Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-07
WILL BE REFUSED.
CITY CONTRACTS
STANSBURY & POWELL ARE
UNDER BAN
Abandonment of Work on the outfaIl
Sewer Will Be Used as Ground
for Rejecting Their

Acting on an opinion of the city at
torney's office, the board of public works
in the future intends to give no more
city contracts to the firm of Stansbury
& Powell, which has refused to COM
plete the construction of the outfail
sewer This contracting firm Is one of
the largest and most powerful in Los
Angeles and in the past has confined
itself largely to taking contracts for
city work.
Four bids for street Improvements
submitted by Charles Stansbury, one of
the firm, are to be thrown out. Resolu-
tions stating the position that the COM
pany now occupies in the eyes of the
city will be adopted at tomorrow's ses-
sion of the board If they can be pre-
pared by that time.
The action of the board will be unus-
ual. 1t was determined upon yesterday
after a conference between w. B. Math-
ews, city attorney, and his assistant,
Leslie r. Hewitt when a verbal opinion
was given the board that under the law
it is Justified in taking the action that
it contemplates.
Abandoned outfaII
Stansbury & Powell, in their refusal
to continue work on the outfall sewer
last June, led to an investigation which
developed one of the largest municipal
scandals that the city has yet had At
ter the death Of Harry Stafford, city
engineer, and who was the superin-
tendent of construction for the city, it
developed that the sewer was far from
completed.
BY the inspection of the conduit made
by other engineers it was shown that
hardly 65 per cent of the big bore had
been completed, whereas the board of
public works had been led to believe
that only 21 per cent remained to be
built, and the contractors had been
paid on that basis. Allegations were
made that Stansbury & Powell had sue
ceeded in obtaining large overpayment 5
for their work, and having reached a
point where there was little or no profit.
refused to go farther. The city at the
present time is calling for bids from
other contractors to finish the conduit.
Clerk Submits Bids
Two months ago Hostetter, clerk in
the office of Stansbury & Powell, sub
mitted bid ON some sewer work. 1t
was believed by the board at that time
that he was acting for his employers.
The contract, however, was not award
ed, and on the second opening of bids
Hostetter's was not the lowest
Stansbury & Powell as firm have
made no bids on contracts since their
trouble with the city, but October 1
Charles Stansbury submitted four bids.
These are for the Improvement of Alli-
son avenue, from Sunset boulevard to
La Veta place; Center street, from
Truner to Ducommun; Fedora street,
from Tenth TO San Marino, and Pied
mont street, from Avenue So to Avenue
81.
The board made no award of the con-
tracts for these improvements and sub
mitted the question to Mr.. Hewitt and
Mr.. Matthews as to how the two con-
tractors We're to be considered by the
board. The question was asked IL the
board had power to reject the bids OF
these contractors,
Hewitt Expresses Opinion
Mr.. Hewitt in speaking of the opinion
oft himself aud his colleague on the
question, said last night: Under q
provision Of the Vrooman act we are
satisfied that the board of public works
has the power to reject the bids Of the
outfall sewer contractors on any con-
tracts to be let under the street inn
provement laws.
Under section 5 of the VroOman act
IT Is within the power of the board to
reject the bid Of any person who has
been found unfaithful or delinquent in
the performance Of any previous con-
tract with the municipality. II is true
that this provision occurs IN a law re-