The San Francisco call., 1898-07-29
CONTRACTORS
 UNDER FIRE Lively Session of Harbor Commissioners. THAT GALVANIZED IRON WORK CALLED IAN IMPRACTICABLE BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE JoB." The State Called Upon to Pay Bills Incurred by Contractor Camp
 bell While Doing the
 Boards's Work.
THAT GALVANIZED IRON WORK
CALLED IAN IMPRACTICABLE
 BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE JOB."

The Harbor Commissioners held lively session yesterday. The question of the galvanized iron worK that was put in the new union ferry depot contrary to the plans and specifications was discussed during a morning session and late into the afternoon but no conclusion was ar rived at.
 It appears that the plans and specified tions as prepared bv the late A. Page Brown called for the putting in of cer- tain galvanized iron work in manner which Chief Engineer Howard Holmes and Architect Swain declared impracu- cable The plans and specifications were accordingly modified, and the work done in much cheaper and easier manner. so 1t was asserted A few days ago ,he con- tractor presented his bill for payment. and Commissioner Harney raised the question of a reduction in the contract price for the reason that the same amount of labor was not entailed as would have been required if the original plans had been followed.
 w. J. Cronan, the contractor. combated this view, holding that he had well earned every cent that was coming to him. Fi- nally it was decided to submit the matter to arbitration. The Commissioners named Seth Babson, Contractor Cronan named William Curlett, and the two architects Grand Jury expert, as umpire ~
 
 lett rendered an opinion upholding Holmes and Swain. Tn their report they say it would be entirely impracticable to secure the galvanized iron to the frame work in accordance with the plans and
 Then MT. Babson modified his report by saving that the work as called Tor In the original plans was not impossible, but IL certainly was impracticable. MT. Curiett retorted that he would give Mr Bapson year in which to make a square inch of the galvanized piping called for In A. Page Browns plans. and would give odds that he could not make even that small portion In the time specified.
 Commissioner Herold then took up the matter and drafted a resolution that he thought would suit everybody. Messrs Curlett and Babson were willing to sign ft but Mr Swain, the boards architect, objected most strenuously. It was a criticism of his work and that he would not allow. It was his province to advise the board as to whether the. work had been properly done or not. He did not object to the Commissioners seeking out side advice, but he would not have those outsiders pass upon trea ms "Srs 6Is hand at
 resolution thatt would straighten out all the kinks, and that ended in an appeal to Webster as to the meaning s,.,., or in i'm a close study of the dictionary the Com missioners decided that the words were SYNONYMOUS and that settled the discus for il It tSa wi oeme np agan gon tractor Cronan has to wait for his money.
 The Commissioners are very much ex- ercised over the disappearance of con tractor named G. M. Campbell. He had the work of putting in the offices on the Folsomstreet wharf built a the sh shed d, oyer yer offices for the Spring Valley Water Works at Folsom street He collected every cent that was coming to him from the Harbor Commission, but failed to pay a number of tradespeople who had supplied him with material for the work Among these was the Ralston Iron Works and Dunham, Carrigan & Hayden. and they have written the Commissioners demand ing payment of their bills under the. act of March 27, 1897, which makes the let ter of a contract responsible for material supplied and labor employed on the work. finder this law the State will have to pay these bills and then seek to recover the amount from Campbell's bondsmen.