Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-28
CITY POST OFFICE
Dissatisfaction With the Work Of
the Steel Contractors.
A PEREMPTORY NOTICE SENT TEEN
Must Do Better or Their Contract
Will Be Abrogated.
EFFECT OF THIS ACTION

Mr. Aiken the supervising architect OF
the treasury, is very much dissatisfied WIN
the progress of the iron work on the WASH
ington post office building, and ne has de-
termined to exhaust all his legal powers
in holding the contractors, Thorpe & Bond
of New York, up to the letter and spirit of
their contract. He has made frequent de-
mands upon them to use greater diligence
in the prosecution of their work, and has
failed to receive satisfactory responses
from them as to the reasons for the great
delay
Not caring to waste any more time in the
matter, he has addressed them the follow
ing peremptory notice:
A PeremptOry Notice.
Mesrs. Thorp & Bond. 1856 Liberty street,
New York, N Y:
Gentlemen: You are hereby notified that
you have failed to prosecute the work pro-
vided In your contract, dated February IL,
1895, for furnishing the labor and materials
and putting in place complete the steel
aud iron construction OF the United states
post Office building in Washington, ID. C.,
with such diligence as will insure the COM
pletion of said work within the time pro-
vided for in said contract.
You are further notified. that you have
failed to prosecute said work with such
diligence as in my judgment will insure
the completion of said work within the
time provided for in said contract.
The ironwork up to and including the
sixth floor line is now under contract.
The stone and brfckwork of the exterior
walls of the building and the walls of the
tower are under contract TO De completed
by September 2, 1895, and the contractor
for the steel and ironwork herein specif1ed
must deliver all materials and put in place
at such times as will cause no delay to the
fNr-f tome fnl-y -nrk
You are hereby notified that you have
failed to comply with said terms and pro-
visions of said contract. Yoc have failed
to deliver all materials or put the same in
place at such times as would cause no de-
lay to the contractor for the stone and
brickwork, and thereby, in my judgment,
you have hazarded the satisfactory COM
pletion of the work as stipulated in saio
contract.
Another provision in your said contract
! is follows:
columns for sixth and seventh stories as
soon as the mascns have finished the eX-
terror walls up to the sixth floor line for
| length of 10O feet, and must be ready to
commence erection not later than April
| Is, 1895. and must complete all work up
| to and including eighth floor on the entire
building not later than May 20. 1898"
You had not completed all work up to and
including the eighth floor on the entire
building on May 20. last. and you not
only were not ready to commence the erec-
tlOn referred TO IN SAD last named pro-
vision as early as April 10. 1895. and you
not only did not commence setting col
umns referred to in said provision us soon
as the masons had finished the exterior
walls up to the sixth floor line for length
of 100 feet, but you have not completed
said work up to this date.
Your contract also provides as follows:
"The materials for the 9th, 10th, 11th,
18th and 18th floors of tower, including
columns for supporting same, must be de-
liverej in Washington, not later than April
30 1895, and erected as rapidly as the ma
sonry is ready to receive 1T
You not Only failed to deliver in Wash
ington said materials referred to in said
las. named clause In your contract on or
before April so, 1885, but have ever since
failed to deliver said materials.
Said contract also includes the following
clause:
'"The main roof. including skylight over
are completed to the eighth floor level but
this contractor must be ready to COM
mence its erection whenever the walls are
up to the eighth floor level for length
of 100 feet and not later than June Is,
1885, aid must complete all work on main
roof not later than August 10, 1895"
You not only have failed to commence
the erection of the work provided for in
said last named clause of your contract on
or before June IS last, but ever since fall
ed so to do.
You have not only failed to complete the
portions of your work specifically provided
for within the time named by the terms OF
your contract, but have hazarded the salts
factory completion of the work as contein-
plated and provided for in your contract.
You are hereby further notified that un-
less YOU shall, within the time prescribed
BY such contract, take such action as will
in the Judgment of the supervising archi-
tect CT the Treasury Department remedy
the default referred to, the Treasury De-
partment will take possession of said work,
and of the machinery, tools or materials
belonging to your firm, and employed upon
said work, and will complete said work
and will supply such labor, materials and
tools of whatever character necessary to be
purchased CT supplied by reason Of your
default, and the actual cost thereof will be
deducted from any moneys due or owing
to you on account of said contract, and If
that amount be not due, then the same
CT a sufficient amount will be charged
against your firm and the sureties on the
bond furnished by you for the faithful per-
formance Of the work embraced in your
contract. Respectfully yours,
w. NJ. AIKEN, Supervising Architect"
What This Means.
Executive Officer Kemper told Star re-
porter today that if it costs the govern
ment more to complete the balance of the
work than the sum ramed in the contract
the government will institute proceedings
against the contractors and their sureties
tC recover the excess. The notice means
practically that the work will be taken outs
of the hands of the contractors and COM
pieted by the government at their expense.
JURY FOR "FITZ" SECURED.