Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1905-11-04
PHILADELPHIA
LOST S6,33O,OOO
Mayors Experts Make Report on
Filtration and Boulevard Jobs.
FAVORED CONTRACTORS GOT IT

Philadelphia, Oct. 30.-The report OF
the board of investigating engineers
appointed last July by Mayor Weaver
TO examine the filtration system of the
city and the Northeast and Southern
BOulevards. now under construction,
which report was submitted to the
mayor Saturday. has been made pub
Tic. 1t Is signed by Major Cassius e.
Gillette. of the United States Engineer
Corps. who investigated the Savannah
harbor frauds, and John Donald
Maclennon. Of Washington. d. c. The
report shows that up to date the city
has lost through excessive costs, col
lusive bids. illegal advertising and in
other ways the sum Of $500 600. The
contractors who received most OF the
more than $4,000 900 thas nave been
expended on improvements are d. J.
McNichol & Co, James A. Ryan and
John w. Kelly and Ware Brothers.
The officials held responsible by the
report for some of the conditions in
connection with the filtration system
are John G. Haddock, who was direc-
tor of public works under Mayor
Ashbridge; Peter L. Costello. director
Of public works under Mayor Weaver
until last May, wheI. the mayor dis
missed him, and John w. Hill. former
chief of the bureau OF filtration, who
IS awaiting trial on charges of fraud
and classification of records in connec-
don with the construction of the Ultra
tion system. TIE report says:
"Omitting from construction all
small contracts-say under $4,000
we find that for the filtration work and
the two boulevards as constructed up
90 date. the city has paid or pledged
Sl2.430 900. which includes an allow
ance Of 20 per cent or S2.O75.2 POS for
legitimate contractors profits. The
difference Is $3.50 900. Ia other words
S1S,76O. 900 in round numbers has been
paid for work costing the contractors
sIO.S56.0OO.
''Of the $6.S30.0OO excessive cost
there has gone to the contractors who
worked under the name OF ID. j. Nc
Nichol. S5.065. l22; similarly 20 Ryan &
Kelley. $543 $50. and 10 Ware Brothers.
sS9.12s. OF the $1s,761,541 there re-
mains unpaid about s56S. 900 TO Nc
Nichol and $4,000 TO Ryan & Kelley.
Some OF these contracts are in
complete: the estimated cost Of com
pleuon of the existing filtration con-
tracts az contract pdices is about ST.
6S5.000. At a fair price. allowing 20
per cent profit. would be $1.21S.OOO.
The difference the city will lose II
these contracts are completed.
The price paid for the three-Quar-
tiers Of mile of Northeast Boulevard
already constructed Is $552,34S. on
which there was loss 10 the city OF
S27S.2l7. II completed at contract
prices the additional cost TO the city
will be about $4,000 900 and the addi-
tional loss at least S2.250.O00. On the
Southern Boulevard amount paid to
date Is $3.50. Ss9; the loss on the one
and a quarter miles built has been
$50. I2S. To complete at contract prices
would cost $3.50. SIG. and the additional
loss would be Ss5.555. In other words,
the total cost of both boulevards as
planned at contract prices would have
been $7,636. 900. and the total loss to
the city $2.750.0O0."
The report then says much of the
work is not first class. One of the
means by which excessive profits were
made possible. the report says. was by
not permitting fair competition. The
advertising was wholly inadequate;
scarcely more than a pretense.