The Advocate and news., 1898-06-15

ment. Sash, glazing and painting to the
value OF $144 was required, but none OF
| Il was done.
Twelve large windows were TO have
been put in in the air-shafts in the base
ment, but the openings are still boarded
up and not a thing was done to them.
It would have cost $84O to have put in
the frames, sash and glass and to have
painted and glazed them. Under these
windows there should have been sills
and some brick work which would have
cost $11O. None Of this work was done.
In the library two windows were sim
ply put in place and 500 worth Of labor
and material needed to hang them was
saved to the contractors. About 10000
feet Of lumber was taken from the open
ings for windows when the work under
the contract began. The contractors
used 1t for private purposes. They were
not required to and did not pay for 1t,
It was worth $685.
The contract provided that the win
dow weights should be OF compressed
lead, which Is worth about cents per.
pound. Instead of putting this in the
weights used were of old pot metal,
worth Y cent per pound. There were
222 windows. The metal required for
these weights weighed 30,49O pounds.
The cost to the contractors was Y cent
per pound, when II material specified
had been used 1t would have cost 6
cents. The saving of 81 cents per
pound amounted to $1,6O2.72. 1t is pre-
sumable that it was supposed that these
weights, being entirely out Of sight,
would never be examined.
The contract provided that the scat
folds in the center of the dome should be
removed. This work would have cost
$3.50. It was paid for but not done.
The work which was left undOne, Is
itemized in the following list:
To plastering air shafts and pen
CLING in imitation Of stone, 1888
yds. Cement work. ..................H 81 ,4l6.bO
To plastering basement ceiling in
south wing, 466 yds......,;......... I4W
To plastering feet of the dome
tunda, 50 yds................ -. 1900
phragm .............. ~. w ................. 10000
asa 50. feet t. ............................ @ w 1872
TO o. ceTmienting EN- "a window jams in
sub-basement ....;.''..;. ;...''.,..; "'UV
To "a window sash, glazing and
painting in sub-basement ..,...... A4.W
ID Story story of dome ................... o. 1880
in libra library anu .............. ."c' 80 ..."....... 1000
boxing) est'd cost $500
30. 40 lbs. at 5H cents ..........,.... 1GO272
TO 12 window siils in air shafts.. 1890
To $500 brick at 50 per M for walls
under. window sills ,..i,......,;.;;;... O%W
TO 12 window frames, sash, painting
and glazing (dOme). S4OW
Tota, ........... ....................S5 81, 1884
On this contract Fellows & Vansant
received $23, ,90O the full amount of the
contract price with the exception Of a
fey eliminatiOns which were figured at
very small percentage OF what would
have been the cost Of the work. They
got 81, 1868 more for the plastering than
It cost them to do it. They evaded do
ing work to the amount of $5,15864.
I.abOrers who were working for them
were paid 81, 1926 by the State for per-
forming services which should have
been done under the contract and paid
for by the contractors. The State ought
never to have been charged with lot OF
the money paid on this contract, and
those who have investigated the case
most thoroughly insist that the State
should recover much Of the money
which appears to have been wrongfully
paid. It is not easy to assign any rea-
sonable excuse for paying contractors
for doing work which was never done
and much of which is actually being
done and paid for now.