Evening journal., 1901-10-16
THAT SEVENTH Street BRIDGE

THAT SEVENTH STREET BRIDGE
That Seventh street bridge matter Is
likelyto send Those who endeayor toun-
lravel the questions i'm contention to
Fanhmst. We believe, however, we
are being led to the light The "details
run somewhat as follows: The old
Levy Court ordered its Bridge Com
mittee to build a bridge, and that body
brought in plans for a forty-foot struo
ture and the report was adopted by the
Levy Court.
subsequently the Bridge COMMITTEES
decided THAT thirty-foot structure
would be desirable, and so reported to
the Levy Court, which body accept
ed the amended recommendation So
far the Levy Court and The Bridge
Committee had acted strictly up to
their duties Of principal and agent re-
spectively.
Then, 1T is said, the Bridge Commit
tee decided that a bridge of twenty
four feet would be preferable. but this
time it did not consult the Levy Court,
but let The contract. Then it depart
ed from it's line Of duty as agent, and.
it would seem, exceeded its authority.
The present Levy Court asked the
Bridge Committee to make report
upon the matter and yesterday it did
So as follows:
I'VE, The undersigned, the Bridge
Committee OF the Levy Court, es-
pecialy directed to investigate the
plans and specifications under
which Seventh street bridge is be-
ing built. with the view
of ascertaining whether said
plans and specifications call
for the building OF the approaches
and wing walls to said bridge, re
spectfully report as follows:
"FiEt-We submit the plans and
specifications under which, the con
tractor claims 10 be building said
bridge.
"Second-The proceedings OF the
Levy Court in connection with
granting the contract for THE said
| bridge,
Prom the plans and specidca-
ticns it appears that the approaches
and wing walls are not provided for,
as an examination OF said plans
and specifications win disclose.
John Lynn,
Charles Megginson.
Committee
This report must be read carefully 10
get ITS true significance. 1t will be OBJ
served THAT noldhing is said about the
authenticity of the plans and speciiica-
tions, but they are referred to as those
l"under which the Seventh street bridge
is being built In other words. they
were the plans and specifications FUR
nished by the contractor and claimed
by him as being THE original. These
the committee submitted, making the
comment that under them the ap-
proadhes and wing walls were not pro
yided for. That was not a matter
mere opinion, but an actual fact, a
may be proved by glance at the docu
ments.
Z Objection was made TO an acceptance
OF the report on the ground that il
would bind the Levy Court, and that
, that body would thereby recognize the
3 plans and specifications as genuine
Such. however. is not the case. since
the acceptance of a report amounts to
it being simpy received, just as bills or
petitions are received, but not neces-
sarily adopted.
But had the Levy Court adopted the
report. it would have been bound nc
further than That document went,
namely, that The plans and speciaca-
t,ms under which the contractor was
building the bridge contained certain
features. The question as to w'hethe
Ithey were the original specifications
would yet be open But should it final
q ly be accepted that these contain TIN
exact provisions made by the Bride
& Committee, and that that body had de
cided on a twenty-four foot bridge
without wing walls and approaches. w
believe the contract could not be en-
forced, on the ground that the com
II mittee, as agent for the court had eN
If ceeded its authority, and THAT the con
It tractor was bound to take notice Of tha
IF fact, and that, therefore, nc built tn
rs, bridge at his perrin
D We have il ON excellent authorii
D. that a majority of the court belieN
m that the original contract called for
In, complete bridge approaches and win
be walls inuMded-and that they have a
TO, cidod TO pay mo more money TO to
ie contractor tin THESE provisions al
complied with. This. il seems 10 us.
the least thing they can do, and if On
in is not satisfactory. they may take mo
be heroic measures.
81 The Pittsburg Post, in commentir