The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-04-07

BLANKET CONTRACT LAW
CHANGED BY LEGISLATURE
Board. Ct Public Works Will
Seek Legal Advice and Hold
Another Meeting.

The statement has been made that
little or nothing was accomplished AT
She recent session Of the Utah Legis-
lature. The members of the City
Board Of Public Works are OF differ
ent opinion, and hold that at least the
Legislature was able to get through
legislation that will have the effect of
retarding, perhaps seriously, con
templated improvements IN Sal: Lake
City.
At the meeting of .he board Friday
evening S. Birch, who held contract
for sidewalk extensions, and James
Kennedy, who was awarded an extcn.
sive sewer contract, asked to be re-
heved from the carving out of these
on The ground that, in view of recent
legislation, the contracts, as made,
were illegal, Mr.. Birch refused To ac.
cept the contract awarded him nader
any consid deration until mis- status
under the amendments Of the last ses-
SION was positively defined.
1t has been the custom, in order TO
facilitate the work of city improve
mcnis, and in the interests Of economy,
10 make extensive contracts for side
walk. sewer aud water extensions.
These were blanket contracts, and
sometimes covered considerable ground.
The amendments made 10 the law at
the recent session interfcres with this
system. IN future every extension for
which petition is made and which the
council orders must be advertised
separately. and contracts separately
awarded, The members of the board
fear that this Will not only deter them
from receiving favorable bids from
contractors. but viii involve much ex
pense and delay
The contractors who have refused TO
accept the contracts awarded them
say that they do so by the advice of
their lawyers. who have told them that
they were given TO them in contraven-
zion of the amendments just passed
by the Legislature
In addition 10 the two mentioned,
the contract of ]. ". Percival for
water main extensions is also affected,
and, like the others, is void, though it
has already been signed and no pro-
test has been received from Mr.
Percival. The contracts given P. J.
Moran being definite and for specified
work. are not affected
Will Seek Advice.
the opinion of Judge Ogden Hiles, City
Attorney. and will meet with the City
Council on Monday evening to dis
cJss the situation. No doubt exists in
the minds of the members but that it
VIII be necessary 10 readvcrtise the
whole work.
The expense of all the procedure
which will be entailed will be
enormous and the delay considerable
The members Of the board state that
the Legislature could scarcely have hit
upon better way 10 hamper much
needed improvements in Salt Lake
City, and more than hint that this was
the end and aim of the several amend
ments.
Another feature of the legislation is
that unfinished contracts for last year
viii also come into question. Acting
on the advice of his attorney. Mr..
Birch has refused 10 carry out his con
tract for the work awarded him last
year, on the ground that it also is
illegal. This contract provided for
pavement by warrants, These the city
can no longer Issue, the law now pro
viding for payment by scrip only.
his opinion on this phase of the matter.
The board ordered notice to be
sent to the Utah Fireproofng company
10 proceed at once with their side
walk contract OF 1905 Though there
has been nothing official in the mat
ter, the company, 1T is claimed, has
manifested a disinelina.ion to complete
the work. The company completed
twenty miles of sidewalk in 1905,
sixteen or seventeen miles last year,
and has still remaining on the contract
about twenty miles
TIE Utah Light and Railway com
nanY and the two telephone companies
WILL by order of the board, be in
structed 10 at once remove their poles
from East Second South.
In addition to the meeting with the
Council on Monday evening, the board
will hold meeting on Tuesday after
noon ut 4 CLOCK to make an effort to
overcome IN n measure the delay occa-
stoned by Tao throwing up Of the con