St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-08
Roach's Vessels to Be Taken Charge of
and the Work Finished by
Uncle Sam.
Secretary EndicOtt InaugurateS Important
Army Regulations ns-Internal Rev.
enue Report.
Dakota Gets Some New Postmaster
Favorable Comments on Cleve-
lands Letter.
The Pacific Mail Embarrassing the
Postal Service--ViIas, Circular to
Postoffice Loafers.
The Unfinished Ships.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7.-Secretary Whit
ney yesterday sent the following letter to
Mr., John Roach and his aSSigneeS and sure
ties in the contract for the "Chicago:"
By the seventh clause of your contract
with the United States, dated July %, 1888,
for the construction of one steel cruiser of
about 4,500 tons displacement, il was
agreed that the hull, machinery and fittings
OF such vessel should be completed and
ready for inspection for the purpose of de-
livery on or before the expiration of eigh
teen months from the date of the contract.
1t was further provided in the eleventh
clause that in the case of failure or omis-
sion of the contractor at any stage of the
work prior to its final completion for any
cause other than thh order of the secretary
of the navy to go forward with the work
and make satisfactory progress towards the
completion it should be optional with the
secretary to declare the contract forfeited.
More than six months have now elapsed
since the expiration of the limit thus fixed
and the work upon the vessel has been
stopped, while much remains to be done be-
fore she can be finally completed. At the
same time it is evident that the public in
tereSt requires the vessel in question, known
as the Chicago" to be completed with
ALL PRACTICABLE SPEED,
and it has therefore become necessary for the
department 10 take immediate and definite
action looking to that end and under the cir
cumstances and in consequence of failure
of the contractors TO proceed with the
work, / have TO inform you that the con-
tract above referred TO is hereby declared TO
be forfeited on the part of the contractor.
and that the rights of the United States
under the contract, and especially the llth,
18th and 18th clauses thereof, are non-oper-
ative. You are further informed that il is
the intention of the department. after tie
inventory and appraiSement shall have been
had, to take steps for the prosecution of
the work and the completion of the said
vessel in accordance with the conditions eX-
pressed in the contract, and that in the
meantime the chiefs OF the bureaus of steam
engineering and construction and repair of
this department will take charge of the
vessel, machinery, materials and fittings.
Similar letters were sent in regard to the
Atlanta and the Boston, and an order was
issued to the chiefs of certain bureaus 10
take charge of the work. In issuing the
order
SECRETARY WHITNEY SAYS:
The order issued to-day with reference TO
the Boston, Atlanta and Chicago is made in
pursuance of my duties under the eleventh
clause of the contract. Under that section
there is to follow inventory showing to
what point of completion the vessels have
come, and what material is on hand in the
contractors yard which mas been provided for
the ships, and how far the work has pro-
gressed. TO be followed by valuation of
these things. There is then a provision that
the department shall decide whether 10 COM
plete the ships. As the matter now stands
there is no question of my duty TO 90 on and
do this, and il works an incidental benefit. of
course, to the contractor and TO his employees.
The government steps into the yard. takes
possession of the ships, the plant, etc, pays
for the completion, and then has an account
ing with the contractor at the end, and If
there is any profit the contractor has il, and
If there is any loss he pays It. Under these
circumstances IL is entirely fit for the head of
the bureaus having supervision of the work
to use the contractors force and his plant
for the purpose.