The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-04-09

rn-rr Knfrps. ~ fuue q Yocx pape1 pub-
;fsh~d en- Sunday ~ 81 tnGL- cnuea10od = ~
~ fsun Ms. John 9. Seuny. ~ eEty sukseyer,
- tie mayer - oomDoa cszzdi - The city q
sssfss<- ne istssr feAsrssd. - Ne fAink- wy
severely 1pon . Np9ennae on6 hard working
esA~s and a<cnsed then IN whoiean1s way 81
-dolnx skose things which shey e0xht nos -
have coue. and rfncSsesiiy ieAvtng unions
shae vhieh sbey should hsvs dcne-r
To gn0ee from Mr.. scMrry. he rec04mends
tha1 son>e meaenres - sxkeu 70 comr5ete tie
contracts tskseeasa. ard thax measures - tales
earnest ofnrs to complete their consracfs within
tee time named in their aSroemeets With the
city. The letter mentioned has tackled 10 II .
memorandum pnfpwtfng 10 Be saouiased
sa2tsmens showing the progress and condstion
Of the WORK o. the srFeess under oonfracs In this
CITY, giving dszes on which eoutsacfs fos sane
we're sxeepsed, tho dates for omplefion, and
PER ecufsxe Of soxk On eaeh street dane uD b
aEe Of writing.
Il may be STATED fog the senent Of those who
do Rot KNOW that street contracts are paid in
city scrip on the basis Of per centaze Of their
werk completed, % exffmafed by the city sur
veyor or his subordinate. Az contractor are mes
always lasxs capitalists, shis payment % fire.
quenfiy matter Of grave concern 20 them. In
80 much - In tic mcuey raised BY them ON aid
CRY scrip fhey may Be obliged TO depend In
order 10 pay portion Of the expenses they bare
been put 70 ia doing che work.
II may therefore readily be seen that IN esd
mate Of the proper ton OF work done on con-
tract IL Of vital importance to them, the pay
meat in "Trip 10 issued In exact proportion 10
this estimate.
Nov. II ycu please, Mr.. Editor. be kind enough
70 90 with u over the ssbiosned statement and
zee boz mnch accuracy Is taken inso eonsids-
ration IN Mr.. ecurTy's memorandum OF work
done By fhe contractors OF this city.
To begin. Bradley street 10 stated 20 be nm
fshed. the contract having expired on April /
A matter of fact. IL 10 not finished
skipping two paragraphs We come 70 the note
On Dexter street Contract expired on November
1: amount done. 50 per cent; nothing done for
three months. In this ease Messrs. Kerns have
worked on Dexter street within two months.
when the condition Of the ground and the state
OF the weather wss such that had the shallow OF
the late lamenfed Bergh. OF the sotiety for the
Prevention OF Cruelty TO Animals, been In this
hemisphere there would sssuredly have been an
arrest and conviction on the score Of cruelty 70
aninaalx
Fourteenth streef-Messrs Kerns 4 Co: 70 per
cenI done. says Mr.. Scurry. The contractors
state that since the contract Wa let the grade OF
the street had been changed from what IL was
then, and consequently the estimate 10 made on
. wrong basis.
Lake View avenue, reports Nj. Scurry. has not
that God Almighty. through the weather clerk.
Is mainly responsible.
Main strcet-Twelve per cent done; no work
going on. In this case the coufr actors do not
understand how Mr. Scurry figures in max
ing the amount allowed II per cent, for IS
600 feet was the estimate, while the gross
amount mentioned fu the contract Is 10000
skipping . few more items we come 20 Orion
street-Jones 4 EIdred; contract expires July s;
30 per cent. Gone: IL IL claimed that IS per cent
has been done on this contract.
Washington eireet-Harper q Bowling: 5 per
cent. done, says Mr.. Scurry. Contractors exri-
mate 70 per cent
Weller street,. Feck. contractor. Mr.. 6curry
allows Is per cent done Feck claims 80 per
ceutum.
