The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-16
PAVING ON SUMMIT
t.rrz-v~a - : = - 9 ~ -
COMPTROLLER NEARBY HAS SOME
THING TO SPRING IN CON-
NECTION WITH 1T.
CONTRACT FOR ITS REPAIRS.
REPORT THAT THE CITY WILL
TRY TO BREAK 1T
SHORTLY.
CHANCE FOR POLITICAL CAPITAL.
Warren-Scharff Company Due to Re
ceive $2,7OO u Year for the
Next Ten Years.

The board Of public works at its
meeting Monday night will have before
it an estimate allowing the Warren
Scharf Asphalt company $500. This
amount is a part Of the reserve held
back from the company on the con-
tract for paving Summit avenue. The
work was done in 1886 at a cost of
about 100000, and one of the provis-
sions was that the city should retain
10 per cent of the contract amount In
order to insure that the pavement
would be kept in good condition for a
period of twenty years. One-half of
the amount so retained was according
to the contract to be paid at the end
Of ten years and the balance at the eX-
piratiOn of~tNenty years. The ten
years having elapsed, the board will
certify to the company having kept its
part of the contract and the estimate
will go to the council for approval.
The contract also provides that the
company should keep in repair and
good condition the pavement :, for the
first ten years without any cost to the
city. During the-seeoffd- ten years the
contract provides that the company
shall keep in repair and good condition
the pavement-at "a cost-of nine cents
per square yard per year. This would
amount in round figures to 81, 700 per
year or $4,000 for the ten years from
1896 to 1906. It is to the, latter clause
Of the contract that there is now some
question, and several of the city Of
ficials are considering the ACCESSIBILITY
of terminating the contract. 1t is ar
gued by those who are anxious to have
the contract terminated that the peO-
pie of the entire city should not be
called upon to pay for the Keeping of a
pavement in repair on Summit avenue,
for, as the sum is paid from the gen.
eral fund, that is what it amounts to.
On the other hand, the residents and
property owners on Summit avenue
claim that they paid 81 per foot front
for the pavement being put down, and
as the contract was accepted by the
city and the contractors it should not
be terminated. Further. the property
owners claim that by the terms of the
contract the pavement will be kept in
much better repair for the next ten
years at a less expense than If the con-
tract was terminated and the cost OF
repairing saddled on them. The claim
is advanced that the contractors would
be glad to agree that the contract
should be declared off, but there seems
to be no confirmation of this story.
A gentleman advised as to the mat
ter stated yesterday that in his opinion
the contractor would be very foolish
to agree to the termination of the con-
tract. 1t was very probable that dur
ing the next ten years the pavement
would not require very much repairs,
and, if it did not, the contractors under
the contract could mission the So, 700
per year, whether any repairs were
made or not. 7~.'''''t4''5' ''f' ' ''''
The matter will probably be brought
to the attention Of the council by the
mayor and comptroller, who see in the
question a chance to make political
capital for themselves. The point
which will be made by these officials is
that the contract is illegal, from the
fact that it makes the property. owners
of the entire city pay for the repairing
of pavement in front of the residences
of those who are fortunate enough to
live on Summit avenue. -'@