The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-09-29
Shall It Be Pressed to Com
pletion This Season?
CONTRACTORS POSITION.
THEY CAN DO THE WORK IF UNRE-
STRICTED.
Nice Legal Point Raised BY Mr..
Wells Acceptance of Nominal
tion-The New Police Patrol Wagon
Joint Building Committee Or
dinances Before the Mayor.

OAS VI lliC lAOSt ScIlOuS DIOU1GIIlS
just now claiming the attention Of the
officials of the municipal government
is whether or not the contractors
should be pressed to complete the
sewer system this year and thereby
run the risk of having several blocks
of open trench during the winter.
There is a wide difference of opinion
on the matter and it is highly proba-
bic that work will be ordered stopped
when the main reaches North Temple
street, or probably as low down as
Second South, to which the contractors
may now excavate.. One of the reasons
given why the system should not be
pressed to completion this year is lack
of money in the city treasury, and this
is also one of the reasons why progress
which would ensure the completion of
the work should be demanded under
penalty of the enforcement of the
extreme provisions of the contracts. 1t
is argued that if operations are allowed
to lag after a completion of a certain
portion of the system and the remain
der of the contract price and sufficient
money to cover all extras is not set
aside by the council, the city treasury
will not be able to stand the pressure
with the return of cement working
weather and the system will not be
finished for years. At the present rate
it will be impossible to comDlete the
work, but the contractors have stated
that If the entire line to the intersec-
ton of State street and Fifth South is
thrown open to them and the order is
given, they will comply with the time
limit of the contracts. AS starter the
board of public works has given it's
permission for the eXcavating to be
pushed as far south as Second South
and the contractors promise to double
up their forces by the commencement
OF the week, or as soon as the lines and
grades are given by the engineering
corps.
The sewer matter furnished the
board of public works with sufficient
material for two hours elaboration
yesterday afternoon. With the excep-
ton of Major Downey, who is unwell,
the membership of the board was COM
plete, Mr.. Wells occupying his usual
seat, despite that nomination as a dele
gate to the constitutional convention.
The ten days given by the board to the
contractors in which to put on suf-
ficient forces to ensure the completion
of the work having elapsed without the
provisions Of the contract being carried
out in this particular, 1t had been de-
cided to again consider the matter,
with the view of taking some decisive
action. Invitations had been extended
to the contractors to be present and
give their side of the story, for there
are always two sides. For the con-
tractors, Mr.. Hobson addressed the
oFf ha history
of this years work on the sewer, in
GLIDING a statement of the delays occa-
stoned by the railroad strike, stated
that the contractors had always been
willing to rush the work with all their
might and were still of that mind.
Within twenty-four hours after the re-
ceipt of the notice from the board they
had increased their forces to 504 men,
but on account of the restrictions
placed upon the work by the board and
the engineer, it had been necessary to
make reductions, until now there are
but 200 men on the work. In order to
complete the system, which he thought
would still be possible. it would be
necessary for the board to withdraw
all restrictions as to working limits and
allow the excavating to proceed as far
as State street Should this be decided
upon he promised to put oH LOCO men,
if necessary, to complete the work
One reason for the delay was the
stand taken by the Union Pacific in
preventing the eXcavating under It's
tracks at the intersection of Fourth
West and North Temple. On their own
responsibility the contractors had de-
fed the railroad company and event.
ually proceeded with the trench work.
The many delays in getting the con-
tracts perfected were also brought to
the attention of the board. BEFORE
taking his seat Mr.. Hobson declared
that he and his partners were prepared
TO go ahead and complete the system
and felt satisfied that they could do so
with the present restrictions raised.
He suggested that in the event OF the
board deciding that il would be impos-
sible to complete the work this fall,
that some point to which the main was
to be carried be designated and then
sufficient money be set aside to ensure
the contractors that they would re-
ceive their pay in the spring, when the
system was ultimately completed, ano
this arrangement would please the con,
tractors. Mr.. Morris also stated thai
they were prepared to carry out the
contract, but called the attention o.
tha hoard to the fact that month o1
daIavs incident to the drawing UP anl
c; ming of the supplemental contrac'
and bonds. For this delay he said the
contractors did not consider themselves
1iab HE To this Mr.. Marshall suggested
that the proper time for the complain
was at the time of the signing or the
papers.
the board went into executive session
for the purpose of privately consider
ing the several important matters II
connection with the system. Chairman
Doremus stated that in conformlt;
with the notice sent out by the poaro
the contractors had increased thei
forces. but within the past few day.
they had laid off all of the increas
and more too, until now the progress
being made would by no means 1nsur
the completion of the system. Tn
trench is now open six blocks ahead 0
the concrete gangs, but in severa
places it is incompleted. This is espe
cially the case with the block opposit
the university on the west, where tn
cut is but Ia feet deep, instead of p
The contractors claim to have ordered
a bucket machine for this work and tn
machine has not arrived on the ground
When asked for an opinion, Enginee
Young said that if the work was to b
pressed, there was but one course opel
to the board, and that was to throw
the entire line open to the contractor
and allow them to put on all the exca
vators possible. This would give tn
contractors an opportunity of putin;
their entire forces to work, and would
be the only way of inSuring the com
pletion of the system, which could b
effected should the good weather con
tinue Mr.. Marshall objected to tn
opening up of the trench t
the joint city and county building, 70
would of necessity have to be discon
tinued before it reached State street Oh
account of the weather This woul
leave the trench open for severa