Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-04-24
DICKY HAS FLUNKED
He Gives Ofhcisl Notice 10 the
Court House Committee
THAT he WILL PROCEED no FURTHER
With the Construction OF the BIG Gala u-
ity-He 10 Afraid That he ,an Mol
Get His Pay, heacs he
VIII Not Continue

The Western Construction Company
has given formal notice OF sts lRsentloa
to surrender the court house contract
The reasons for this conclusion were
fully set forth IN an interview with Mr..
Morton, the superintendent, published
in the paper last week. The notice
after recitins the differences between
The contract company and the build lag
committee, as well as the circumstances
attending the original contract and the
proceedings under Which the appropglA-
lion Was authorized, goes on 20 saw
Your building committee assert that
the Western Construction Company Vas
aware of the foregoing provision 81 tae
constitution Ariscle 10, section o, stats
consutulonl. when II made the con
tract. That may be; but the 100000
exceeded the svasls of the bonds by
only SS2sS, and for this small amount
the company probably entertained no
doaia thai the county would pay, and
that there would be no pFotest from
any voters. Eut when your board bad
exceeded their authority by many
thousands OF dollars, ihls company a.
now constitute entertained doubts -
10 being able 20 ohilge the county %
pay ln case some voter should attempt
10 restrain the county from uslng 4
sum so largely IN excess OF the sppso-
prlaton. aud II therefore sought legal
counsel. The cost of the building %
date. including extras already done aud
ordered 10 be done. amounts IA round
figures la about $40 900. Add IA this
I. tass. lar ~ t..a
lntendent, Mr.. Woodward, the salary
and expenses of the building commit
tee, and extras Ia come, and extras
which cannot bc avoided, the building
will cost when completed not much, II
any, inside of $2oe.eoo: and this. too.
exclusive of the furniture, making the
total cost at an inside figure, not less
than S2l5, ,0O0-or S55, 900 more than tie
people of Kent county voted. oi this
sum about $4,000 would be due tbs
company when the building was com
pleted. In making these figures We
only estimate IN round numbers, but
our figures are none too high.
No Assurance OF Compensation.
There is, we are advised, legal
question as TO the right of your COM
mittee to use other moneys, and We do
not feel like taking chances involving
such a sum; and inasmuch rs your
Board of Supervisors have exceeded
their authority by SO vast an amount.
1t is but far and Just that We should
have some security. III you have "a
right TO use or not use other mOncys,
what assurance have we that the
money will he used To pay this CON-
pany. We can not look tor our pay
from proceeds of unsoid real estate.
We asked you for security at the meet
ing of the Board OF Supervisors about y
month ago, and when you met IN an
adjourned session the following dsy.
We teiegrSphed that We did not con-
sider the contract binding on the county,
and did not see how we could safely
proceed unless the contract was bind
ing. Both our requestand demandswere
ignored. and we have no reason 10
change our views concerning our re-
quest for security from the county.
The proceeding. of the Board of Super
visors intimate that many of its mem
bers entertained the same opinion that
We do, !. e.. that Won had exceeded
your authority and that the contract
was VOID, that If you could use other
moneys TO the extent of forty OF nifty
thousand dollars, YOU could with equal
proprlety expcnd a million dollars OF
the county moneys il you had II on
hand in the liquor fund or real estate.
Will Proceed No Further.
IL evidently Is clearly the opinion of
many of the members Of the hoard that
the contract is not binding upon the
county; otherwise they would not hes
itate TO recommend that the county give
the Westen Construction Company Sc
curity or bonds for inii payment when
the building - completed. A. stated
before, we do not feel justified in tax.
ing any chances involving - large a
sum of money. and as you refuse 10
us. or rather ignore our request for Sc
curity, We must and do decline 70 20
ahead with the build NJ.
The Western Construction Company,
however, desires 10 protect Is sub con-
tractors 20 the end that they shall lose
nothing. The building can be COM
pieted under the present sub-contractk
cheaper aud quicker than in any other
way, and in order TO afford the county
every facility. and 30 protect the sub
contractors, claiming only such surplus
~ the county insists on the legality Of
the contract, IS is left after ali sub
contractors have been paid in fun.
We will also cooperate with the county.
and furnish 10 your committee CON-
plete detailed stetements, o. any N
formation concerning the amount Of
money paid. and the accounts OF all
sub-contractors. IN order that the sub
contractors may be allowed 20 proceed
without loss % themselves, aud with
the greatest possible speed. We dc not
ask 10 be relessed from our bonds TO
the county, as, the contract being VOID,
We consider all bonds VOID. We have
requested our superintendent 20 seek
other employment, and notified o sub
coDtraciors of the present stste of az
fairs. and Of our determination 70 pro-
ceed 10 further.