The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-30
GRAF I RAMP ANT IN PH|LADELP H|A City Has Lost S6,33O,OOO on
 Recent Contracts CONTRACTORS HAVE 4 PULL Have Received More Than $18,ooo,ooo for Work Which Has Cost
 Them But $1o,ooo,ooo
 to Complete.
CONTRACTORS HAVE 4 PULL

Philadelphia, October J.-1ne report oA the board of Investigating engineers ap- pointed last July by Mayor Weaver to examine the filtration of the city. and the northeastern and southern boulevards now under construction. which report was submitted to the mayor yesterday, was made public today. It is signed by MaJ' Cassius D. Gillette of the United States engineer corps who Investigated the Sa- vannah harbor frauds, and John Donald McLennon of Washington. The report shows that up to date the city has lost through excessive costs, collusive bids, illegal advertising and in other ways the sum of s6,3sO, GOO.
 The contractors who received most of the more than $1S.0OO00 that has been expended on improvements, are D. J. Me Nichols & Co.,, A. J. Ryan and John A. Keller, and Ware Bros. The members of the McNichol firm are Israel ". Durham. leader of the local republican organiza- ton; State Senator J. P. McNichol, also city leader, and the latter's brother Daniel. The Ware firm is made up of State Sen ator George A. Ware and Edwin II. Ware. Their brother William s. Ware, Is re-
 
 officials held responsible by the city for some of the conditions in connection with the filtration system, are John c. Had don, who was director of public works under Mayor Ashbridge Peter D. Cos tello, director of public works under Mayor Weaver until last May, when the mayor dismissed him and John w. Hill, former chief of the bureau of filtration, who Is waiting trial on charges of fraud and Justification of records in connection with the construction of the filtration sys- tenn.
 The report says:
 City Loses Eight Millions.
 "omitting from construction all small ooatfacts--say under $sO.000--we find for the filtration work and the two boule- wards as constructed up to date, the city has paid or pledged SIS, 761.54. First class work under the specifications should not have cost over SIP, ,43O00O, which includes an allowance of 20 per cent, or s2,075, POS for legitimate contractors profits. The difference is S6,330,00O. In other words SIS, 76O,000 in round figures has been paid for work costing the contractors Sl0,356 900.
 "Of the $6 900 excessive cost there has gone to the contractors who worked under the name of D. J. McNchol, $5, ,065, ,122; similarly to Ryan and Keller, $543, S90, and to Ware Brothers S89,128. Of the s1s,76l541 there remains unpaid about $56s, GOO to McNiehol and $75,0O0 to Ryan and Keller.
 Contracts Are Incomplete.
 Some of these contracts are incom- plete; the estimated cost of completion of the existing filtration contracts at con tract prices Is about $1.6s5.000. A fair price, allowing 10 per cent profit, would be $1,21S000. The difference the city will lose if these contracts are completed.
 "The price paid for the three quarters of a mile of northeastern boulevard already constructed, is $552, ,34S, on which there was a loss to the city of $273,217. There are nine and a half more miles laid out on the Miles. If completed at contract price. the additional cost to the city will % S6, 800 900, and the additional loss at least S2, ,250. 900. On the southern boulevard the amount paid to date Is S2S6,3S9, on which the loss on the one and quarter miles built has been $8912S. TO complete at contract prices would cost $350,516. and the additional loss would be $85,565 In other words the total cost of bouth boule- wards as planned at contract prices would have been $7,636,OO and the total loss to the city $2,750,000."