The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-12
ARE TIRED OF LONG DELAYS
SOuth-Side People Object TO the Slow
Work in Finishing the Yiaduct q.
Forfeit Clause Made Invalid by the Board Of
Works-Pennsylvania to Be Asphalt
ed-South Street Contract

As related in the Journal the other day,
the Board of Public Works has. from time
to time, granted the Union Railway Com
pany an extension of time beyond the
original contract in which to complete the
Virginia-avenue viaduct without requIr-
ing the forfeit of 500 o day. as designated
In the contract. The last extension given
was until the 1st of June. The property
owners have grown indignant at the
method pursued. and yesterday the follow
ing remonstrance. signed by Councilman
Golfer Democrat and 194 others. was filed
with the board by Judge Jordan:
After a struggle lasting for many years, the
people of the South side OF the city were at
length assured that a yiadnct across the tracks
OF the Union railway would be constructed with
out necessary delay. And when, By the terms
of the contract, the builders OF the viaduct were
allowed many months and until the lst dsy or
January. 1892, TO complete their work. the Of
fiicted citizens of the South Side patiently sub
United to the obstruction OF their principal thor
oughfare for the period named in the contract,
hoping that when the time expired they would
not be further annoyed by the obstructlons or
which they had so long complained. But in
spite OF the fact that ample time had been al
lowed the contractors TO complete their WORK;
that a penalty OF 800 per day Tor each day
after the at Of January, 1892, that said work
remained unfinished was provided tor; that dur
ing the last five months or the past year no real
and earnest effort made TO complete the
work within the time fixed by the contract; that
during all this time the principal street leading
the viaduct-in spite of the well-known facts,
the city waived its right 10 the 500 per day by
which the contractors were 10 pay for each day
that the work remained unfinished after the con-
tract time had expired and extended the time for
the completion OF the work until April OF this
year. Aud now, after all the suffering expert
enced by the unfortunate people of the South
Side and others whose business interests are 10
Gated in that quarter. and after the time for the
completion of the viaduct had been, as we think,
unnecessarily extended, the LIST day or April.
1892. has come and gone aud still the work Is
Against this unreasonable delay we most ear
nestly protest, and We especially protest against
any further extension or the time for the com
pletiOn OF the work. One hundred dollars per
day. il paid directly to the people of the South
Side, would not indemnify them for the loss and
Inconvenience they sustain by the obstruction or
Virginia avenue, and 1t is due TO them that the
obstruction complained of should be speedily re-
moved.
1t is no answer to our complaints to say that
the weather would not permit the concrete work
10 he done. III this work had been properly
pushed the concrete could have been laid before
winter set in, and certainly no good and sutfi-
cient reason exists why the work was not COM
pleted by April i. AT any rate, tue pupnc are
not advised OF any good and sufficient reason for
the delay or which we complain.
After presenting the remonstrance Judge
Jordan was informed by President Con-
duitt that the time had already been ex-
tended until June 1. He expressed great
surprise. He said the people down on the
South Side read the News and the Sentinel.
but they had seen nothing to that effect.
1t was great surprise TO them; they knew
the viaduct had not been completed on
time, but thought the city was getting the
one-hundred dollar-a-day forfeit right
along Judge Jordan. of course. had read
about the extension in the Journal q few
days ago.