Delta chief., 1885-09-02
The New Public school building.

Considerable criticism has been INDUCED
in during the past week or so over the action
of the school boord in refusing to make the
second payment to the contractors on the
new public school building, criticism l be-
lieve uncalled for, and made on misrepresen-
tation and by parties only who are interested
in some way financially in the building of
said house. In fact the board never refused
to make the second payment, but notified
the contractors that the payment would not
be made until the building was enclosed ac-
cording to the plans and specifications. as the
contract provides, and that the board would
not accept certain deviations made by the
contractors from the specifications. A short
history of the action of the old board in let
ting the contract and making certain changes
in the plans and specifications will not be out
of place here. When the board met to open
bids for the building, some six bids were read,
one by Mr.. Wolcott, the lowest, for So, $50,
the next highest by the present contractors.
for $6,365, and the others for greater sum.
At that meeting of the board | was in favor
of letting the contract to Mr.. Wolcott OH his
giving sufficient and satisfactory bond,
which he assured the board he could do il
given two weeks time. After II long discus
sion, lasting about three hours, the board re-
jected the bid of Mr.. Wolcott, the vote stand.
ing, for rejection. Messrs. Moody and McGran-
ahan; against, Mr.. Blair. The board then
let the contract to the present contractors,
when after about months time the bond
wa, led and the contract signed. No sooner
had this been consummated than the con
tractors began besieging the board for chang
in the plans and specifications, which in
respect to the roof the board consented to,
and made it part of the specifications, as
also they did with the middle or partition
wall. changing it from a nine to a thirteen
inch wall, specifying the compensation the
contractors should receive for max ing these
changes. When the trenches for the walls
were dug it was found that part of them
reached the gravel formation and part did
not. 1t was thought advisable by the boarl
to put all of the foundation down to gravel.
and further agreement was made with the
contractors to do this, which they did and
were paid for it at a stipulated price. These
are all the deviations from the original plans
made by the board that we have any memoir.
anda of. Requests were made by the con
tractors to change the shingles, the flooring.
the inside finish, etc, from what the speci.
tications called for to other material, but in
meeting attended land | was at every
one of them that was duly called and wa.
notitied) was these changes discussed and
voted upon, and no minutes appear upon the
records of any meeting at which these chang
es made in due form.
At the time of selling the bonds and re-
ceiving the money | was absent from the city
taking the census, but at previous meeting
of the board, when the bonds were ordered
disposed of, l called the attention of the
board of my intended absence, and the board
resolved to deposit the funds in the Delta
County Bank, to be drawn only order
signed by all members of the board, wher,
the funds now are.
As to the change of the flooring claimed to
have been made by the old board know moth
ing of, as no records of any meeting appear al
which any such changes were made. As to
the other changes in the building, such
leaving out the two dwarf walls under the
two lower rooms, etc, the contractors have
made them of their own free will, and with.
out the consent of the board
The board, in the exercise of the right
given it under the contract, appointed an in
spector, who has called the attention of the
contractors to the changes made and pro test
ed in the name of the board to them, in
plenty of time to have them corrected if they
had intended or desired to do so. When
the change in the flooring was made, from
hard Colorado pine to white spruce, the con.
tractors were notified by him that the latter
material was in violation of the specifications
and would not be accepted by the board, but
in spite of this protest the white spruce
flooring was laid.
The board has not acted in bull-headed
manner with the contractors, but have tiled
in all ways consistent to help them along, as
is nstanced in the case of the brick. The
specifications call for dark red brick Of
even color, and specifying that no salmon
colored brick Should be used except in the
inner wall above the second story. The
brick burned were not of dark red nor of
an even color, and to help the contractors out
of the dilemma the board agreed to and did
pay for half the dipping the brick in prep
aration of oil to get them of the required
even color. And in other instances the board
has shown disposition to help them in dit
ferent ways.