The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-10-30
SIX MILLION LOST
 THROUGH EXCESS. OF COST
QUAKER CITY SUFFERS BY COL LUSIVE BIDS AND AD-
 TERTISING.

Report of Board of Investigating En-
 gInCers on the Filtration System
 Keepers of the Harvest Pointed Out
 If Plant is Carried to Completion
 According to Present Contracts There
 Win be a Loss to the City of
 Thousands of Dollars More.
 Philadelphia, Oct. 29.-The report of the board of Investigating engineers ap- pointed last July by Mayor Weaver to examine the filtration system of the city and the northeast and southern boulevards now under construction, was made public to-day. It is signed by Major Cassius E. Gillette of the United States engineer corps, who investigat- ed the Savannah harbor frauds, and John Donald MacLennon of Washing ton, D. c. The report shows that up to date the city has lost through excessive cost collusive bids, illegal advertising and in other ways the sum of $6,SS0,000 The contractors who received most of the more than SIS, S,0O0,0 900 that have been expended on improvements are D. J. McNichol & O., James J. Ryan and John A. Kelly and Ware Bros. The members of the McNichol firm are Israel w. Durham, leader of the local republican organization; State Senator J. P. McNichol, also a city leader, and the latters brother, Daniel. The Ware firm is made up of State Senator George A. Ware and Edwin H, Vare Their brother, William s. Ware, is re-, corder of deeds, an elective office. The officials held responsible by the report for some of the conditions in connection with the filtration system are William c. Haddock, who was director of pub lie works under Mayor Ashbridge; Pet CT E. Costello, director of public works under Mayor Weaver, until last May, when the mayor dismissed him, and John W. Hill, former chief of the bu- reau of filtration, who is awaiting trial on charges of fraud and Justification, who is awaiting trial on charges of fraud and Justification of records in connection with the construction of the filtration system!
 The report says:
 "Omftting from construction all small contracts--say under $30,000-we find for the filtration work and the two boulevards as constructed up to date, the city has paid or pledged SIS, ,761 ,541. First class work under the specified tion should not have cost over $124S0,-, 900, which includes an allowance of 20 per cent, or $2,075,20S for legitimate contractors profits. The difference is $6,S3O,OOO. In other works, SIS, 760,000 in round numbers has been paid for, work costing the contractors $10,S56,00O.
 "Of the $6,3S0,000 excessive cost there has gone to the contractors who work ed under the name of D. J. McNichol $5067,122, similarly to Ryan and Kelly $545,S9O, and to Ware Bros. $S9,12S. Of the $1S,761,541 here remains unpaid about $56S,000 to McNichol and $75,000 to Ryan and Kelly.''
 The report declares that if the f1ltra- tion plant and the boulevards are car ried to completion under existing con tracts there will be loss to the city of thousands of dollars more. The re- port continues:
 Much of the work done by Ryan and Kelly and D. J. McNichol is not first class, The parts which show promi- nently to the public are fairly we'll done; the parts that can be examined with a little trouble are distinctly sec- ond class, and not up to the specified tions."
 One of the means by which excessive profits were made possible the report says by not permitting fair competition. The advertising was wholly inadequate, scarcely more than pretense.