Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-04-08
ROBERT 4. EVANS,
HENRY CARPENTER,

Mr.. J. |. Hartman, from the committee
on buildings and grounds, announced the
appointment of .janitoIs for the Lemon
street and Chestnut street school houses.
Soldiers Orphans.
Mr.. Breneman, from the soldiers orphans
committee. presented the application of
Mrs. Mary c. Holt, widow of Jonathan
Holt, a soldier of the 10Th Reg. P.V, for
the admission of her son Albert Thomas
Holt, into the soldiers orphans schOO.
The application was approved.
Night Schools.
Mr. Samson, from the boys night school
committee. reported that the attendance
of pupils had become very small, and he
moved the schoo! be closed. SO ordered.
The james Street School House.
Mr.. Slaymaker, from the committee to
which was referred the petition of the sub
contractors for relief for losses suffered by
them in the erection Of the James street
school house, made the following report ::
city Sc'tooj Board:
GENTLEMEN The undersigned COM
nittee. to whom was referred the petition
Of the crcditors Of Andrew Wilson, con-
tractor for the James street school build
ing, respectfully submit the following re-
port:
BY resolution Of this board thirty thou
sand dollars was appropriated for the
erection and equipment of two school
buildings. In pursuance Of said resolution,
and liz accordance with the law and custom
your committee invited proposals for the
erection of these buildings. For the erec
ton OF the james street building, there
were nine proposals, ranging from $3.50
to s9,975. The lowest bidder, Andrew
Wilson, was comparatively unknown to
your committee. and while some doubt
was entertained as to his responsibility,
the security presented, Uriah Bitter, was
unauestioned. Your committee then con-
tracted with these parties for the erection
and completion of the building in accord
ance with the plans and specifications fur
nislad them, for the sum of 81, Mr..
Wilson then contracted with various per-
sOns for material and labor, and commenc
ed the erection of the building, and con
tinucd operations until it was we'll under
way, when he absconded. Work then
ceased and considerable delay ensued until
arrangements were effected by which the
building was completed by Mr.. Bitter.
New contracts had to be made, a superin-
tendent and new hands had to be employed
and many other contingencies provided
for. Ali of which tended to increase the
cost of tire buil,iing, and cansc the conse
qucnt loss.
This Ioss-s;,id to be over two Thousand
dOilars-the petitioners ask this board to
pay. While the cost Of the building
through causes heretofore referred to
may have exceeded the contract price.
your committee do rot admit as fact
the statement of the petitioners, that the
building could not have been built for
less sum than is said to have been cxpend-
cd on it, viz: s9,S03 while two other cx-
perienced builders, with ample security,
proposed to contract and erect the build
ing for only $3.50 and $40, respectively,
more than the bid of Mr.. Wilson. While
We sympathize with any who may have
lost either material or labor in the erection
Of this building, in view of all the facts
and circumstances, your committee believe
that for the board to pay these losses
would establish bad precedent; it would
be unjust to other bidders; it would
render contracts useless, and would be
violation of the spirit if not the letter OF
the law. We, therefore, recommend that
the prayer of the petitioners be not granted.
ii. +. SLAYMAKER,
WM. MCCOMSEY,
LUTHER RICHARDs,
CHRISTIAN ZECHER,
ROBERT A. EVANS,
JOHN l. HARTMAN.
MIR. Wilson made an argument in behalf
Of the petitioners, maintaining that the
board was in equity, if not in law, bound
to pay them for the losses sustained, as it
was no fault of theirs that the contractor
had abscondcd and it was undeniable
that the board had secured building
worth fully 81, 600 more than had been paid
fOrit. To establish this point Mr.. Wilson
presented the bills showing the absolute
cost of the building, the bids of other con-
tractors for the work, and also certificates
Of several disinterested builders.
Mr.. J. /. Hartman and Mr.. Slaymaker !
replied, contending that the board was not !
for the alleged losses and |
that it would be a dangerous precedent to |
pay sums over and above the contract price
TO make good the losses of contractors. If |
such precedent be established, Il cunning
will be able to put in bids so
Ow as to secure the contracts for all !
needed by the board, and then
all upon the board to make good alleged
Gsses.
The question being called for, the re-
,Ort of the committee was adopted, there
'eing only three or four votes in the mega
i've.