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Q.-The Contractor adopts your measurements and puts them in in his bill?
A. We compel him.
Q.-Who makes out these bills for the Contractors?
A.-I don't know. None of my people.
Q.-Have you any reason to suppose he gets assistance?
A. If a bill is presented in the handwriting of any of my clerks we don't look at it.
Q.-Would you object to your clerk being paid for making out bills?
A. Certainly. He does so occasionally. In this way. The Contractor will bring in a bill he has got some one to make out for him. I will revise that and make correc- tions. Then I say, tell him to take it to my clerk to make a copy, simply a fair copy of the Contractor's bill after I have revised it.
Q. Do you remember what the practice was as to measuring work in the Public Works Department when you were there?
A.—I never knew there was any practice.
Q. How was the work measured when it had been done?
A. The only work I had while I was in the department I measured by myself. The Contractors would send in their bills, and then I measured it by myself, or some of my Assistants whom I had in the office.
Q-Who were those Assistants?
give you the names of NEATE, SAMPSON, and HANDLEY.
A.--I can give you
Q.-Were they capable to measure?
A.—Oh, yes; after they were shown how to do it. But what I think you are driving at is this. I never allowed the European Overseers to measure the work. I always made that a point. I had a strong opinion on the subject before I came out here. I was on large works at home, and my Chief had strong opinions on it. We never allowed the Overseer in charge of the work to measure up the work.
Q. Do you consider such of the Overseers as you know personally are capable of measuring work?
A. I am sure I don't know. It would depend on the kind of work it was.
Q.--A sewer for instance?
A.-It would depend on the contract, whether it was by piece work, or so much per yard-so much a cubic yard for concrete and so much a cubic yard for stone work. If it were a measurement involving a lot of intricate work I don't think I should allow him to have anything to do with it. Simple measurements you might allow them to
have to do with.
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