Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-12-07

The Florida Times. Union spoke editorially
Tuesday week in regard 10 the charges
made by the jacksonville Board of Trade
against Colonel Milo W. Locke, of dilatori-
ness in the work on the bar at the mouth
of the st. Johns river.
The contractors for the work on the st.
Johns river bar are making every effort to
push IL forward with the utmost rapidity
possible. They had done this long before
the Florida delegation in Congress was
asked to make complaint against them.
The present condition of the work and the
prospects ought to make everybody con-
cerned perfectly satisfied.
The Times. UuiOl's local columns Of the
same day shows up the whole story in a
personal interview with Colonel Locke.
The story is as follows:
In the matter of the alleged violation Of
their contract by /. II. Hathaway & Co., as
charged in the letter of the board of trade
governors to the Florida delegation in
Congress, il appears that there arc two
sides TO the story-as is usual in all such
cases.
Yesterday representative of the Times
Union met Capt. NJ. w. Locke, the manag-
ing partner of the concern at work on the
letties contract, and Mr.. John L. Grim Of
Philadelphia, one Of the firm, who had
come south in response to a telegram
notifying. him of the complaints being
made against the contractors.
I'VE are just as anxious an anybody
else to push the work forward" explained
Captain Locke. why shouldn't we be?
We nave an expensive plant here in tile
st. Johns river. which it costs us $500 per
day to maintain-whether we are operat-
ing it or not. So every idle day is dead
loss to us Of $500. The board of governors
OF the board of trade, 1t is very evident
did not thoroughly investigate this matter
before they put themselves on record in
that letter.
ITO begin with, there is no stipulation
in the contract. that the jetties work on
the st. Johns bar shall be completed by
August LIST. 1894 There is no time limit
whatever. The stipulation is that. at the
rates fixed upon, the firm of |. II. Hatha-
way Il Co. shall do $4,000 worth of work
per month, and since we began the work
what we have done will average within q
few hundred dollars of that amount-so
small difference that 1t is hardly worth
talking about.
But must go back bit. In January,
1893, asked the board of trade officials
how much of tine government appropria-
ton was available. The reply was-the
whole of it, told them that they were
mistaken and that only Sos, 900 was avail
able. They were surprised, but upon look
ing into the matter discovered that | was
get the whole amount available before the
Harrison Congress adjourned. They fol-
lowed my advice and | aided them with
all the influence that | could exert in
| Washington. So. before Grover Cleveland
was inaugurated, the whole amount Of the
ppropriation-S35u,00 0-became available.
Now our contract called for work to
the extent of $4,000 per month-but this
was when only the original $i05.0O0 was
available. Under ruling Of the war de-
partmeht the increase of the money availa-
BILE imposed AN increased amount of work
| per month in the same prOportion-say 81
| times as much, or about $S5 900 per month.
But all my contracts for stone material,
| transportation and labor had been made
and closed on the basis of only $4,000 per
month. So was placed ut a disadvantage.
could not demand 81 times as much of
the material men with whom had con-
tracted-and most of them could not have
complied, If | had. So we kept pegging
away in the face of this disadvantage and
| with the weather fearfully against us.
| There have not been two idle days in any
| one month when it was possible for us to
have worked. The reports of the govern
ment inspector will show this.
| "Mehnwhlle began to negotiate with
Captain X. q. Ross for the use of his
plant and himself and his men to expedite
our work. But he had u contract with the
oh,teu olutes government at hey west
| and could not move his plant. But Lieu
tenant d'Armit has finally consented to
allow Captain Ross to leave that work
| where 1t is and to come here and assist me-
As soon as his plant arrives he will set it
to work, l have already dispatched tug
to Key West to tow il here. So, you see,
the work is going to be pushed forward all
right; had made arrangements for this
long before The board of trade governors
took any action. We have not asked for
any extension of the tine-limit on our
contract, for there is no such limit in It.
AS to the work on other contracts
delaying the work here, there is no truth
in that, for have no interest in any other
government contract at present, although
have been doing government work for
nearly twenty years. There is no friction
between myself and Lieutenant d Armit.
We understand each other thoroughly and
one is just as anxious to have the work
done up quickly us the other isl
Mr.; Grim regretted exceedingly that the
BOARD OF trade governors had seen fit to
take the action which they did. "Ibey
even went so far" he said, "as to send
their letter to our bondsmen in New York,
But that did not disturb us at all, for the
1rm of |. II. Hathaway u Co. never vet
had its bondsmen called upon to make
good its contracts. The board of trade
governors letter was in bad form, any
| way. Ihey should have made their formal
complaint direct to Lieutenant d'Armit
and he would have carried it up to the de-
partment. As it was, they Jumped over
his official head and into the war depart-
ment. But the settlement of the matter Ia
entirely in his hands. The Florida dele.
gates in Congress will refer the governors
letter to the War Department; the Secre.
tary Of War will refer it back to the engi.
neer IN charge Of this department. and lie,
in turn, will refer it to Lieutenant d Armit
for adjustment and report. So this com
plant to the delegation will only necessi-
tate a loss of time" 'N''1'7
:, Mr. Grim is great friend of Col. AK.
Mcclure of the Philadelphia Times and of
Mr.. w. NJ, Singerly of the Record and he
mas great fondness for newspaper men in
preciative OF the fair treatment acnordad
him by the Times, Union. NOs'