The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-02-23
TIE CITY soLoSs.
The sewer Quesffnn-5sInea FitEEibbon
ECO. Pile their Bond as contraetOrs
FOR the City seWrr-EEseutive
sessIon-Three New Po-
lice Omeers APP
pointed.

The city council came together in
response TO q special call for the
purpose Of completing and passing
upon the sewer contract and the bond
given by James FitzgibbOn a Co.
The mayor and cOuneilmen Under
wood, Weaver, Supple, Cravens'
Fitzpatrick, Walton aud Page were
present. The mayor called for the
report Of the sewer committee. In
response to this call Mr.. Underwood
stated that the committee prepared
the bond and forwarded il TO AT.
FitzgibbOn at Topeka; that IL was
filled out and :igned by the con-
tractors and sureties and returned
that Mr.. James FitzgIbbOn was
present ia answer to a telegram re-
questing his presence. Mr.. Under
wood, upon the consent aud request
Of the council, proceeded TO read .he
contract and bond, the substance ul
which has been previously publish
ed i'm these columns. The dOeu-
ments were lengthy aud dull litera-
ture, the only interesting points
being that the sewer would be l,7st
feet long, an open cut throughout
except the tunneling under railroad
tracks. The contract seemed 10 bt
''irOn-clad," bearing the heaviest
guns, all double-shOtted. The con.
tractors have three months ia which
10 finish the work, and forfeit 81
per day for every day eiapsing after
the above time, freezing, high water
impOssibility to get material-alOnt
excepted. The payments are 20 Ice
made, One-half at expiration Oi
work, balances months thereafter
The bond OF the contractors rs read
was signed by the contractors them
selves, Geo. w. Bussey, Joachim
Graves, Robert Callahan, W. F. Me
Carthy, and Thee. JOekln-ail OF
Topeka.
Mr.. Weaver moved that the report
Of the committee be received and
lleC, which motion being seconded
by Mr.. Page, WAS carried unahi-
mOusly.
Mr.. Weaver then moved that the
contract be approved, which was sec'
onded by Mr.. Fitzpatrick.
Dir. Page asked II IL was not adyis-
able to have some one in Salina up
on the bond.
The mayor explained that the con.
trac.-nOt the bond-was under con
sideratiOn.
Mr.. Radcliff asked the privilege "a
enquire if the sewer tax was TO b,
made payable in two or more install
ments, and how much the tax would
he.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick answered that as
near As he could figure It would be
) or q mills on the dollar.
Mr.. Radcliff said he had asked
this question, because somebody had
said the tax would be s mills.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick said the assessed
valuation Of city real estate must be
some where near one million, dollars
with Il possible increase very short
ly to 500, 600 more.
The question being taken up, the
motion Was carried by a unanimous
vote.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick moved that the
mayor be instructed to sign the con
tract in behalf OF the city, and the
document be attested by the city
clerk. The motion Was carried.
The form Of the bond was then APP
proved. Some discussion then fol-
lowed relative to the completion OF
the bond being left to the committee
and city attorney.
It was finally decided to complete
and approve Of it at once, allowing
the local bondsman to sign his name
at once, Mr.. FiizgibbOn retiring TO
find his man,
Mr.. CraYens explained that in law
a bond was not required.
Mr.. Radcliff wanted to know at
what price the city warrants WAS to
he sold 10 pay for this work.
Tue mayor said he had taken pains
T. enquire about this business.
The first offer made for the warrants
was 50 cents on the dollar. He said
he would not agree to that price. Of
course. Since then the First and
Second National Banks of Sslina
had offered to take the script at par
with II per cent interest, and one OF
the banks was confident the interest
could be reduced to = per cent, by
taking little time to dispose Of il.
AS this was a hard year on the tax
payers, the council could make one
half OF the script due Jan. lst, anu
the other half six months later. He
believed the tax would not be more
than 5 mills on the dollar.
Mr.. Radcliff asked Mr.. Fitzpatrick
l. he was acquainted with the con-
tractors bondsmen. The latter
gentleman said he was not, but stat
ed that the same bOndsmen were the
contractors suretles In Topeka con-
tracts and were reported good.
Alr. Fitzpatrick moved that one
Saline county citizen be required 10
be added to the bond.
Mr.. Underwood said that the OBJ
ject Of this move probably was that
in the case the contractor fails to
complete his contract, the city would
not be compelled to send notice to
bOndsmen in Topeka. The city
could serve notice on the Saline
county man, and that " ould be legal
notice to all. He hardly thought I
was absolutely necessary to require q
LOCAL bondsman. He said strangers
now had contracts amounting to
Of dollars in this city, and
were not required to give local seeur-
ity. He cited the case Of the Nation
al Hotel and the Episcopal Academy.
He referred to the fact that he had
hal years Of experience IS 8 eontrse-
tor himself, one contract involving
500, 900, and although q stranger In
places where he had operated, had not
been required TO give local security.
The REPORTS were that Mr.. Fitzgib-