Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-12
THE CHARGES AGAINST MIR. MONROE
The Com III issiOners Take Action on
the InApector'n Report.


the Inspectors Report.
The Commissioners this afternoon for
mally acted upon the, report of Building
Inspector Brady of his investigation of the
charges filed by the Fedora ton of Labor
against Contractor Monroe charging the
use of improper material aqd defective con-
struction in the school building now in
course of erection on r. street between 18th
and 18th streets southeast. As stated in
yesterdays Star. Mr.. Brady reports that
the charges for the most part are entirely
without foundation. r. Il
Prior to the reception of the complaint
of the Federation OF, Labor. says Mr..
Brady, he made two official inspections of
the buildinS-the first about February !,
the second about Febr'iary'f2. ON the first
occasion, according to MI Brady, some
salmon brick were on .lha premises which
he condemned and ordered removed, and
on the second visit some salmon brick were
found on the ground IN the scaffod and on
the north wall. and arlin they were con-
demned and ordered removed before the
W ork was further prosecuted. MIR. Brady
states that he was positively assured by
Superintendent Cox that no salmon brick
had been used. Mr.. Brady offers no eX-
cuse for the superin tendent in allowing the
delivery of salmon bricks on the ground
Regarding the charges submitted relative
to bad joists, crooked Walls, etc, NJ;
Brady declares that he personally inspected
the building on March $ and found the
joists first-class in every particular and IN
strict accordance with the Specifications.
and he adds, criticism cannot be consis-
tently applied and would not be by any
man possessing knowledge of the quality
of lumber. Crooked walls do not exist
in this building Building Inspector Brady
goes on to say. land why Messrs. Cook,
Dougherty and Webster Uhe committee of
the Federation who prepared the charSes)
should make such serious charges in the
absence of proof is beyond my comprehen-
-iA sir a
animus and if SO the Federation of Labor
should establish the fact and give the
community the benefit of that knowledge
so as to remove the impression created
upon the minds of many people, whose chill
dren will occupy this building, that 1t is
unsafe in construction. This is sim
pie measure of justice to the community,
to the contractor to the building depart
ment, that the Federation of Labor is OBJ
ligated to discharge"
Plugging the Walls.
Mr.. Brady further says that he is unable
to determine from visual inspection whether
any of the walls are hollow as charged.
To do this he says, 1t will be necessary to
plug them, and he has no appropriation
out of which to reimburse the contractor
for damage done to the building, in the
event of failure to find any defective work.
The superintendent of construction has
stated that the walls are not hollow, and
Mr.. Brady, in view of the fact that the
Otler cn;iTSeS are IOuNu 10 ne uHtI ~ vi
the opinion that the report of Superintend-
ent Cox is to be relied upon. However, as
announced in The Star yesterday, Mr..
Brady is willing to plug the walls if the
Federation of Labor will bind itself TO in
demnfy the contractor in case no defective
walls are found.
at is perhaps. not improper to remark V
concludes Mr.. Brady. in his report, that
the work in this building has progressed
very slowly, the walls remaining exposed
for a very long time, and it is my judgment
that if the defective construction existed
as stated it was incumbent on those who
had knowledge of the fact and who were
actuated by the best interests OF the Dis
trict to have made proper complaint to
the building department some months ago,
instead of waiting until February III, when
at that time the building had grown to an
elevation of fifteen feet above The location
of the alleged hollow work.
Action of the Commissioners.
The Commissioners have approved the re-
port, except that they have instructed the
building inspector to plug the walls at
points where the defective work is alleged
to exist to the extent Necessary to enable
him to determine the truth Or falSity OF the
charges, and that the;eXpense be paid, II
necessary, out of the appropriation Tor con-
Structing buildings O