The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-28
|sIga CITY NEwsITEMS
!. n, Grand Jury on the New
Court House.
ING ACCEPTED BEFORE COMPLETION
80 peGranenreid's Views
ess1 .t,.rrust Bili-Benah Inn
= - company Organized.

,.,,..t,n. reiss, May a-The grand
ers ..srrred today after making the
sSovins report -, -. cr,m,n.,
y. n b Gavin. Judge OF tho orimin@'
Tpndsi Court. ,, -. .--,-,
y, m In fulillmsnt of our sworn
4 have carefully examined all
g s..,.s and complaints made to us for yio-
"a. !, our laws and have rendered such
s.a..5s as in our Judgment the evidence
s-,pded. and have endeavored to faith
x, comply with the instructions given 10
n u the court.
ont, large amount of our time has
| Z, taken UP With trivial complaints and
.,,,ru which 1t seems to us should have
~ settled in the lower courts without
,-ulpr the county to an unnecessary ex-
ia and the loss Of much valuable time.
y nsrsonal inspection OF the new court
,.a.s by the grand jury, In a body, has
IA made and the many defects In Its
.srructiop warranted our summoning 10
,sn.sr before us the architect, county
IN, the present board Of commissioners
IA tser predecessors and clerks OF the
Va ind that while the building has been
,ysnted and final judgment to the con-
.,rtors with the exception OF $500 with
IA rom said contractors until they make
rrs 81 their work satisfactory has been
~saa that the terms OF the contract have
N been complied with, and that work on
obstruction Of said court house is still be-
n carried on. We also find that a bonus
gueOO has been paid to said contractors
h, completion OF said building forty days
Mara the time allowed in the contract,
i, to the lst day OF June, 1899. when 1t
4 fact that the building is still incom-
slsls AMI, therefore, no bonus could be
Justly claimed.
Ths sum OF s11, 6211S has been paid to
IA contractor for extra work, which work
~ principally been done by instructions
received from the architect or county
Irdre and without the knowledge of the
4 commissioners, who nevertheless allowed
ueh claims BY unanimous vote without
ukrg the trouble to investigate as to the
r,assity for them or correctness Of the
amounts claimed
M an illustration, we call your atten-
tou 10 one item of $l063.S0, which was
ILned by the architects and allowed tor
hiring OF all vault walls, 1913 yards at 90
,tnty Der yard" The facts in the case are
hst the ST, Louis Expanded Metal Fire
PROBING company entered into aAcontract
Nth the Texas Construction company for
trprooang OF vaults in the court mouse
nd did fur walls OF said vaults in error, as
4 was not called for in the contract, and
vas wholly unnecessary, and when they
diined extra pay for said Turing of walls
\ vas rejected by the Texas Construction
N1pauy, and to date said st. Louis Ex-
rsndet Metal Fire PROBING company have
ns received any compensation for said
ua work but the Texas Construction
company have claimed and been paid for
lgsh work. The Iresent county commits
forus we're examined closely about this
ten. and as a whole pleaded ignorance OF
NY .. the facts connected with said pay
meat claiming that the architect said 1t
vas all right when the true fact is the ar
taiS. advised the court to reject said
tAin
We find the work as a whole on the new
court house very defective, especially the
liserng and floor thing, with the roof
NaIy and tlhe mGrerlal used of inferior
s@lV In many instances we find the
Crlsclons raised by the superintendent df
eGA MI. Ioothaker were ignored by the
present. county commissioners and his ef-
aNs 70 nave defects corrected proved to
Y little avail, From the evidence re-
lseNea We are led TO the conclusion that
laleis 10 relation to the building of said
W.! Rouse during the term OF office OF
~ present county commissioners have
s,sa PREV much left in the hands of the
-. .4 Juage ana architect, who seam to
~; ~ is,lsl upon such commissioners to in
,,, ~ seF action regardless of cost or
.,t' and width Endorsement has
n. sinlully or isnorantly been given.
,ns Ake pleasure IN commencing our
hssll COUNTY clerk Mir. George II. Law.
I "A y. nus faithful and efficient services.
M,,. ~. y Il Burgess for the neat and
/. 4. ,' sae manner In which he has kent
n . .es. OF the Proceedings OF our coun-
4, -, asvsalnlsslonprs in all matters relating
~ Z. 'ohstruction Of said court house.
\. we evidence we have received we
49,. ene opinion and recommend that
n MI n, sn s be taken to district all houses
ri,,.s 'aNe' and the same should be
~ under police and medical surveil-
M, w ma that little or no effort Is
III aisqe oy our police or county OF
Il Ky suppress gambling. policy shops,
ss,,;s. llat very little assistance may be
ssrA nIs.ee under the present regime. That
~, IN broad daylipht and on our
MN Soslers by the boys Of our city is
tsss ~ ilsl on TO an alarming extent
sor.ss 1eny and when we are con-
Il mil mill MIN the statement Of our chief
III ~ tnat his force are powerless TO
d s.r s,t.esIs unless furnished with fund
psr. 49, private detectives. the situation
Ia " oe hopeless. We are glad to ind
bra n. enorts are heing made to en-
III n ~ sunday law with regard to sell
M ,.a sools during the prescribed hours.
l,s Vim VIM. sne good work OF enforcing this
tor,s 70 on until It embraces those en-
rse,.s. ana large corporations who I'M
,hres y demand work of their en-
iai NJ W sunday and deny them neediul
i.s !, We refer more especially to the load
"a h. ,esseis on the wharf and receiving
b ,, -sadllng freight by carloads when
Ms 70 the-5ase do not demand It..
r,nIns sonmend that a board OF experts
,rons., euf new court house building and
NM and bills connected with same
t,sis,. ieiease OF the architects and con-
A. r. Norman,
Foreman of Grand Jury-
pc3RAFFENRFTD rNy rnv.,N,