The San Francisco call., 1904-04-03
San Francisco Committee
Has Claim of $500 Because
of Breach of Contract
TROUBLE AT EXPOSITION
Board of Trade Contributes
Sum of $1,000 as Share
for Making City's Exhibit


the St. Louis Exposition. The first
is the urgent need for more money,
the subscriptions. including the sum
/ appropriated by the San Francisco
Supervisors, not coming within s1o.-
600 of the minimum amount that is
necessary for success. The other mat
ter is a suit the committee has begun
in St. Louis against the Chicago con-
tractor, Henry w. Schlueter, who re-
| fused to carry out a contract that was
made by his agent, c. d. Wines, for
the construction of the San Francisco
building on the exposition grounds.
The San Francisco Supervisors ap-
propriated $4,000 to cover the cost
of the San Francisco building. There
has been subscribed by citizens an ad-
ditional $17,50O. The San Francisco
Board of Trade has just voted to con-
tribute $1,000 to the fund. Five local
commercial bodies took part in the
formation of the general committee
that was intrusted with getting up a
creditable building and show for San
Francisco on the model street at the
st. Louis Exposition. These bodies
are the San Francisco Board of Trade.
the Merchants Association, the Man
ufacturers' and Producers Associa-
ton, the San Francisco Chamber OF
Commerce and the Merchants Ex-
change. Each body named ten Of its
members to make up the general COM
mittee.
1t is supposed that all the organiza-
tions will now stand back of the COM
mittee that the credit of the city may
be sustained by having everything at
St. Louis relating to San Francisco on
a good scale. The members of the
finance committee say that there is
urgent need of the aid of the public.
Real estate is principally benefited by
the growth of San Francisco. The ex-
pectation is that realty owners will
aid the San Francisco exhibition at
St. Louis literally.
The suit brought against Schlueter,
the Chicago contractor. is for $510O-
The papers were served on Schlueter
while L. NJ King, secretary of the
general committee. was in ST. Louis.
The contract of Schlueter with the
San Francisco committee for the epec-
ton of the San Francisco building
made the price s11,S0O. I. c. Jud-
kins awarded the contract and he
came home with the expectation that
the work would be started at once.
Schlueter however refused to carry
out the contract. When this happen
ed. as has already been exclusively re-
ported in The Call. Secretary L. M.
King was instructed to go to ST. Louis
and ascertain what could be done.
WOULD NOT DO WORK.
Mr.. King found that schIueter
Il he RI rvf1 an
advance of 1920 was offered above
the original contract price by San
Francisco. The sum of $4,000 would
not move Schlueter and he said that
he would not do the work for less than
$4,000. Secretary King commune
Gated with the executive and display
committees in San Francisco When
it became apparent that Schlueter
would not act new bids were adver-
tised for and a new contract was let
to Caldwell & Drake of New York
for s16,250, an advance of nearly
$4,000 above the original contract
price.
When the first contract was let it
was supposed that as the majority of
the large buildings for the exposition
were practically completed there
ations on the exposition grounds and
also an accumulation Of unused ma
terial and that both of these circum-
stances would serve to make construc-
ton from that time onward quick and
economical.
The fact is that at the end of the
period Just before the exposition gates
are to open there is great demand for
buildings and it is difficult to get any
contractor to take in new work The
New York parties who have taken the
San Francisco contract have proceed
ed with great speed.
The next day after the contract was
signed a force of men was at work
grading the site for the San Francisco
building. Two days later thirty car
penters were putting up the frame OF
the San Francisco structure. which
will be completed during the present
month.
When all these facts were presented
to the San Francisco Board of Trade
Directors A. A. Watkins, president of
the board. urged that the organization
stand by the committee. His vigorous
remarks were followed by the vote of
the directors to contribute $1,000 to the
exhibition fund. The suit against
Schlueter will be pushed.
Smith P. Gait, a prominent St.
Louis lawyer, has the proceedings in
hand. He has advised the San Fran
cisco committee that recovery ought
to be had on the bond furnished by
Schlueter when the original contract
was signed and that San Francisco
ought to be able also to recover on ae-
count of the damages resulting from
delay.
While the question concerning the
building was unsettled it was difficult
to hasten the work of collecting the
exhibits. That difficulty has been
overcome. The building will exactly
accord with the original planA