The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-12-03
CASH PAID
FOR WORK
NOT DONE
A San Jose Contractor
Accuses the City
Council.
PREFERS A SERIOUS
CHARGE.
Claim for Extra Work on Qua
dalupe Creek illegally
Allowed.
ACTION TAKEN DESPITE A
PROTEST.
Knowing the Money Was Not
Earned, the Lawmakers Gave
1t Neverth eIess.
Claim for Extra Work on Qua
dalupe Creek illegally
-: Allowed.
ACTION TAKEN DESPITE A
PROTEST.
Knowing the Money Was Not
Earned, the Lawmakers Gave
It Nevertheless.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL


SAN JOSE, Dee. Some things that
will require considerable amount Of ex-
PLANTATION on the part of the Mayor and
the mem bers of the Common Counc Gil
came 10 light to-day in connection with
the contract for the Improvement OF
Guadalupe Creek. This contract was let
on October 10, 1896, to Nash & Nc
Reynolds, for $2775. The last payment
on the stipulated contract price was made
on June Z, 1897. Subsequently. as already
published in these columns, $3.50 was
allowed illegally for extra work to the
same firm of contractors in connection
with the straigh tening of the channel of
Guadalupe Greek. The publication OF
this latter fact in THE CALL wa, the cause
of the following communication being re-
ceived to-day by the correspondent OF
SAN JOSE, December 9. 1897
The Cali COTrespondent-DEAR SIR: In yes
terday CALL, under the heading Of Koch
Lists TO the Public l noticed, among DINER
matters, that claim Tor $3.50 had been paid
out OF the city treasury for extra work done
by Messrs. Nash and McReynolds on the
Now, to explain matters, l will go back 10
the begi ming OF this shady matter, OF which
l am thoroughly informed, having been q
bidder on the job and therefore know whereof
lwrite.
When this work was accepted last spring by
the proper authorities com pleted in accord
ance with plans ana specifications and the
claim was about to be allowed, together with
bill Tor extra work filed q commu nication
with the Council protesting against their
action, and set forth why the claim should not
be allowed. ! claimed that instead OF the
work having been finished it had not been
more than two birds done and That no extra
work had been done by the contractors.
The Council reIerred my communication to
the River Committee, and don't believe they
Lave acted Oh il yet In the hope that that
honorable body had acted or would &C on my
.communlca ion, and 10 substantlate what
had set forth III my protest, | employed q
competent eng>neer, A. I. Hermann OF this
city, at my Expense and had the whole
work crOss-sel. Oued and compared with the
plans and pee. bcations.
MI. Hermann reported to me that he found
the work was not convicted according to
Qlans, and that the specifications had been
wholly disregarded, and mat over 200 fineaf
{eetof creek incluied in their specltica lions
had not been touched.
At the next meeting OF the Council l handed
in my engineers report, which could not be
- ignored, and Messrs.. Nash and McReynOlds
Were sent back 10 the creek to finish their job
which they did not do. They went back Tor a
few days, uader pretense that they had com
Piled with their Specihca tlons. But in the
. City Hall are ths plans and spec lfications
and at the noTtherly extremity OF the city
Limits is the work done to Snow for itself.
. will stake every dollar 1 an WORTH and
will leave II to- any competent, unprejudiced
engineer, that that work has not. been done in
compliance with plans aud specifications
-. /" never followed. the matter up; ash was
making the fight alone and could not afford
TO pay for investige myself, although a
few members OF the New Charter Club spoke
some of helping me out ~. 49,. -.
il know the people in. San Jose must look TO
San Francisco newspapers to get the news of
=. thelf own town, and ! may as well mention
right here thatI have quiz the Mercury and
- have subscribed for The CALL.
But must say few words in Justice to
Mayor Koch. whom have always held III the
highest esteem, as he was very much opposed
10 the payment OF this calm of Nash & Nc
T. Reynolds and said .emphatically that he
would not sign another dollar OF warrants for
them until they went back and inlshed They
did not finish. Who is TO h!ame?
-. JOHN ". WILLIAMS :
- Acting on the SUGGESTIONS contained in
this letter, the records OF the Common
T. Council were examined TO secure: con-
hfmation or retutation@ of the serious
: charges made by Mr.. Williams In the
minutes OF the Council Of April % it was
recorded that a commun cation was re-
: celYed by The Councii from Williams on
that day, and that the same had been re-
ferred to. the. River Improvement Com:
mntee. Reference was then made to the
files in the City CLERKS. Office, The com
-munication; in question was found It
read as foliows:~ 800
:. san JOSE, Cal, April %. 1897
=. To the Hon. Mayor aid Co1auloR CouHcji-+G EN-
: TLEMEN* For he. protection OF Ihe. lax.
:. payers hIlQ IN J&SUce 10 honorable contractors
-rJor the performance of work on city Contracts
the undersigned most respectfully asks: your
" honorable" body not 10 accept the work of
Strengthening ana widening the Gyaaa E,1pa
River at IS pasta &c ont OF the nor herIy end,
: OF the CITY limits, and performed by MeSsrs
{. Nash Il AieReYnods ~. = =! :. =
= :: The con tractors have wholly disreaardcd tho
:: plans ana specifications in. relation Thereto
=. and are far from having completed tfeirtsyork
: II my ten years experience IN this. kind OF
: WORK amounts to a n tn ing, 1t may be lax en-
= Tor what IL is worth. burE ouid not. for $500
-. hnlsh the work:reRaluing 10 be done to =brin 2
: tho work up to what the pans and specltca:
=. This work h as been accepted by the proper
authorl'7es, and at Your last meeting You
passed a resolution ACCEPTING this work as
having: been done according to plans and
SPECIFICATIONS, nnd L here by nost respectfilfy
=: askthft your honorable body recousider:those
: proceedings. r.. :; = {, .
;: The most base illusions have been: relor,od
10 TO eVade the henest performance of; said
work, as zoo running feet of creek lnciJtefi in
: their contract has not been touched with
.snoXe1 or scrap per- There; has been, in Other:
words most hamefnl dfsre gard paid to tba
specifications as The creek DO tom has been
! left uneven and the new channel has nor beeii.
dug as deep. as the plans call foI. K ow
=. whereof speak, and only refer your honor.
: abe body TO the: engineer SIP ans, which, ar
Others have figured on In good faith and Won
mus bear me ont in what Estate in this Cd nj
.municatioH 10 be true. - =.
L know that every honorable contractor and
taxpayer in your city Will phold me in mn r.
SUNG this course, for if the work is 10 be paid
: for n the present. unfinished state great In.
justice will be done to Contractors who: have
made you tenders to; perform said work and
taxpayers will not have the deserved protec-
ton WHICH thelconfdence they have placed in
your honorable body merits. = ,.
ConfdenIially know that ! voice the sen iii
ments Of every appropriated. taxpay when
=. they become acquainted with these facts.
Il remain most respectfully yours
" JOHN w. WILLIAMS
!: On the back :of this paper was an in:
: de- STATING that it had hae1
ferred 10 the river improvement COM
n5itiee but NJ record OF any kind could
be found indicating that that committee
had made any report or given it any con-
sidera ion. >.
A further search was made for the Sec