New-York tribune., 1907-06-04
CITY'S ORDERS SHORT.
FIGURES BY An EXPERT
Payment Made on 4,91G Barrels of
Cement Nerer USed.

sIarvyn Scudder. expert accountant testified
Yesterday before the Ahearn Investigation con-
Quoted by the Commissioners of Accounts that
IN the zen contracts for wood paving done Jointly
by the United States Wood Preserving Corananv
and the Franklin Contracting Company on q
falr computation there were 4216 barrels of
cement short of the amount paid for by the city.
Cement costs about 81 so barrel making the
shortage about $4,000.
Mr. Scudder said that the actual work Of
wood paving done by the Franklin Con-
tracing Company. and that this company sent
i,s bills to the United States Wood Preserving
Company. which presented them TO the city
This work was done in Cedar street. Broad
yay, Battery Place old Slip. Beekman street,
West Broadway. Park Place Greenwich street.
Worth street and Dey street
The figures showed that the amount charged
by the United States Wood Preserving Company
on the contracts was $136 221 9S: profit to the
Franklin Contracting Company, s51.97S 49,
cubic yards of concrete 1856; barrels of GEM
ent used, 9,z10A.
Frank Ortez testified that he was the secre-
rary and treasurer of the O'Brien & Ryder COM
rany, plumbers, since January / 1906. Before
thar time. when the incorporation took place he
had been a boOkkeeper for O'Brien & Ryder. He
said that in some cases a profit Of so per cent
was charged to the city for materials. The wit
ness admitted that his firm frequently did work
prior 70 an order for it. He said that this was
emergency work.
Robert Best, an enploye Of O'Brien & Ryder.
testified that in one instance the firm had
charged the city for more material for work
than the fir had used. He said O'Brien &
Ryder always kept at City Hall plumber as
long as he in the firms employ. He also
testified that most Of the time he was with
firm 2 HAD kart ar
one plumber and one helper.
z. N G. Thompson. a Finance Department
Inspector, testified that the only standard of
payment Of bills by the city was the market
price He said he had heard Of an order allow
Ing contractors 33 1-3 per cent profit on their
goods sold 70 the city
B. q. Sullivan. another inspector said that his
standard was the catalogue price There was no
regular standard OF checking up bills in the De-
partment Of Finance. according 10 this witness
The witness declared that whenever he Went 10
q house 10 learn prices by comparison with bills
rendered the city and had announced that he
was from the Controllers Office he was unable
10 get the information. Once he represented
himself as contractor and was threatened with
arrest, he said.
Sullivan admitted that he knew the laborers
and mechanics on city work consumed more
time than they would for private parties. and
said ne took this fact into consideration when
he allowed bills
The witness also admitted passing a bill for
l62 metal hooks at 80 cents apiece, although he
Old not know the true price. Edward Becberer
an expert, testified that they we@e worth sig
cents apiece.
William McKinny, formerly chief auditor NJ
the Finance Department. now employed by the
Empire Trust Company admitted that the order
as 10 passing on bills Of less than S76 within tho
ONCE was issued by him because 1t was found
impossible for the inspectors 10 examine nor
sonally all the small bills He denied that thera
ever had been order for 80 1-3 per cent proft
allowance to contractors.
Borough President Ahearn sent Yesterday, IN
the Commissioners Of Accounts a letter in which
he said:
According to the testimony which have read
as having been given at the hearings conducted
by your commission, the question OF the method
OF lae Keeping OF the accounts Of the bureaus
UhoeE my jurisdiction received some attention
AIthough there can be no changes made IN tra
system OF bookkeeping IN any Of the CITY de-
partTnent5 unless authorized by The Controller
uhoer authority Of Section 149 OF the charter 7
would be glad to be furnished, at your earliest
convenience, with such recommendations as YOU
may w!sn 20 make for transmission to the Con-
troLer at my request for his approval and au-
thorization Of such changes as your recommen-
cations may contain.