The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-27

A trtfie less than Sbi ,UOU Is the amount
named by the expert of the Senate In
vestigating Committee as the net loss
to the State on four of the contracts
in connection with the construction or
the new ferry building. In other words,
the State has been robbed of that
amount of money by persons not named
in the experts report.
The Senate Committee having au-
thority to investigate the affairs OF all
State institutions undertook the work
of investigating the ferry depot frauds
about three months ago, soon after this
paper had concluded an exhaustive IN
vestigation, by which it was proved De-
yond a doubt that contractors ana IN
terested officials had robbed the state
of more than 500, 900 in connection with
the construction Of the ferry depot
building. The revelations made yester-
day by the expert employed py the
committee bear out in eveSy detail the
truth of the startling disclosures maze
by The Call some months ago, as Weh
as by a partial report made Dy the
present Grand Jury. Under the search
ing investigation now being conducted
there is promise that the guilty ofnclals
will be brought to justice and the Wnole
shameful combination by which vast
sums generously provided by the tax
pavers of the State for the erection OF
a model depot building for the penent
of the public have been frauduiehtIy
anDroprfated by private individuals
will be exposed and broken up
The Senate Committee met yeSteIuay
afternoon in the rooms OF the I1a1 o e'I,
commissioners in the ferry bu1ldlng Ior
Of a king the testimony VI
Exnert James w. Reid, the Well known
.architect. of this city, who. with Archl-
foot w n rayille, has been engaged III
the work of investigating the Ierry
huilding contracts under the ulIecslolI
of the members of the committee our
ing the past three months. ne ne
hers of the committee present were
senator ]. H Dickinson (chalrmaIO,
Senator w. F. Prisk and senator
Iobn 7 Royce. All of the members OF
tba BOARD of State Harbor Comnls-
sioners. Architect Swain, ChleI Eng
neer Holmes and many Interested con
+rac+ors were also in attendance
u Af+er being placed on the witness
s+and EXPERT Reid stated that ms IN
yestigations had been confined TO 1our
~ fhe principal contracts con
nactad with the construction OF the
bui1dinp These were the contracts lor
the roofing and galvanized IRON MoL riA'
iron and steel work, nlasoaIy
nd the woodwork and plasterlng. AS
q NET result of his Investigations ne
found that the State was a heaVy loser
hv reason of excessive prices pald 10
Contractors. and that the opportu-
nitv for the payment OF THESE
excessive prices was brought aoout W
a system of changes ana suos t-,tI &c
in the original plans unuer winch tlte
original contracts had been let. Each
~ Tho four contracts mentioned was
to1,en nm in turn and the various
changes and substitutions made under
outb0ritv from the Harbor Commls-
sioners and with the approval Oh Archl-
feet Swain were discussed IN oetau;
Among the items in the contract to5
iron and steel work MI. iseIu i pt.i ~ -
ont the one having connection WIN tue
steel braces for the tower. Inc orig
ina1 nIans under which the contract
1-oc Let r,laced these braces on the IN
eide Of the structure. Supplemental
plans were afterward mace PLACING
the braces on the outside or the tower;
Later on the plans were again changed
CO ae 70 place the braces where they
were originally. These changes COST
the state $1149, which sum represented
a net loss. A change in the style OF
certain tie rods cost the State just
$1,000 30 and in substituting iron TOT
steel in another item of construction
the State came out loser TO the extent
of $500. In the matter Of the steel work
for the large windows for the grand
nave the State was mulcted of the sum
of $500 and the substitution of wooden
for steel doors netted somebody an un-
earned profit of 1854, which sum, or
course, represents the net loss to the
State on this particular item OF con-
struction. The experts figures show
that on this one contract for the iron
and steel work the State suffered to-
tai loss of $3334 80
Tt should be stated here, as the fact
was brought out in evidence, that
Chairman Colnon is the only member
Of the present Board of State Harber
Commissioners who held office during
the period when the original contracts
were let and during the time when
majority of the changes and substitu-
lions by means of which the State was
robbed. were authorized.
The next contract taken up by Ex-
pert Reid was that for the masonry
work In the building. He was or the
opinion. he said, that the change from
Oregon stone to Colusa sandstone as
the material for the outside walls of the
building did not involve any loss to the
State The substitution of common
brick for enameled and Roman brick,
and other changes in like material had
resulted in the State being robbed Of
the sum of $5496 SO. That IS TO say, the
contractor was paid that amount more
than he should have been paid over
and above legitimate profit. In all
of these cases where changes and sub
situations were made the amounts paid
out were fixed by the Board of Harbor
Commissioners and approved by Archi-
tect Swain.
The style Of floor arches in the build
ing were changed from terra Gotta to
expanded metal and this change in
volved a net loss to the State of $10,-
952 Is. Tt should be understood that in
the case Of this item, as with all items
that have been mentioned or will be
mentioned as being a part Of the ex-