New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-10-30
ALLEGED GRAFT Sc, 100000.
REPORT ON FILTRATION.
Durham Firm Got Most of the
Houey-DeIay Killed 1900.
TRx Telegraph e rhe rrlbune.

Philadelphia Oct 29-Six million three hun
dred and thirty thousand dollars has thus far
been lost outright to the taxpayers of Phiia-
delphia through the contracting combination
which has been engaged in building the great
filtration plant and the two boulevards. one in
the northeastern and the other in the southern
district of the city, according to the report made
public to-day.
This conclusion has been reached by Major
Cassius z. Gillette. corps of engineers, U. S A.
and John Donald MacLennan, experts employed
by Mayor Weaver to make full investigation
of the contracts and the work done. Major Gil
lette is the officer who investigated the jobbery
in the Savannah Harbor improvements and
procured the evidence by which ex-Captain
Oberlin Nj. Carter was convicted, and against
which Green and Gaynor must shortly stand
trial John Donald MacLennan is expert
enced engineer, who recently completed the con-
struction of the governments filtration plant at
Washington.
John w. Hill, formerly chief Of the Bureau Of
Filtration is now awaiting trial charges of
forgery etc. in connection with the filtration
contracts The contracting combination which
is accused is constituted, in the main, of Israel
w Durham Republican boss of Philadelphia, as
ISOLATED in politics with United States Senator
Penrose of Pennsylvania and State Senator
James P McNichol These two men. with D. J.
McNichol a brother of the State Senator, COM
pose the contracting firm of Daniel ]. McNichol
& Co. Evidence brought out at Hills preliminary
hearing showed that in this firm D. ]. McNichol
owns a one-twelfth interest, the other eleven
twelfths being divided equally between Durham
and James P. McNicho
WORK COST CONTRACTOR $10.356. 600.
"Omitting from construction all small con-
tracts say! under $50 600" the report says
I'VE 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 specifications should not have cost
over So 10000, which includes allowance
of 20 per cent or 50, O75 2OS for legitimate con-
tractors profits The difference is Sc $50, 900.
In other words S1S.760O0O in round numbers
has been paid for work costing the contractors
S10356O0O
"Of the s6,330,000 excessive cost there has
gone to the contractors who worked unoer the
name of D ]. McNichol $5,O65. 100. similarly to
Ryan & Kelley 1913. 800. and to Ware Brothers
$50. 12s OF the S1S,761 .141 there remains unpaid
about SOS. 0G0 to McNichol and $4,000 to Ryan
& Kelley.
Some of these contracts are incomplete. The
estimated cost of completion of the existing
filtration contracts at contract prices is about
81 6S5 600 A fair price. allowing 20 per cent
profit would be 81 0G0 The difference the
city will lose if these contracts are completed.
The price paid for the three-quarters of
mile of Northeast Boulevard already constructed
is $3.50 34S on which there loss to the
city of S2T3.217. There nine and a half
miles more of it laid out on the maps. If COM
pleted at contract prices the additional cost TO
the city would be about S650oooo, and the addi-
tional loss at least s., 100000. On the Southern
Boulevard the amount paid to date is S2S63S9
on which the loss the one and quarter miles
built has been $50, 12S. To complete contract
prices would cost S35O516 and the additional
loss would be $50 500. In other words, the total
cost of both bouevards as planned at contract
Continued twelfth page