The morning call., 1892-04-30
BIG PAY FOR BOTCH JOBS.
More Rank Work by the Local Street
Contractors.
THEIR RECKLESS DISREGARD OF DUTY.
The hopdty.oWnrs Aroused by "The Calls
Vigorous onslaught Upon The
Beodle Gang.
"sklmp the work 40 per cent and charge

"Skimp the work 40 per cent and charge
II up lOO."
That Is the rule Of the street contractors.
1HE CALL has shown this by the result
oil actual digging with pick and shovel in
broderick street, Liberty street, the Corbett
roau. seventeenth street. franklin, Clay
and other thorouShfares.
The property-owaers all over the city are
aroused. They are asking each other.
'Why can't we have street inspectors who
inspect? How long has this sort of thing
got to last?"
They feel outraged and they are going to
make stir about 1t. Who can blame them
when the contractors charge them frst-class
prices 1Jr third-class sewer-pipe. lay btu
men half an inch thick, when it should be
two. make the mortar in brick sewers five
sixths sand and leave out the Y connections
ali over the city.
Yesterday, as result Of THE CALLS in
vestgatioDs. 1t was ascertained that the
sewer In York street, between Napa and
Sierra. was two to three feet higher than the
grade allows,
The sewer in Danvers street, from Elgh-
teenIh and Falcon south to Casselli street,
is seven Feet out OF the street center. 1t
was made wrong by the City Surveyors
wrong survey. This work was done three
months ago. 1t will doubtless involve law
suits regarding property rights 1t is an
outrage, as the man on one side of the street
has to go TO an extra expense for an extra
long sewer-pipe connection.
ihere Is only one connection with the
Gough-slreet sewer In the block between
Oak and Fell streets.
The sewer at the corner Of Beach and
Powell streets. built three weeks ago, Is the
In the neighborhood feel that they have
been swlndled, bat the CONTRACTORS will get
MS money as the sewer actually held up
until The earth was thrown over il. which
was done just as fast as the work proceeded.
The mortar was of the poorest sort, the
bats, which were thrown in indscrimin-
ateiy., 1t was botch job from beginning
TO end.
What kind Of report did the street in
spectOr make?
The sewer was constructed in a good
and workmanlike manner. and strictly in
accordance with the specifications"
And TO this statement lie made oath.
Ihree different prices were charged three
ain eTent property owners for the bitumen
pavement ON Cough street, between Oak
ana Fell. John Cunningham, property
owner at 2O9 Cough street, mace this discov-
cry. he was charged 27h cents square
loot. One OF his neighbors was charged 20
cents. and another 16 cents. The secret of
THIS was that Mr.. Cunningham protested
against the poultlce pavement being laid.
lie wanted basalt blocks, so that the street
would be uniformly paved and would be
solid enough TO hold up something heavier
than wheelbarrow.
Mrs. Sophia Grosbauer's name was on the
petition Tor the permit" to lay the poul-
tee. She was in Oregon at the time, and
the signature was rank forgery.
The poultice was laid. 1t was / inch
thick, taken as whole, though the specIti-
cations called for 2 inches. The concrete
under 1t was only to Az inches thick,
though the specifications called for inches.
Mr.. Cunningham made trouble for the
contractors. He shovel the Supervisors
the rankness OF the job and the botchiness
OF H. They said they would not accept the
work and would never give the contractors
another chance TO swindle property owners
On the 18th inst the street was accepted.
Mr.. Cunningham says he Is going to
make big protest before he pays his
assessment.
The question arises: wh.t was the in
spector doing while the work was in
progress?
BY the way, where wa. the inspector
when the I6-inch sewer-ptpe was laid Ia the
Corbett road, when the specifications called
for an 1S-ineh pipe?
Were was the inspector when the IL Y's
wsUleft out OF the Twenty first street
sewer?
Where was the inspector when the Lib
erty-street sewer was laid six feet below
ground?
DO any OF these inspectors know anything
at all about the quality of sewer-pipe?
Do they know what "vitrifed' and salt
glazed" mean?
:. Evidently they do not have to know. But
they understand one thing-they know how
to draw their s4 a day, even though lime
barrels be laid instead of sewer pipes, and
the pbultice pavement be spread no thicker
than sheet of paper.