University street-san Francisco Bridge Com
pany. Mr.. scury's estimate. Is per cent: con-
tractors estimate. 80 per centum.
The above conflicting and confusing figures
irrcsistibly suggest to the exact or mathemati-
cal mind the existence Of q somewhat peculiar
state Of affairs In this city. Either the contrsc
tors are set OF stupid barefaced liars. or the
estimates Of Mr. scurry. the city surveyor. or
his subordinate, are made In very careless and
consequently unjust way.
Roughly computed. there are nineteen con-
tractors doing street work for the city OF Seattle
They represent sbont S250.0oO Of capital They
are, a. far - IL known. reputable. God-fearng.
hard working citizens. II Is entirely impossible
that when they Investigate . subject with
which they are perfectly familiar, that their
com hined Judgment should be 20 far out N IL
shown by the compared estimates contained In
Mr. 6curry's figures and their own.
Al has neen shown, grave injustice il done II
Q eontractof-who necessarily incufs great ex-
pcnse in beginning and continuing his work
n only allowed. after the expiration of certain
period and the completion Of . certain amount
or one-ffth Of the amount actually earned.
This Is the case II Mr.. scurry's estimates are
erroneous Few contractors arc men of sun
GENTLY large means to consummste big job
without receiving portion OF the amount
earned before the work Is completed.
II Is claimed that Mr.. Scurry's estimates are
both erroneous and unjust.
II 10 further claimed that he does not s1va n
sufficient amount OF personal attention to his
duties rs city Surveyor OF seattle.
IL II further claimed that his subordinates.
through whom he acts. are irresponsible and
grossly careless in their conduct Of affairs very
important to the city's welfare The estimate
upon which. at times. the very financial life OF
the contractor 10 depending, are made by q sys-
TEN OF loose guesxing-"f guess there are T. 600
yards here. and l gueas there are 200 yards
there"
The contractor who has not only seen the
work done but whose slender purse has paid the
horny handed lahorer who did it, estimates
without any guessing that there are 1000 yards
there and 10000 here. Which 10 the more apt to
he right
This system OF acrutixcd work, which seems
essentially Mr.. Seurry's own. bears hardly on
the contractors in other ways Grade stakes
are often wanted and when not forthcoming.
delay the unfortunate contractor -ho H. 10 TO
speak. the scspeguat who beam the sins OF
sesttles city surveyor into the wilderness. and
the poor contractor II obliged TO defer his work.
aud feed bis idle men, white waiting for the
stakes to arrive. For instance. pexterstseet ON
which no work. the council IL told IL being
done. is at present In this very prasiicamenf
Another instance is related In which the city
surveyor deputized = subordinate 90 lay oxt a
street for one OF the CONTRACTOR The suborsii.
nate went ont to do 50 and the contractor after a
long hunt finally discovered the industrious
surveyor fast asleep At the base OF rock bur at
bis pos, Of duty.
Inc contractors think. tn fact rs may be In.
TERED by the above expression Of their scnti.
ments, that gentleman 50 wealthy and nos
seSsiag 80 many diversified interests N Mr.
Scurry. u not the hest man TO BE- selected IN fll
The position OF city surveyor
The contractors also wish 70 eail attention IN
q feature OF their business, which IL prcperiv
known. does not seem to be suffessn,ly anp-..
sisied by the citizens OF Seattle. A contract TO
grade . street is given out. In the arxs pIae,
both state and city bonds TO an ample smosnt
are exsctsd- Forty days after ,he work is com.
pleted they are paid In city scrtp. In order To
raise cash this scrip they are OBLIGED TO .ake
IL to the hank. The hAaks will not receive IL
except st 90 per ceat Of It's fare va'ne. ara thsr
charge per cent. Per month for the accor,r,o-
siasion for the money loaned
let any Of the msshsmsticisns or merchants