The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1893-05-19
CITY HALL AFFAIRS.

There will be an adjourned meeting of thes.
| city council on Monday evening next, att
which some important business will he traps.-
acted.
1t will be remembered that when the pro-
]sos Tor the construction of the city hall wass
well under way. it was found that under the
charter the city could not incur an indebted.
ness OF more than $40, GOO except to con-
struct or purchase aud maintain water
works; construct sewers; purchase and :
maintain electric light works; to construct
or aid In constructing and maintaining a :
bridge across the Willamette river at this .
city. The council then decided to build a :
city hall whose cost would he within the
unit OF Indebtedness allowed by the charter.
iheir Efforts to secure creditable building
Tor the money, it must be said, were some.
what strained. They accepted the plans.
hFse, OF an architect of acknowledged ability,
hut irresponsible and careless. When the s.
building was half completed an error in the
plans was discovered and the city had no re-
course. Ihe error was corrected as nearly
as possible, and after all the city hall is az
very credltable building.
Bids Tor the construction of the hall were .
received, and one from Mr.. Butler came=
within few dollars of permitting its con-
structlon at cost within the limit, and Mr.
Batter was awarded the contract. Although
the charter requires that the council shalla
provide for taking security by bond for tn es
faithful performance of any Contract let un..-
der Its authority, it seems that it was not:
done in this case. For reasons which we do.
not attempt to explain the work dragged
the laborers were not being paid, aud it be-
came necessary at length for the councij TO-.
withhold payments to Mr.. Butler and dis
tribute them pro rata to the workmen.
The structure was finished, and when the
last payment of the contract was distributed :
there remained about 81, 500 in claims. t.
against Butler The workmen and furnish. =
ers to whom this money is due have no re
course, as decisions of the Oregon courts hold /
that liens against buildings of this character
are not valid. However, public sentiment
stronglyslh favor of the principals stand.
ng between the laborers and failure upon
the part of the contractor. This sentiment
has been crystalized in the form of our Pres
ent lien laws, and it is equally as strong
where public works are involved.
A petition is now in circulation prayinp
the council to authorize the. payment of
these claims out Of the general fund 1t iss
receiving the signatures of many OF the.
heaviest Taxpayers in the --eity = and shouldx
the petitioners be able to make good show -
ing at the meeting next Monday evening tn es
council may take favorable action. 1t can not
be claimed that thecityis legally bound to payy
but the petitioners have their claims upon <
the equities in tho case.
At the last session of the legislature the
chartar OF the city was amend led so as
to enable the city to sell bonds to secure
funds with which to pay the city hall war;
rants Under this authority the cityzhas,
advertised for proposals for the purchase
OF $4,000 of bonds for the. purpose named,
payable 20 years from the lst day of June,
1893, with interest at 6 per cent. These
proposals, if any there be- will be opened
and considered also at the meeting to be-.
held on Monday evening. =