The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-01-22
NONE USED
CORRUpTLY
Cost Of Fighting the New County and
Orphans Court Bills.
WHITEHOUSE AND LOSH TESTIFY
The Commissioners Were Persuaded to
Appropriate the Money, Says Chair
man Meyer, of the Bar Asso-
ciation-Heavy Hotel
Bills.

! Pottsvile Jan. 22 The greater part of the
trial of the County Commissioners to-day was
consumed in probing into the expenses of the
lobby sent to Harrisburg to defeat the new
county bill. W. j. Whitehouse and Hon S.
A. Losch were prominent witnesses for the
defense.
During the Afternoon session yesterday Mr..
Hill, the witness, said he received five per
cent. on the cost of the Klingerstown bridge.
He was asked to produce his book but said
he had not had time to go to his office. Mr..
Whalen said he was trifling with the Com
monwealth
statement of bridge work for 1sg5-'eB
showed Architect Hill received S64ssO in
percentages and &c. 247.75 paid on extra
work. The extras were for the extention
of the wing walls at the Ashland bridge to
protect the same; and extra masonry at the
Pinegrove structure.
The witness could not furnish solution
TO the fact that the contract price of the Ash
land bridge was s176l and that for the Pine
grove bridge Sl170, and that the extras on
these two bridges totaled $203O 70. The $S75
for extras on the Tamaqua bridge were for
an additional sidewalk. The Barnesville
bridge extra wing walls cost 5000 The extras
on this bridge were the result of a request
made by citizen. He received five per
cent commission on the extras also.
O. Did you stretch out the lines at the
instance of the contractor?
A. Yes, sir at that time | had been told
by one of the Commissioners, Mr.. Allen
think, that they had agreed to extend the
walls.
There was considerable chafTamong counsel
at this point about one of the counsel S
method of pronouncing Ulrich and Messrs.
Ryon and Whalen exchanged hits.
The bridge at Reynolds was then tackled
and the witness said floor timbers were
spliced and other repairs were made The
bridge cost 500 and the extras Sl42. Hill
got . pOr cent. commission On both amounts.
| =. The Ashland and Pinegrove bridges
were completed in February 1896, and then
you presented your bill for commission, now
isn't it fact that you came in later and
charged a commission on So, 700, isn't II a fact
this last bill was a clear swinde of the
county?
A. No, sir. did not charge my full com
mission when the bridges were completed in
February.
q. The inspectors pass upon bridge after
its completion do they not and the inspec-
tion is to take the bridge Off the county S
hands?
A. Yes, sir.
Mr.. Schalck here called attention to a war
rant drawn February 3, 1896, to VIM. d.
Hill for Sl3 %, the bill showing that it was
payment in full for services on the Ashland
and Pinegrove brides.
Redirect examination to Mr.. Mari.
Q. You never received any compensation
above your five per cent. ON any of the
! special work.
A. No, sir.
Q. You never charged extra for your ex-
pensesP
A. No, everything was included in the five
per cent
| He told of the necessity of hiring teams to
reach certain bridges notably those at Klinger
Static, Hubley, Helfenstein He thought ii
about miles to Hubley which led Mr.. Mari
to remark that was the longest miles he
had ever seen it was nearer is in his estima-
ton. Mr.. Hill described the method followed
in determining when new bridge was
necessary, the preparation of plans, the
awarding of the contract, the laying out OF
the ground for the contractor the supsrin-
tendence of the work, his reports to the
Commissioners and of their final inspection
of the bridge work. He said the contents oi
this bill presented were put there by a clerk
of the Commissioners stfice. He made uI
his percentages from the amounts of the con
tractors bills
He said he received advances when the
work progressed but the Commissioners al
ways examined the work before making pay
ments to see whether or not any money was
due him. Tho Klingerstown bill of $l3 u
was dwelt upon at some length by Mr.. Mari
because it tended to show that the architect
was underpaid for all the trips, etc, that he
made. For the Mabel Barry TOWNSHIP
bridge his charge was also light, but $36 20
| He made four trips, consuming Il day each
trip and hired a horse and carriage each
time. He also prepared the plans and speci
fications.
He recited his iourneying to the Barnes
vile bridge via MahanOy City and Lakeside
Electric Railway. He helped the contractor
to stake out the ground there was some de
lay, owing to the material being behind
time. He made eight trips, including the
final one of inspection with the Commits
siOners, prepared the plans and specification
and charged in all Sl925 commission.
Mr.. Mari exclaimed; They did not eI
anime you about these bills, and l say you'll
not get rich at that rate of charging"
The witness made no charge for expenses
everything was included with the percent
ages of per cent
In making his agreement with the Com
missioners he told them the rate of percent
age ho had received from previous Commits
sioners aud they said they'd pay him tn,
same, five per cent.
The MOlnO and Port Clinton bridges were
discussed and the questions then turned upor
the percentage paid witness on the Ashland
aud Pinegrove bridges, which Mr. Mari con
, tended was not excessive, nor doubling tn,
charge, and by the answers it so appeared.
Examination Of the witness was suspended
to allow Joseph W. Meyer, ESD, to testify
and Mr. Hill was instructed TO go for his not,
book and to tell Mr., Geary to bring his field
notes.
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE,
Mr. Meyer was sworn in. Said he was
! member of the Bar Association He attend
/, a meeting in 1895 at which a resolution I,
oppose the Orphans court bill was passed
The new county bill was also discussed a
that time.
A committee was approved to 20 to Harris
burg aud work for the delay of the Orphans
Court bill and the defeat of the new count!
bill. Eas evidence agreed with that o