The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-20
Tho School Board COMMITTEES and
tho Contractors Talk Over
tho Situation.
Perhaps the Trustees May Pay
AL Debts and Advance
Money.


tee Fitzpatrick, president OF the board, had
. consultation yesterday with j. g.. Grant
and s. +. Whalen. the contractors for tile
building Of the high school, with the visw
of coming to some understanding by which
the Structure may be complsted and made
ready for occupancy. Tho conference took
place in Trustee Jockeys Office, and Super.
intendent of Construction +. M. Williams
was present. Contractor Whalsn pre-
scented a memorandum of the Money he and
his partner had received. the amounts due
on the building for labor and material and
what they owed the banks on advances,
also their estimate of what 1t wonld cost to
complete the structure. Superintendent
Williams also furnished All estimate of
what was due by tho contractors for labor
and material, and what he figured it would
cost to finish the bpilding. The two
estimates were 80 near nike that the
committee were enabled to figure on either
without going far out of the way. The
contractors estimates were as follows:
Necessary to complets the building. $14,-
600; due for labor and materials, ST. no. So.
Ihs 6uperintendent's estimates were:
Necessary to complete building, $14, 205;
due for labor and materials, S7,69l. G8.
Contractor Whalen also stated that in
addition to the liabilities mentioned the
firm owed the Montana National bank
$l2,119 which amount had been assigned
that institution out of any money due or to
become dus on tho contract. There is duo
another bank $500. Ha also claimed
$1,000 for special architect plans Of the
building as it had been changed. 1000 for
attorneys fees. and $500 for the use of
tools on extra work. In addition to this
he thought his firm should be allowed at
least is per cent profit on the cost OF the
building complete. The cash received by
the contractors to date amounts to $51, ia.
on account of the original contract aud
extras allowed. There il something over
$4,000 duo the contractors but still in the
hands OF the board, and 4 considerable sum
IL still to become due for extras for which
no bills have yet been presented or allowed.
There was considerable discussion in a
general way as to how the matter could bo
arranged 20 as to allow the contractors to
go ahoad and complete the building.
Finally Trustee LanRhorne made a sugges-
tion that the school board pay of the
claims for labor and material, and then adj
vance ths amounts necessary from time to
tino In purchasing new material and hiring
workmen to finish the school,. These
amounts, according to the estimates of the
contractors aud of the superintendent,
would aggregate about *22,O 900, and would
from whatever might be coming to them
on their original contract aud for extras.
This raised the question as to what no.
sitlon tho assignment of claim by the con-
tractors to the Montana bank would 90
cury, and whothor or not the school dis
Cashier Mccullough, of the bank, was tele-
phoned for and brought a copy of the assign
ment, or rather two of them, to tbs ovm-
mittee meeting. Ono Of them, in consider
alton Of q loan of $4,000. assigned to the
bank al! the Is pei, cont. reserve which the
school board holds out of the contract
money until tho building is complete. The
other, for a 10000 loan, assigns amy money
dus or to become due on tho contrast
or for extras. This $1,000 indebtedness
has bssn reduced to S12.119.
Contractor Whalen said the proposition
OF Trustee Langhorne would be satisfactory
to him, if in carrying out any arrangement
Of tho kind, the banks interest in the
matter would not be ieopardized. Some of
tho trustees thought that evsn if they had
to assume the indebtedness to tho bank, in |
addition to paying off the claims and ad-
vanoing money to finish the building, there
might still be enough coming to the CON
extras to make mp tho amount. TIL CON
tractors were asked to furnish g statement
of what the probable bills for extras not
presented will amount to. Con
tractor Whalen said it would take some
to get up such a statement. Even
he did not care to furnish bills for
work which was not completed, Az it might
bar the firm in making q larger and more
bill whom the proper tims came.
The committee will call . special meeting
of the school board. probably to-day, to
consider the proposition for paying off the
and advancing the money to finish
the building. Meantime the COMMITTEES
will endeavor to find out the legal status Of
The assignment Of claims to the Montana
national bank.
During tho discussion between the COM
mittee and the contractors, it was stated
ON behalf Of the latter that they did not
themselves as working under the
original contract, on account of the many
that had been made ia the plans OF
The building. 70 this Trustee Langhotne
suggested that in snch event tbs board
might as we'll settle up with the contractors
rs tho building now stood and 20 ahead
md finish it themselves. Referring to the
in the work, Contractor Grant said it
vas due to the frequent alterations of plans,
Had a regular plan been followed in the
irst place the work would have gone nlong
.astar. But when ono art of tho work was
managed IT neceHsitated changing other
PARTS, and in that way things did not move
IL fast. MIR. Grant, before the meeting adj
burned, asked the board particularly to
FACTORS 10 vorkingmen. Those men were
depending on their wages for the support
# themselves and their families, and he
rOOlN like tn goo fhny, u.JI