New-York tribune., 1907-12-05
WATER BOARDS SIDE.
ENGTNEERS TESTIFY.
Support the 47cwding Of 4shokon
Contract TO Macarthur Bros. Go.

John r Freeman and Professor William h
Burr OF the advisory board OF the Board OF
Water Supply. we're on the stand yesterday Il
the Ashokan dam contract inquiry before lEe
Commissioners Of Accounts. and their testimony
tended 10 strengthen the position Of the ooaF'
in awarding the contract to Macarthur nfol!iei'
Company and Winston * Co at a figure more
than S2orlCu0 above that Of the Peirce com
pany.
MI Freeman SAID that the best kind OF WORK
was necessary. as the dam sEas on water
course back of the city of Kingston. and if 1t
ever gave vav the city would be wiped out.
Commissioner Mitchell expects TO finish the IN
or.ir Tomorrow afternoon. and his report TO the
Mayor will be turned in on Monday
It seems reasonably certain that charges VIII
be preferred 10 the Mayor. and that the Mayor
will at once begin N inquiry. going over lnuch
the same ground as has been traversed whether
the Mayor will remove the present board Is
matter Of conjecture The Mayors friends in
sist THAI he viii
J c Stewart, Of Kirbaugh, Shanley & Co.
was asked as to the suggested leak of infor-
nation from the office Of Chief Engineer Smith.
Nj Mitchell at previous hearing had cross
examined representatives. OF the Macarthur
Brothers Oh this point. They eli denied knowl-
edge Of a leak
Did YOU hear what the estimate prepared
by Engineer Smith was before putting in your
bids?" asked Mr.. Mitchell
only IN a general way
From whom
From material men who always have sucn
information
What did you hear II was to be?'
Between SI2,Oo0.O00 and S13o0oooo" fIhe
estimate in question was S12s4lco)
Mir Freeman was asked whether the materials
,Ha- ard r17nH
appliances. could not be found on the site of
the dam. and he replied. Not within mile
He added that most OF them could be founo
within q reasonable distance. He thought the
Peirce bid was low.
Mr.. Freeman was asked whether the need
81 careful work a. Ashokan vas pronounced
He said:
The dam is above the city of Kingston
small stream runs from it through the town
Should a break in the dam take place the city
Of Kingston would be wiped out.
Speaking Of the necessity OF speed in the work
Mr.. Freeman said;
The danger OF a water famine stares every
one in New York in the face"
Il think every one IN New York knows OF the
danger Of water famine" said Mr. Mitchell.
commissioner Mitchell quoted the witness as
saving that the city might through delay or tall
,,ra 70 live I'D to the contract on the part Of
11erce Brothers lose more than the difference In
rrioa between the Peirce and Macarthur olds'
He was asked how such thing couid oe
brought about.
The interest account On the work already
oornpIeted but which could not be used until the
dam wss completed, would amount to more thaH
81 100000 per annum-
Professor Burr said the advisory board or til9
Commissioners Of Accounts had stated that the
cost of the work could not be accurately &C.
-ern,ined Commissioner Mitchell -e-uested IN
formation as to when such information had
heen fmpaAed Professor Burr replied that
Commissioner Mitchell had himself quoted the
advisory board to that effect. The witness re-
ceived A report OF the proceedings and was re-
ouested TO find the quotation he alluded to- He
Indicated A statement that mot BY any method
could It be proven that the PeiTce bid was be
low cost
How do you make such a deduction from
such a statement he was asked.
.'T3v a simple mathematical process. You have
the amount OF the bid. If the cost of the work
could be determined one could readily ascertain
the difference
But did not say the difference could not be
determined
1T amounts to the same thing"
'SiIpposiny Fl was ascertained that III" cost
WAS lower than the bid, would II not follow
that the bid could not be lower than the cost"
Professor Burr finally said that he under
stood the advisory boards statement TO mean
that the cost could not be ascertained.
~