The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-11
T. WORK SLIGHTED|
SPECIFICATIONS AND CONTRACTS OBJ
SECONDARY CONSIDERATION.
Merritt Committee Last
Night. III

Notwithstanding the snow, the amman
show and other attractions, there was a
full membership present at the meeting OF
the Merritt investigating committee Last
evening. Mr.. Young did not arrive until
nearly s o'clock. so the examinations were
delayed until he. came. The result of the
evenings work can be summed up in a few
words, the facts CLEANED more from the
manner of the witnesses than from any-
thing they said. 1t seems that workmens
as we'll as contractors, regard specifications
and contracts as matters of secondary con-
sideration, the one absorbing object being
to get through a job and have it accepted
before the inspectors catch on"
John Conlen was the first witness. Mr.
Conlen is known as t'the slugger" by con-
tractors and fellow-workmen. because OF
his ability to slug brick into the mortar.
Because of his talents in this line he is
generally paid 5 cents more upon the hour
than other workmen. He has the reputa-
ton of being the speediest bricklayer in
the West, and all during his examination
he was very careful not to say anything
that would spoil that reputation. Rumor
has it that Mr.. Conlen occasionally throws
in a t~wo-by-four timber to fill space. but
Mr.. Conlen Indignantly denied the Tumor
when asked point blank by Mr.. Young
as to its truth. He explained that It was
all a joke, as he was SO very fast other
workmen were at a loss to understand his
method, and consequently accused him OF
throwing in timbers. Anyway, Mr.. Con-
len gave q wink at his companions and
chuckled to himeslf when sworn, appar-
emily as happy as if he was being sworn il
as a member of the police force. He said
he had worked upon at least fifteen sewers
within the past year. and acknowledged to
having nllf in five fa11ltv cafcb-ha sins m
the Lincoln-lane sewer. Contractor De-
Ruiter had engaged him to do the work,
at the same time instructing him to con-
struct nine-inch walls and a fve-inch bot
tom, and also make each basin eight feet
in depth.
contract with Mr.. De Ruiter specifed?s
asked Mr.. Young.
Mr.. Gonien was SO amused by the cues
he could compose himself sufficiently to
say;
Ter. 1t was my job, but he did the work.
Anyway the ground was so low down there
that we had to lay a four-inch wall"
The members of the conmittee tried to-
get Mr.. Conlen to talk facts, but the situa-
ton struck him as SO ridiculous that It
question he would reply with one intended
to be funny and thus dodge the subject;
have asked Mr.. Merritt.
Didn't have none at all" answered the
By an hours hard work it was learned
that Conlen had the subcontract for five
catch basins upon which defective work
was done. The faults have been discoy-
cred and Conlen is making repairs.
why did you not see that the work was
done properly in the first place. asked
TT was rainy and muddy then. but we
have lots of time now. and / guess the
basins will be fixed all right was the
George Gray a bricklayer, was the next
work lone on city contracts: had never
done any himself and had never been asked
by contractors to do shoddy work.
George Brilliant was a reluctant witness.
and he, too. seemed to be amused at the
thought of being questioned. Mr.. Merritt
was forced to remark that there seemed to
of the room Mre Brilliant IS an expert
question as to his ability as a mason. he
braced up. grew Indignant, and answered.
all questions satisfactorily
Mr.. Brilliant said he had been employed
by Mansfield 6 Allen to repair a break in
street. Mr.. Allen had told him to do the
work without saying ~ythtn0~a IL 10
the inspectors Pc ao co and to fix I c + up ae So there
ly, Mr.. Brilliant fixed the break, which,
he said, was caused by about twenty bricks
Ibid You tell Mr.. Brown that there was
no break and that only a couple Of brick
yes" replied the witness. II wanted to
see if they could find where I had made the
repairs"
"Dia you not tell Mr.. Jeup that no brick
had fallen out?"
Eyes he had been making so much fuss
i thought 1 would see If he could tell"
There seems to be an idea here" re-
marked Mr.. Merritt. that the whole OBJ
ject OF a contractor is 10 get a job finished
and passed off without any. consideration
of the honesty of the work"
Guess they all do the same thing re-
marked Mr.. Brilliant.
THAT is a serious statement continued
Mr.. Merritt. do you base your assertion
upon your experience with Mansfield DC
Alien?"
No., but upon the work Of this commit
and making SO much fuss, and 1t has been
show that a lot of rotten work has been
done" Mr.. Brilliant was excused.
Claude Brilliant could not help the COM
mittee out in its work. He is a subcon-
tractor and knew of no defective work He
was followed by ex-Inspector Hoss. who
said that some seven or eight months ago
he called the attention of City Engineer
Brown and Assistant Jeup to the reports
that some bad catch basins had been put
in. To the witnesses best knowledge Messrs.
Brown and Jeup had made an investigations
and reported that such was nor the case.
Witness had called their attention to the
bad basins on the Lincoln-lane sewer. Mr..
Hoss was followed by Robert King. a fore
man for the Acme Paving and Contracting
any inferior work being done, nor ~recoliect
who had done the bad work for his com
pany, nor recoliect how it happened TO be
done, nor could he. in fact. recollcct any
thing of use to the committee.
The next meeting was set for Monday
night.
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