The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-10-30
Remarkable Report on
 Philadelphia Plant.
CONTRACTORS GET RICH
City Loses $6,330,000 on Ex- penditure Of SIS, ,00O, ,000.
Thls is fin Addition to a Legitimate Profit of $2,07J,20s-Israel Dur ham one of the Ben
 eficfaries.

Philadelphia, Oct 29-The report of the board of investigating engineers appointed last July by Mayor Weaver to examine the filtration of the city and the northeastern and southern bou- levards, now under construction, which report was submitted to the Mayor yes. terday, was made public today.
 It is signed by Major Cassius D. Gil- lette of the United States Engineer Corps, who investigated the Savannah harbor frauds. and John Donald Mo. Lennon. of Washington, D. C.
 The report shows that up to date the city has lost through excessive costs, collusive bils and illegal advertising and in other ways the sum of $6.330.- o00 The contractors who received most of the more than s1S,000.000 that have been expended on Improvements are D. J, McNichols Ss O.. A. J. Ryan and John A. Kelley 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 latter's brother, Daniel.
 The Ware firm Is made up of State Senator George A. Ware and Edwin H Ware. Their brother. William s. Varc. Is recorder of deess. an elective office.
 The Responsible Oficials. . The officials held responsible by the city for some of the conditions in con- nection with the filtration system are John c. Haddon, who was director of public works under Mayor Ashbridge. Peter 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 bureau of filtration, who Is awaiting trial on charges of fraud and falsifica- ton of records In connection with the constructor of the filtration system.
 The report says:
 "Omittlng from construction all small contracts--say under s30.000--we find for the filtration work and the two boulevards as constructed up to date the city has paid or pledged $1S,761.- 54l. First class work under the spec- ifications should not have cost oyer sf2,430.000. which includes an allow ance of 20 per cent, or s2.075.20s. for legitimate contractors profits. The difference Is $6,330,000. In other words, SIS, S,760,000 in round numbers has been paid for work costing the contractors $10, ,356,000
 Where the Money Went.
 "Of the &6,330.000 excessive cost. there has gone to the contractors who worked under the name of D. J. Mo- Nichol. $5.065,122, similarly to Ryan & Kelley. s5,543.sso, and to Ware Broth CTS, s2S.12S. Of the s1s,7e1,541, there reHldiHb unpaid AuOul %OpoSuVU itO nlc- Nichoi and $75,000 to Ryan & Kelley
 Some of these contracts are incom- plete; the estimated cost of comple- tion of the existing filtration contracts at contract prices is about $1,685,000. A fair price, allowing 20 per cent profit, would be $1.21s,000. The difference the city will lose If these contracts are completed.
 The price paid for the three-quar- ters of a mile of northeast boulevard, already constructed. Is s552,34S, on which there was loss to the city of $273.217. There are nine and a half more miles laid out on the map. If completed at contract prices, the ad- ditional cost to the city will be about $6.5oO,000, and the additional loss at least $2,250,o 900.
 ''On the southern boulevard the amount paid to date Is $2S6, 6,3S9, on which the loss on the one and a uar- ter miles built has been &S9.12S. To complete at contract prices, would cost Ss50,516, 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 ST. 636, ,O00, and the total loss to the city, $2,750, ,000."