Evening journal., 1908-05-04
MAYOR INQUIRIES ABOUT
NEW STEEL WATER MAINS
Questions Asked Engineer Lesen as TO Whether the
Steel Pipes Will Last as Long as the
Wrought Iron Mains Will

asked the total expended for out-of-
town trips by the department from
1898 to 1903. He said it was S47S2.65.
Solicitor Townsend said it might be
desired to have the trips in detail set
forth later on. For 1904, 1905, 1906
and 1907 the expense Of the junketing
trips was S2380.32, he said. Mr.. Town
send said he thought Mr.. Mclntire
should have more time to go over the
figures. as he believed some mistake
was made. He said that Mr.. McIn-
tire could make any changes in tie
figures tomorrow. Previous to the time
of any decisive action on the building
of new water plant the expenses of
these trips were charged to distribu-
tion. After a dicision had been made
they were charged to construction" Mr..
McIntire said. The sundry relief book
shows since January 1904, after Mr..
McIntire made a change in the system,
who took trips, but prior to that time
the names of those who went on trips
were not entered. Mr.. McIntire sui
mitted the bills for the out-of-tow
journeys of Water Department officials
since 1904 To the best of Mr.. Nc
Intire's knowledge the trips in 1907
were paid out of the petty cash in the
1
through the city auditors office.
More Bills Cited
Engineer Leisen again was called for
examination and asked as to bill Of
SSO.66 Of Mr.. Leisen and others TO Buff
falo to inspect pumps. and of 1915 20
Dover in February, 1905. He said they
were not itemized bills. A bill of
S1S5.SO for a trip of the Water Com
missioners and Mr.. Leisen to New
York, Bethlehem. and Buffalo was pro-
duced by Mr.. Townsend. It was not
receipted or marked paid, but Mr.. Lei
sen said he had been paid and the fall
lure to receipt it was probably an over
Isight Several other bills for trips
were cited and Mr.. Leisen said they
were not fully itemized. One was for
A trip to Brooklyn in April, 1907, to
look into the meter question" and Mr..
lLeisen said the trip was to meter
factory with the object of trying to
get Water Department men sufficiently
Informed so that meters could be re-
lpaired in Wilmington instead Of being
lsent away for repairs. Among the bills
mot itemized was one for $44 for ex-
lnenses to Dover during the last Legis-
llattire. There are no records in the
ldepartment to show who took those
trims. Mr.. I.eisen said It was probably
due to carelessness that some Of the
bills were not itemized while others
were itemized.
Mr.. Townsend dropped the junketing
ltrips subject and then read a bill OF
sly for carriages purchased in lsO4.
and sf3O for harness. Mr.. Leisen said
they were bought to take visitors and
others over the ground Of the proposed
lRockland water system.
Mr.. Townsend cited that the bills FOR
pipe fitting and repairs in 1908 was
s5314; in 1904, $2O5.15; for repairs IN
1908. s96.42; in 1904, s5ss.79; for fuel,
s6s.1s; in 1904, SSS9.O7. All these were
lcharged to distribution. Mr.. Townsend
asked the causes of the increases, and
lMr. Leisen explained that the increase
in the fuel item was due to thawing out
so many pipes in 1904 and it probably
caused the other increases.
y CContinued on Second Pago)