The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-01
President MenOcal Orders In.
quiry Into the Paving Of
Streets in Havana.
IGNORE SPECIFICATIONS
Asphalt Said to Have Been Sold
and Inferior Material
Substituted.
SDe c,ai Correspondence 10 Tas sus.

HAVANA. Jan. 22.--President Menocai
has directed Secretary Of Public Works
Villalon. by decree. to investigate the work
OF the contractors who are laying down
pavements and sewers III Havana, and
thus far some 600 samples taken from
the various asphalted streets show that
the contractors forgot to put any cement
in the concrete base and that the asphalt
top Is on an average only one and one
half inches thick instead Of three inches
as called for In the contract Miles Of
this pavement have been laid.
The contractors explain that they used
too much water In mixing the concrete
and tina. the cement all ran out. The
local manufacturers who sold the cement
complained in the Cour, OF First Instance
some months ago that the cement was
put OH the market by local dealers at
a price less than the cost of msnufac.
ture.
The sewering and paving OF Havana
was insisted upon By the Plat amend.
ment 70 the Cuban Constitution to the
end that Havana should cease 10 bs a
menace 10 health Plans were prepared
and a contract for the work let during
the first military occupation TO Samuel p.
McGlvney and Ralph T. Rokeby on a unit
price basis the total Of which Was about
100000. So anxious was Washington
that there should be no slip In tho work
that Elihu Root, then Secretary Of War,
drew the contract himself. He left, how.
, ever. a loophole through which the Cuban
Government crawled. He neglected TO
provide means to obtain funds to carr,
on tho work.
Funds Provided fer Work.
Before the second military occupation
came to close this question was again
| taken up. and during February. 1908
funds were provided by permitting a bond
issue Of sl6.60O.o0o The contract with
McGivney & Rokeby was adjusted along
lines OF Increased cost Of labor and ma
| teriAls and the total WAS brought to Sl2,-
| 100000. a bureau of inspection was es-
| tAblishod Independent. Of the Cuban Gov
! eminent and u. l.. McComb OF Washing
| ton was placed a. Its head
On June %. 1908. under President
Gomez the work started. McGivney 4
Rokeby sublet the sewcring Of the city
TO the Cuban Engineering and Con.
tracing Company. N company organized
| Tor the purpose This part Of the work
amounted to about $4,000. 900. They KEEP,
for themselves. or for the Cvaide Asphalt
Company. the paving part OF the con-
tract. This was the best end of the work
MS they receive'i for asphalt $40, for
brick S4.4o and for granite 35.45 q square
yard.
The work progressed slowly. until
| April. 1910 when the contractors were
| on the verge OF bankruptcy. They
succeeded. however. In bringing pressure
\ to bear In Washington. and Secretary
| Dickinson made trip TO Cuba and had
the speci:icat!ons changed. 1t was at
that time Secretary OF state SanguiIy
mdae the statement that Cuba was help
less He said You come here and force
this change upon us with a warshp In
| the harbor Dickinson came on a man OF
! war; 10 back YOU Up aud We must sub.
| nit
, sDeciAcations Wide Open.
| IL Secretary Dickinson left any bars un
in the sate President Gomez promptly re.
moved them and the Specifications were
| wide open. shortly after this change Nc
| comb resigned his position. because, IL
- said. the bars We're so far down that H..
could not he responsible for the results
A. NJ. Brosius was appointed in his stead
And Is now occupying the position.
Secretary Nillslon appointed Miguel
| Palmer ard Luis Morales. who have been
| educated IN American colleges. as engin-
! GERS. to form the commission for invest.-
sation and has brought from New York
! A. W. Dow. Of the Arm Of consulting
| engineers. Dow 4 Smith, 20 make the
examination OF the pavements
The work has been in progress only a
few days and the investigation is limited
Tor the present 70 the pavements. Tina,
| concerning the sewers will come later
and rumor says that more astounding
| disclosures than the lack of cement in the
concrete or asphalt In the asphalt pave
lnent will result.