The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-04
PUT ONE OVER" ON
CITY EVERY chance
CONTRACTORS READILY OWN UP 30
SIGHTING WORK WHEN or
f0tTUNITy OFFERS.


mlniStrative Board yesterday after
noon as to alleged irregularities IN
the City EIg D.ers department prov
- a fash In the tan, so far as the
cTaItmGut is concerned. il did show
that various contractors who DO WorS
for the city, have for years evaded
the letter Of their contracts wherever
they were given the opportunity.
The inquiry came about through q
statement made by I. j. Smith, pua ri
the contractors His concern is an
RaFed in paving West Broad sstrcer
With granite spalls. Recently he
City Inspector mas had occasion "a
condemn a great quantity of the ma
-erial. as not up to standard ana not
bearing out the requirements OF the
specifications.
Mr.. Smith swore before the board
that net for zen years had any con
tractor tor street work been required
to keep strictly within the letter Ut
the Administrative Board called the
the speclfiations. Upon this statement
the Administrative Board called for
the inquiry.
City Engineer Boiling and his as
sistant Taliaferro. with the Office In
spectors, were on hand. in defense Of
their department, while MI smith
had several OF his worlgmen and q
quarryman present to bear out his
statements.
Ready For Probe.
AIr Boiling asked the board 10
20 fully into the inquiry. He wanted
the board and the city TO know just
what tn, departures t Is doing. He
stood ready for the probe. and was
willing to face the c losest scrutiny
Commissioner Hirschberg said the
board would simply hear from the
witnesses anything in connection with
the Broad Street paving, which had
been condemned in part by the City
Engineer. and which had been re-
ported as now being equal 10 any ir
the city.
This paving. l do not hesitate Il
say" said MIR. Boiling, is az near the
specifications az 1t is possible to be.
lie bore out this statement by evi.
dence produced by Mr.. Smith, him.
self. who said the inspector almost
lived on the job"
THE inspectors are after us all the
time" he said. Il maintain. how
ever, that discrimination is shown
and that other contractors are per
lnitted to get by the specifications
without comment or condemnation
other contractors. including Messrs
Maynard ana John and G. NJ. Vein
brunn. stated that their material had
frequently been condemned, and that
so far as they knew no discrtmina
ton had been shown.
Inspectors Hazelgrove. Mcmahon
TAYLOR. Bass and Euhanlc stated tina;
they stuck to their tobs as closely as
possible, and that they did not play
favorites. but condemned material re-
gardiess of who the contractor might
be. and tried 10 produce proper re-
suits for the city.
Was the Custom.
Mr.. Smith said it had been Gus
tomary for contractors Tor ten years
TO slip in inferior material whenevel
they could and that the custom still
prevailed, except in the particula
a3e on Broad Street, Of which he 50
bitterly complained
Then" said Mr.. Mccarthy. "yo,
admit that much or the work yol
have been doing for the city in tn
past has not been up TO specifica
tions?''
mot that exactly" replied Mr.
smith. "But il has been customar,
with that in view, because the IN
spectors had not strictly enforced tbs
letter of the specifications.
Mr.. Smith maintained that he couit
convince the board that many jobs
in various sections of the city hat
not been completed under the speci
ficatlons. He said he would gladly
tear upa twenty-yard lot for inspec'
ton, and relay It Mt his own ex'
pepse.
men like Mcmahon" said Mr.. Smith
ait will get better work from the con
tractors
rr would like to ask" said Com
missioner Mccarthy. 'ff the city En-
gineer is recurring YOU 10 do nlor'
than the specifications call for"
mo sir" replied Mr.. smith, "hut thu
custom has been
Never mind about the custom. WI
want the work done as near the spsci
fcations as possible"
blanchard Forbes. who sells much o
the granite 10 the contractors. said n
had lost some granite, through careful
inspeetion by The Engineer's Depart
ment.
One over On City.
C. VI. WeinbrunG. contractor, sai'
the inspectors were always close behin'
him, but that whenever he could d'
So he would slip in some or the stone
which might be condemned.
Contractors always try TO get on
over on the inspectors, he said. 'pu
IL Is hard TO do. We dislike TO los
any of our material
mo Jobs In the city are inspected 81
rigidiy as mine" maintained Mr.. smith
And this care had not been require'
befnra"