sntad fran IT, did amount to $500 tie denies any
motive of favOrs, and that the Investigation ny
experts Of the heating apparatus In Tue GaGss'
mee agreed that the defence should nave houee "' tHo
NJ Nm depoupces as false and without jusnca-
ton the statement by the committee t9a' tnSrg
.ome color oi truon ut, o bnipdnS Mr. Hi has some
one person hrm Win winch NC oeais u 'ne
exclusion of everybody else" -. ,.,.
ting Committee Mr. HUI oilers the iOIIowlnS
comments: "The committee seem to have mad
no
the organization of this Office. Although pave gwen
the matter considerable renecto am sun uaoe - =,
submit any scnee of reorganization which mas not ia "
serious 1t may DO that long experience IN tne
Office led me 10 entertain an undue appreciation vi
The diricutes the problem The committee 10 oruh-
atey not Handicapped by any such
to summariy dispose OF grave question oil admin
Sstratve policy"
TARIFF ON CHARCOAL AND ROUND IRON.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21.-The decision OF
the Secretary Treasury whregard 10 the cOnstrn
zion OF the charcoal iron" and round iron provisions
Of the last Tariff act claims Of the manu-
facturers on both points The first question raised was
win respect to the scope of provso in the fifth para
erap OF the section of tile act relating to metals Thu
paragraph prescrbes duty be ad lou bar iroD in
ending fat and round and square iron. OF yarons dm"n
sons and also that all iron In otaer forms es
finished than in bars aud more advanced than p;
iron except castings shall be rated as iron IN DaTs ant
nav ike duty The paragraph closes with the provist
any kind in the OF which charcoal Is useC
a. fuel shall be subject a duty OF $22 per ton" Tn
manufacturers claimed that this proyiso applied not Only
TO the iron enumerated In the fifth paragraph but to al
other shapes and classes OF iron the manufacture
winch charcoal used fuel The Secretary holds tina
the prOviso relates only 10 the IRON enumerated III th'
fifth paragraph
the second question TO the scope OF the provs
ions OF the eightn paragraph IN the meta sectOn ci
says Round coils Orrods notices. than sevensx
fsenihs Of one IN diameter aud bars or shapes o.
rolled iron specifically enumerated or proVded 10
IN Ibis act one and twOtenths Of Que cent per pound
Another paragraph in the act-the thrty-eghh In I'M
metal schedue-provided for duty of but six-tenhs
one cent per pound iron STEEL rivet, screw, nal
aud fence wire rOds. round in cols loops Of GER
dimensions, which included in the enumeration II
the eighth paragraph aud 1t was claimed that 10 thes
the rate fixed the eighth paragraph should apply
The Seer etary decides that the provisions OF the thIt
eighth section shall govern the rate OF duty on rlvet
screw nail and fence wire rods although they CONF
under the general round iron classification In The eight
paragraph
VETERANS AND THE CIVIL SERVICE.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21.-Secretary Folge
has important question in regard to the opel
law ich ne ia a