The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-12-27
Changed System Of MeaSur-
ing Asphalt Held Response
bic for Public Loss.
MORROW'S TRANSFER
REVEALS INQUIRY
Former Commissioner Had Been
Investigating for Months, Get
ting Full Data.

.of Columbia, in the light of deYd
.ments 10 this hour, faces one q
biggest sensations in lis history
Involved is the Brennan @
+. strucG0n Company, holders Of
contract for asphalt paving, and
/ sum of nearly 100000 alleged
have been overpaid this comp;
through peculiar system Of asp
measurement which the reconl
the District Commissioners, #
claimed, show never had Il
sanction Of that body.
HUGE SCANDAL LIKELY.
So sensational IS every detail Of
/ the transaction now being inyesti-
gated by the Board Of Commission
| erS that IFS ramifcati0ns may result
eventually in the exposure Of a
. scandal that viii shake the f0unda-
GonS of practically every branch of
the District government, and that
Riu starue the city as a whole, even
more than did the investigations q
year ago in which the Brennan
company charged the improper
letting Of asphalt contracts.
Now Before Commissioners
.FEa- the affair which is now the sub
ject cf Investigation by JEe Comuis-
sioue-. becomes public at this time IS
due 10 Ia- recent deposition OF Com
uissiy1er NOTION. aLo- has mad the
iuE =sli-arlou I'm charge FOR Eve months.
The Commissioners as body have now
taken up the work and the resufe OF
that probe has been placed in The hands
OF the Corporation Counsel for action
It is known that this investigation has
shown
That fer twenty years the system OF
measuring asphalt has been that known
aS measured in cart at the uIanr- the
District paying for the asphalt bv the
cubic foot
That in 1904 Brennan objected To the
plan Of measurement on the ground that
the newly disturbed asphalt at the nle7-
measured more than 1t should and that
he should have an extra allowance for
the shrinkage by the time fl reached the
street.
That through A. ". Dow. then Inspec-
tor Of asphalts. an order was fssua5 -,
the plant inspectors directing that tRe,-
allow Brennan a certain per cent of m
sbrinkaSe- Officials OF the Disr-{c+ 90
eminent are retIcent as 10 me e,s--
per cent, but it IS said 10 have been hs-
tween L and 2 per cent
Allowance Recently Cut Of.
It is now understood that the B-.,-
nan company has received this "srr,,---
ance' until within the past few rnon+b-
at which time the investigation VS.
started
IL Is further stated that there fs 7,
record in the Office Of the CommIssfoD-
ers OF the District Of any action aurbor-
lzlng this Increased payment 10 the
Brennan company.
An official who has had possession
or the papers in the case estimates The
oFerpayment 10 the Brennan company
a. from $4,000 10 10000.
II is also known THAI the r-,-r-,ss-
siOners. afJer completing the vvo-I. ra
gun by Major Morrow. as E7rr7sa-
Commissioner. held a meetin. on Frf-
day last and agreed to refer the entire
matter 70 the Corporation Counsel and
that The Commissioners were agreed
that sufficient grounds had been found
10 begin proceedings against the com
pany.
Old Measurements Restored
That the Commissioners have also r.
solved 20 force the Brennan conoanv
10 return to the old method OF measure
ment, at the plant and without allow
auce. has also become known.
Inasmuch as the Brennan comnsnv
unCerbid by q large figure ali otbe-
competitors Tor street repair work. Il Is
now prOblemaJIcaI. SAYS an OFFICIAL.
whether the company as a financial
proposition, can consistently continue
20 carry out its contract with the city
The alleged '.Overpayment-' IS said 10
have baen only on street repair work.
and not on surface work proper
The new measurement system. said To
have been put into effect by Dow. Il
is claimed. at the suggestion Of Bren-
naE. became effective about a year and
q half before the expiration Of the old
Brennan contract. which ended in .-uly.
1897. Il was suddenly terminated when
the investi CATION began following go.
discovery OF an uneNplainable overpay-
ment 20 the Brennan company.
Morrow Out Of Case.
Major jay J. Morrow. former Engineer
Commissioner. who has been conduct
ing the Investigation for the past Tvs
months emphaticalIy declined TO COM
ment today on the fun text OF the in
vestisation, on the ground that ne had
turned over the papers 10 his successor.
Major Cosby and that 1t would be in
delicate for him TO discuss or diVuIce
the same.
An interesting sidel;ght 10 the Cutire
r,@-ter IS the sensational investisa lion