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SIXTH HEARING.

WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 3, 1871.

The hearing was resumed at a quarter before eight o'clock, Mr. RICH in the chair.

Mr. KEITH. I will first put in a table prepared from the official records of the city in regard to the actual cost of running the ferries from the year 1853 to the year 1869.

Statement of the cost of running the East Boston Ferries, includin the cost of new ferry-boats, new drops and slips, and all repairs

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From these figures may fairly be deducted amounts charged
in the accounts of the East Boston Ferry Company, as no

money was set aside for depreciation:

1860..Depreciation.

1861......do..

$10,000 00

10,000 00

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The above figures are from the official records on file at the City Hall, except the two items marked estimated, which, for some reason, are not to be found on file. They cannot materially affect the result.

I will state that these figures embrace from 1860 to 1867 ten thousand dollars ($10,000) a year charged to depreciation account, without any sum being actually carried to depreciation account; and in the year 1868 it embraces twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) charged to depreciation account without any moneys being so carried; making an average cost of something a little rising ten thousand dollars a year for the seven years.

TESTIMONY OF DANIEL D. KELLY.

Q. (By Mr. KEITH.) You are a resident of East Boston?
A. Yes, sir.

Q. And for how long a time?

A. I think for about twenty-eight years.

Q. Were you a resident of East Boston before it was constituted a Ward by itself?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. What Ward was it attached to at that time?

A. Ward Four.

Q. You are at present one of the directors of the ferry?
A. Yes, sir.

Q. And have been during the last year?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. I see by the Auditor's report that some two hundred and twelve thousand dollars were expended in running the ferries last year. Will you state what expenditures were made of an extraordinary character, if any?

A. The extraordinary expenses of the ferry have been in consequence of the condition in which the ferries were found when the city took possession. Perhaps, in order to be understood, I should explain what ordinary and extraordinary repairs

are.

When we took possession of the ferries there were six boats, one of which was condemned, leaving us five boats to constitute the running part of our ferry. Of those five boats, there was not one but what required more or less repairs, and some of them very extensive repairs. We had, for one thing, to metal one of the boats. There was no engine upon either of the boats but what required some considerable repairs, and some of them required extensive repairs upon the boilers, and there was no boat, excepting the "Lincoln," but what required considerable repairs upon the hull. I should think that the ordinary

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repairs of one of our boats to run a year, from my observation, and from what I have seen in previous years while acting as director in the People's ferry, when it was in existence, would be from three to four thousand dollars.

I should say that that would cover all the expenses for paint. ing, carpenter and joiner work, repairs of machinery and boilers, and all that would need to be done to keep the ferry in good running condition, and keep the boats so that they would be respectable, appear well, and run well. In the condition in which we found the boats, this sum was not enough to keep them in order. The boats are not now in such order as any man would keep a good ship, a good vessel, or a good steamer of his own, because the appropriations made after we took full possession of the ferries were so inadequate, that it was necessary for us to curtail the expenses in every way we possibly could, and everything that we have done for the boats, excepting painting, was what was actually necessary for them to run.

In the early part of the running, we were not able to run but three boats, and in order to make it any way convenient for the people travelling by the cars, as the cars pass the north ferry alone, it was necessary we should run two boats on that ferry. I think it was some two months, or two months and a half, before we put a second boat on the north ferry. And not only were the boats out of repair, but all the houses. The tin was ripped off the north ferry house, and there was hardly any building that did not require painting. There was no room for the directors to hold their meetings in, and no office fitted for the secretary and his assistant. In fact, the condition of the ferry was like a farm with the walls and fences all down and everything completely out of order. We were compelled to put everything in order, and thus were obliged to spend a much larger sum of money the past year, and will have to the next year, than would ordinarily be expended in running the ferries. The extraordinary expenses upon the landings have been in

curred in putting up new buildings and new slips; in building a new and expensive drop, costing some considerable more money than I should have deemed necessary if I had been building one for myself, in consequence of the fact, that it was built on a plan prepared by the city engineer. It cost a thousand, or two thousand dollars more to adopt his plan. I do not say it is not that much better, but still if I had been building it for myself, I should have built it upon the old plan, which was good enough for the present. We have built two new tanks which are expensive, and rebuilt, almost entirely, three slips, with the exception of what piles we took from the slips. Upon the whole, the extraordinary repairs the past year have amounted to not less than sixty thousand dollars. I have the items here, which have been copied from the secretary's books.

Expenses of Ferry Department, year ending March 31, 1871.

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