The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-20
STREET FRAUDS REPORTED
MORE POOR WORK BY CONTRACT
ORS UNEARTHED BY EX-
PERT ELDER.
ACTION OF THE GRAND JURY
SPECIAL EFFORTS BEING MADE TO
FIX THE FRAUDS ON THE
GUILTY PARTIES.

The Grand Jury will meet tomorrow
and continue its investigation of the
methods of the present Street Department.
The members have uncovered SO much
crookedness thus far that they believe
enough evidence can be gathered to con-
vict some of the subordinates of Superin-
tendent Ashworth. So much criminal
work was turned up at the first pry of the
spade that it was thought only right to
make the head of the office responsible,
particularly as his attention was called to
good deal of alleged crooked work which
his subordinates asked him to pass.
The investigation will now be divided in
such way as to nail the charges right at
the doors of the guilty subordinates, if
possible.
Those handling the case readily admit
that good work is being done on the
streets by honest contractors. 1t is the
ring or rascals in league with certain depu-
ties of the office of the Street Department
that they are after. All sorts of evidence
has been collected against them and there
is mountain more of it at hand. 1t is
now being sifted for practical use in the
courts.
Expert Elder found and reported num-
Der of Objectionable pieces of work Y ester
day and they will be taken up by the
Grand Jury. As the official expert of the
Board of Supervisors he gave notice that
be would recommend their rejection. so
the contractors will not only stand a
chance of being hauled over the Goals by
the Grand Jury, but they will not get their
pay for the work done. Ashworth, by the
by, passed most of the places on the
% Ii ho
will be called on for more explanations.
The first piece of work rejected by Elder
is on Valencia street, between Thirteenth
and Fourteenth. The concrete lacked the
proper amount of cement and the work was
not according to the specifications. Poor
material was furnished. Contractor Ed
ward Deadly did the work and Ashworth
had gone SO far as to o. X. his bill because
the work was perfectly satisfactory.
An examination OF the concrete under
the basalt blocks on Scott street. be-
tween Green and Union, disclosed that
only two and half inches of concrete was
laid instead OF five inches as the specifca-
tons called for. The basalt blocks should
rest one inch in mortar. In some places
there is no mortar at all. b. Clute is the
contractor. His bill is now before the
Supervisors, having been passed by Ash
worth.
On Lyon street, between Jackson and
the same condition as on Scott street. A
lot of diversified basalt blocks had also been
used on the work. The specifications
called for blocks not to exceed four inches
in width. Many blocks were found that
were five and six inches wide.
Expert Elder has number of suspected
pieces of street work on his list. He will
investigate and report on them as rapidly
as possible. He is going to personally in
spect every piece OF work under suspicion.
Speaking OF the report that spite was in
stlgatlng the investigators, he said:
have no feeling in this matter against any
contractor or against Mr.. Ashworth or any
deputy in his office I am simply performing
my duty as the expert of the Street Committee
Ny duty is TO see that the specifications
this line as long as am employed in this ca
pacity, and with this one object in view-that
I've no enemies to punish or friends to reward.
Every contractor will receive fair treatment
at my hands, but he must comply with the
specifications that l will have. l am deter
mined that the property-owners shall get
what they pay for, and that the City shall not
be saddled with any faulty pavements. They
are great expense 10 care for if not done right
from the start.
1t is said that the Grand Jury will paw
special attention to Mr.. Heating, the chief
outside deputy and a brother-in-law of Mr..
Ashworth.
Fred Raabe, an outside deputy who has
charge OF the sewer work. will also be
called upon to offer some very pertinent
explanations.
1t is said also that "Jim" O'Brien, Buck
ley's candidate for chairman of the Demo-
cratic County Committee, will be called
upon to tell why he draws from $500 to
$500 month for alleged team hire done in
the Street Department. Bob Boyd will
also be called upon in all likelihood to tell
some sort of story.
Altogether it looks as If the Grand Jury
had only begun to stir up very corrupt
section of municipal government.