The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-08-15
COMPANY IS TIRED
Of ITS CONTRACT
The Utah FireprOoflng Concern
Ceases Work on Side
walks.
ORDERED TO PROCEED BY
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
If Work Is Not Resumed at
Once, the City Will
Finish 1t.

The Utah F'ireproo6ng company
which has a contract for laying a large
portion of tho cement sidewalks in the
city, stopped all work at noon on Tues
day. The company has been having
more or less trouble since the begin
ming of work in the spring, and, as
stated in Tho Tribune several days ago
the manager of the company, Mr.
Owens. has intimated to l.. G.. Kelsey
the City Engineer, that the company
would like to withdraw from its con
tract.
At the last meeting Of tho Board of
Public Works tho company submitted
a written statement denying that there
was any intontion Of Withdrawing from
the contract and complaining that the
City Engineer had failed to furnish
stakes as fast as they were needed
which accounted for the delay that
had been occasioned in the work.
Mr.. Owens was present at this meet
ing, and after talking matters over
with the board, stated that an effort
would be made to proceed with the
work according TO the wishes Of the
board. 1t was thought that there would
be no further trouble, and that the
work was proceeding satisfactorily nm
til the inspectors gave notice Tuesday
noon that the work was stopped en-
tirely.
Notice to Proceed.
The Board Of Public Works held q
meeting Tuesday evening and ordered
4 notice to be sent to the company to
proceed with the work within two days
or forfeit their contract. The clerk
was also instructed TO notify the bonds
men of the company, which is the
American Surety company Of New
10 IN
the city amounting to $4,000.
After this action had been taken by
the board another letter was delivered in
which 1T was stated that the reason
work had been stopped was because
the company had been unable to Sc
cure estimates as they became due,
claiming that the work completed in
July amounted to about $4,000, while
their estimate was for but $4,000.
Mr.. Kelsey stated that the company
had received all it was entitled to ac-
cording to the terms of the contract,
which are that 10 per cent of all work
completed by the company will always
be held IN reserve by the city until the
contract is completed AS the work
progresses the amount held back in
creases, as all the work completed is
figured, and not merely 10 per cent of
each month s estimate
Always Something New.
Mr.. Kelsey also stated that each
time the company made q complaint it
was something new, and expressed the
opinion that the company desired to
give up the contract for the reason that
it is being compelled to perform its
work correctly and lay the sidewalks ac-
cording to the specifications, and for
this reason is not making any money on
the job.
The representative Of the company,
who delivered the letter, stated that
Mr.. Owens, the manager, was out Of
town, but would return this morning.
The board will make an effort to have
Mr., Owens meet with it today and as
certain what the company proposes to
do, as it has been determined to daily
no longer, as they taxpayers want their
sidewalks, which have been paid for
over year, and the Board of Public
Works has decided that, if the com
pany does not proceed with the work
at once and with all dispatch, the COM
pany will forfeit its contract and the
city will complete the work.