The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-06-21
Miscellaneous Washing ton News Items
The Hill Investigation .

WARRINGTON, June lo.-ln INC I'LL III
vestigstion this morning, General S.einwiz
was cross-examiued:
OFF you should take one stone in any
course and apply it to the standard cost
which rules, under the contract, through
the whole building, and that stone should
be very large one with great deal OF sur
face cutting, would it not show, as COM
pared with a smaller stone, an excessive
cost which would rather be apparent than
Alt would not be possible to compare
at welye-ton pilaster, which required much
labor To move it and costs So per foot, with
a ANAL stone requiring but little surface
emitting and costing not halt so much.
Hill.-But that is what the contracts call
r..
was not much sense in such contracts.
itThomas stated that an element of con-
tract for cutting and dressing was the ex-
2feme low price for which rough stone was
obtained by the government.
The defense wished to show this was one
of the reasons for more liberal contract for
cutting.
CoIeman-While it may be satisfaction
for the public to hear that the government
in one instance did not suffer through the
contract, it is certainly improper to admit
the government could recompense losing
contractor by making another contract
with him through which the government
Thomas put a hypothecal question based
on the presumption that certain number
of DAYS were required under the Is per
cent. contract to cut certain stone and
elected the reply:
II wonld not take the word Of any sculp-
tor or stone cutter who had been working
under a Is per cent, contract; it would not
be safe estimate to base contracts on"
Thomas-suppose he could not help it?
ing away and be done with 1t.
fhe witness insisted his estimates Of the
cost of cutting stone for the Philadelphia
building were exceedingly liberal.
Coleman wished to extend the inquiry to
the contracts for public buildings at Boston,
St. Louis and Cincinnati, but Thomas OBJ
jected to going into other branches vi the
investigation until the Philadelphia bulid'
ing was disposed of.
Coleman said it would be unfair to take
the Philadelphia contract as criteIlan for
the others. He had looked over the con-
tracts for the st. Louis and Cincinnati
buildings and, as lawyer, must admit he
had. ever seen so much cheek displayed
except in the amount OF fees
taken by the government counsel
proposed to show not one fraud but scores,
and systematic plundering of the govern
ment in the erection of public buildings.
He said in the st. Louis contracts it can be
shown that contractors were already getting
greater prices for rough stone than It's mar,
Ret value, and still In making modified
contracts the same excessive allowances
we're made for dressing stone. The prose
cution expected to prove that 500 goo were
raised and used in Washington to fix these
contracts in the interest OF contractors. Ii
would be useless to prove this fact unless
the prosecution would be first permits ed to
show that the government suffered by the
execution of these contracts.
Chairman New stated that the commls
sion. after considerable reflection, decided
for The present to confine the inquiry to thu
philadelphia building. The commission
did not believe they should investigate the
rulings of the former secretary OF the treas
ury or the acts of the former supervising
architects, but should endeavor to lind GU
whether or not Hill had been guilty OF irau'
or corruption in office.
Coleman said he proposed to show there
was nothing in the opinion OF the attorney
general or In the decision of the secretar!
of the treasury that warranted the execu
tion of those contracts in the manner II
which th ey we're executed.
Hon. Kenneth Raynor, solicitor oil Tn
treasury, was next called Dy the prosecutor
He testified in effect that Their
is no statute authorizing the supervising
architect to make contracts for or on behal
OF the government. No money can be e1
pended upon public buildings until tn
rians and estimates have been approved n
The secretary of the treasury. The powe
TO make contracts could not be deiegate'
10 the supervising architect.
Coleman then preferred specific charge
against Hill OF making extravagant cor
tracts with Daniel French, son Of Assistan
Secretary of the Treasury French, for ipi
nishing statuary for the Philadelphia bulle
ing, and asked the committee TO order ~
10 produce all papers bearing upon I'd
The committee so ordered and adjourned