New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-19
LOOKS LIKE A BIG STEAL
REPORT OF THE EXPERTS ON THE ASSEM-
BLY, CEILING FRAUD.


FIGURES THAT COULD NOT BE EXPLAINED
MORE THAN 100000 MADE OUT OF THE
JoB.-MR- ANDREws's REMOVAL
TO BE ASKED FOR
[BY TELEGRAPH TIRE rkIBUSR.J
Albany, Feb. 1s.-In many years the Assemble
of the State of New-Yorl has not been so agitated
as it was tonight when Clerk Chickering wal
reading the report of the Commission Of Archi
tects appointed to learn the actual cost Of TIL
Assembly Chamber ceiling
The value of the total work done under thu
contract" read Mr.. Chickering, does not exoec(
81 So, 900. In this estimate of 81 65,o00 liberia
allowance has been made for all risks, con-
tingencies and profits" The contract made Will
John Snaith, the contractor. says that the Stat
shall pay for the work s271,15o. Mr.. Snaitl
therefore seems to have made s106,150 by ha
contract with the State. But the Expert Conn
mission says that they made liberal allow
ance' for all risks. contingencies and profits
IL would therefore seem that the experts suspect
that Mr. Snaitbs profits were still larger thay
S106,150.
The Assemblymen were profoundly astonishe<
by the statement Of the experts that no bid
could have been made upon the drawings ex
hibited TO them by Mr.. Snaith, Charles b. An
drews, the Superintendent of Public Buildinss
and M Rowe. the architect. An amazing state
ment was that only six of the fifty-one drawing
exhibited to them were prepared prior to thi
awarding OF the contract and that these six draw
ngs were of so vague nature that archited
could have made estimates. The experts there
fore properly suggest that an investigation hl
made as to whether there were straw BIDS
Another statement of the report which interested
Assemblymen profoundly was the rev
elation that contrary to the specifications
of the contract only 500 panels had been put In the
ceiling, whereas the contract provided for 76l
panels The effect OF the change was not only
to lessen the expense OF the iron frames TO the
panels, but also of the oak Still another state
ment which made sensation was that S238,563 0t
had already been paid to the contractor, and that
only s39,S61 bad been retained, although the sun
Of $4,000 should have been retained. In Other
words the contractor had been paid 81 H. 943 mort
than he was entitled to receive. The Assembly,
men were prepared to hear that the monthly state
ments of Mr.. Andrews regarding the work could
not be comprehended by the experts. The suns
total of these monthly statements by Superiu
tendent Andrews" say the experts, " is $685.
S2S SO, whereas the total amount of the contract
is only s27o,150.' After the statement the As
semblymen asked each other If Mn
In any case, the experts suggest that
the contractor be compelled to fulfil his contract
in several respects He clearly had no right "a
use papier mache spandnls, and they therefore
think he should refund $4,000 in charging fol
them as carved oak ones. Moreover, the exEers
would have 81 1000 deducted from the total pay
menth now due Mr.. Snaith in view Of the money
he saved by not putting in as much iron as provide
ed for by the contract.
The Assemblymen were debating tonight
what they would do in view Of this
remarkable rsport of the experts : Stan
ford White. Albert II. Chester, Charles p
Bush and Archimides Russell. 1t was suggested
that resolution should be passed asking the
Trustees of Public Buildings 20 suspend +dr5 OK ri
Of Public Buildings, who had charge OK the exc
cution Of this remarkable contract The trustees
are Governor Hill. Lertenant-Governor Jones
had such resolution in his pocket to-nsnt pnt
understanding that Democratic Asemblyma9
had already prepared such resolution ana wouio
offer it tomorrow he refrained from offering
his own. AS Mr. Andrews is a Democrat, ana
the majority in the Board of Trustees OF Public
Buildings are also Democrats, Il is felt appro.
pirate that Democrat should offer resolution
for his removal or at least suspension III IL
also limited that the Attorney General may b
asked TO initiate suits in the courts to compel
Mr. Snaith to fulfil his contracts Inc Otand
Jury Of Albany County may also be asked 10 iooA
into the matter to discover if the State has been
defrauded
The Assembly Committee, on Appropriations
held an hours session tonight to take evidence
regarding the recalcitrant conduct OF William
NJ Speer, the correspondents in refusing to answer
answer these questions The committee has about
made up its mind that it did not have authority
to ask Mr. Speer the questions it asked Since
the report of the experts on the celing mattei
was read to the Assembly there is less aisposi.
tion among the Assemblymen 10 find fault with
the newspaper correspondents for what they have
said concerning the now notorious ceiling.