The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-01
BIRCH ABANDONS
! : SIDEWALK WORK
Insists Upon Being Released
From His Contracts
~ With City.
CAN'T COLLECT HIS MONEY
MOVE ADDS TO EMeARRASs-
MENT OF ADMINISTRATION.

;. Birch has unoff1cially announced
70 the board of public works that he
viii not fulfill his sidewalk contracts.
He is expected to ask the board to be
released from further obligations
:. This has long been expected, and
when 1t happens will plunge the ad-
mintstration into even deeper mire
than ii now is in regard to the carry
ing out of public improvements. Birch
VIII assume the same attitude as the
Utah Fireprooflng company did in that
ne will claim he has exceeded his ap
Proclamation AS this was the ground
upon which the latter concern secured
It's release, on the recommendation Of
the city attorney, Birch stands an ex-
cellent show of getting out from un-
DER on the same grounds. Birch has
done $4,000 worth of work, and his
contract only called for sec, 900 worth.
?, But Birch has another ground which
IS better still. According to his con-
tract he is TO be paid in warrants. Birch
has received no pay of any description
for 1--WE months, and some of the CON-
pensation he accepted before that time
was in scrip. Under an ordinance
passed last Monday evening by the
council all this scrip is TO be redeemed
in warrants, but as yet the city aU-
dttor has not issued the warrants
Birch Up Against 1t.
Besides this Birch has over $50. 900 in
warrants due him. These he has suld
TO the board of land commissioners at
IS cents on the dollar. He cannot, now
ever, secure any money from the board
Nntil he produces the warrants, and ne
Hannot produce the warrants until the
auditor issues them.
That Birch is ready to throw up the
sponge was admitted bv Chairman
Leonard of the board of public works
yesterday, who said that Birch told him
that he absolutely refused to do any
more work for the city. In fact, Birch
has not done any work for a consider
able period. and his intention to throw
up his contracts is shown not only by
his words, out by his actions, and the
principal trouble is that the city won't
pay him what he has honestly earned
The council blames the board of works
the board of works in turn blames the
council, the council then biames the
new NV, and the auditor blames the
council. board of works and the new
law; and there you are The fact is,
however, that Birch is tired Of work
ing for nothing.
7 Situation Is Serious.
That the predicament is serious one
u cthioNlCuStu ny oil III the ufSl
place Birch has about 40 900 feet of I'M
completed sidewalk work. These con-
traces were entered into about d year
ego and were at the prices then pre-
vailing. The city cannot do the work
now for the price originally bid, and as
the assessments have already been
made under the old and obnoxious law
changed by the last legislature the city
will have to pay the difference between
the present cost and the cost as esti-
mated a year ago. This will mean
considers BILE sum of money, and the
city has no money with which to pay
for it.
Most of the work which Birch has to
do is in extension No. SO, on the north
bench, which includes the territory be-
tween Third and Sixth avenues and ali
the intercepting streets. If he gives up
his contract there will be no sidewalks
worthy of mention on the north bench,
as the Utah Fireprooflng company con-
tract was in that district also.
The other work is in extensions No
IS and 100. The former is on the east
bench and the latter is in the southern
portion of the city