Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-08
TO WICKHAMS WORK
Colonel Baker Protests Against the Methods
Prevailing on Broadway.
DEMANDS THAT PAVING Be STOPPED
Joint Committee visits the Scene and
Then Holds nm Animated but
unsatisfactory Session
over the Matter.

The joint committee OF the city couacil
and the board of supervisors met at the
city hall yesterday afternoon TO discuss
the question of stopping the work that is
being done on Lower Broadway. Colonel
Baker Is greatly dissatisfied with the manner
in which the Stag is being put down, while
the other members of the Joint committee
are rather inclined to believe that there is
little II any cause for complaint. A trip
was made to the place OF the improvements
by Aldermen Barstow, Shubert and Pace,
Supervisors Korney and Baker and Engineer
Tosteyin yesterday afternoon after which
the matter was discussed at length at the
meeting.
Colonel Baker introduced a resolution
calling for the stopping Of the work at once
by Contractor Wickham for the reason that
he had not complied with the terms of the
contract. This brought on a long drawn
out discussion in which Colonel Baker be-
came melo-dramatc and charged that some
one was getting big bonus out of the
contract On Lower Broadway. Said Colonel
Baker: The intimation is that there's
lots of bonus in it. Twenty men have
told me lately that some ones getting big
pull out of 1t. I'll give him $4,000 for his
profit" The colonel referred to the con-
of contracts in this city. There's a time
come to call a halt"
Alderman Shubert in speaking OF the ques-
tion of ordering the work stopped claimed
that the annulling of the contract was
involved, which was not within the power
of the committee to do. He said that it
would hardly be fair to the contractors to
stop the work at the present time, and urged
that he be allowed to complete 1t as far
as Twenty-lirst street to which point the
roadbed had been graded and prepared by
the city. He had hardly finished speaking
before Colonel Baker arose and with much
emotion addressed the following to the
representative of the Sixth ward ITS
strange to me that a man selected to rep
resent the people in talking of the improve
ment OF thoroughfares in this city, should
only take into consideration the interest of
the contractor and never once think of the
people, We're paying at least third
more for the work on Lower Broadway
than we would If it was postponed" Then
followed Colonel Bakers charge that some
one was getting a big bonus out OF the
job.
Alderman Barstow demanded OF the colonel
that he specify who 1t was that was getting
any bonus out of the contract for the Stag
roadway. II want him to be specific" said
DR.. Barstow, "and tell who 1t is"
This Colonel Baker couldn't do. and his
accusations dwindled into a supposition when
tackled the contract and said that the work
could be stopped as 1t was not being done ac-
cording to contract and as a representative
OF the county which had contributed $1,000
toward the improvement he wanted to give
notice that he would bring action 10 have
the contract annulled December Is, which Is
the specified time for the completion OF
the work. Yes. the contractor is delaying
the work in order that he may haul the Stag
over on the ice," said Colonel Baker. En-
gineer Tostevn was called upon to tell what
he thought the contract was worth and diff
fered from Colonel Baker, claiming that
there was little If any margin in 1t. unless
the material could be hauled over on the
ice instead of being shipped in.
Colonel Bakers resolution to have the
laying of the Stag stopped was carried with
out dissenting voice Barney Wckham at
this juncture interposed an objection, stat
ing that he had enough of the Stag on board
cars ready for shipment to complete the
work as far as Twenty-frst street and ex-
pected to put it in. This new phase of the
subject caused a change of heart on the
part of the committee except Colonel Baker.
and even he consented to reconsider the
order to stop work and refer the matter to
the city and county attorneys Another
meeting will be held Thursday to recon-
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