The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-10

after hearing from the city En.
Elneer and the contractor, shall
decide that the contractor has not
contract. and order said contract
to be cancelled and nnnulled, ana
any amount which, shall Their 30
due to the contractor for the work
already done shall DO used by the
city to remedy any defective OF er-i
any, shall be turned over to the
contractor upon tho completion Of
the work OF correcting these err.
rcrs. No individual shall be chi
ploNed in any capacltSbY the con-
tractor on these. surveys. who from
the personal Knowledge OF the
City Engineer or BY the conduct Of
such person during the progress of
the work proves himself. UNIT 10.
hold Such position. Upon notice
from the City Engineer to dis
charge such person or persons the
contractor shall Immediately dis
jectiotable to the City Engineer.
and shall provide proper substi.
tutes for them without delny.,'
Your committee sent copies of
these organizations to SIX engin-
GERS of standing and Reputation in
this community on the 18TH day 81
these specifications, A copy the
communication sent to each of these
Sin firms Is also returned as part
OF this report.
8. On May27, 1907. your commit
tee met to receive bids, and upon
the opening of same II WAS found
that the bid of Messrs. r.. Craw- !
ford Redd & Brother was very
much lower than that of any others,
with the possible exception OF one
on a percentage basis. which your
committee deemed ineXpedient to
consider. The amount of N1essrs.
which was $4,000 less than the
estimate Of the City Engineer, and
expressly provided that the same
was to be done "in accordance with
the specifications prepared by the
City Engineer
=. Your committee was unani-
mouslN of the opinion that tho bid
OF Messrs. Redd & Brother should
be accepted and accordingly in
structed the City ATTORNEY to draw
proper ordinance making the neces-
sary appropriation, and directing
that the contract be awarded to
MNessrs T Crawford Redd & Bro
cordanco with the specifications
made by the City Engineer, the
payments under same contract to
be made in pursuance Of said spec
ificattons, and the work to be
gently prosecuted. to the satisfac-
ton of the Committee on Streets"
o.. The draft of this ordinance
made by the City Attorney was
furnished this committee, and by
us recommended to the Common
Council' on the 10th day OF June.
1907, and on the 1ath day, Of June.
1907, was adopted in this body by
q vote Of: Ayes, "a; noes, 8.
6. Between that date and the
meeting of your honorable body,
on the 18th day Of June, 1907. the
city Engineer, IN communication
Streets. under date Of June II. 1907,
declined to be held responsible for
work or men over whom I Chez
have no control" and stating that
NJ, did not proposed to be saddled
with it. A copy of this letter is
likewise returned with this report
Z. On the 18th Of Juno your hon
orable body recon1mltted the ordi-
nance in question to this commit
tee, accompanied by letter of T.
Crawford Redd & Brother. In which
they expressed their determination
TO withdraw their offer, alleging as
among others, the following:
THAT the City Engineer, who
prepared tho specifications under
which the work was to be done,
appeared In print in the public
press and put us down as jack
legs and undertook to show that
we We're absolutely unfit to do the
work we had proposed to do, thus
condemning us in advance and
making statements as to our ca
pacity calculating to do us much
harm. and this before we had even
driven q. peg"
day Of June. 1907, heard an oral
statement from Messrs. Redd &
Brother, relterating their deternli
expressed in their. setter to your
honorable body. and assigning rea-
sons which were satisfactory to
your committee. and which APP
peared to your committee to be the
only course left TO them as self
respecting men. Your committee.
having the utmost confidence In the
ability OF Messrs. Redd & Brother
to do this work, and in their char
acter and integrity. earnestly re-.
1uesting them to reconsider the
withdrawal Of their bid. but finding
reluctantly determined to recom-
mend to your honorable body that
the request OF Messrs. Redd & Bro
Their to withdraw their bid be ac-
coded to, and that their certified
check be returned to them Of $3.50,
and herewith submit resolution
with this object in view.
0. At this same meeting Of your
committee a letter was received
from the City Engineer, under date
OF June 26. 1907. which is returned
as a part OF this report.
10. In view of the unreasonable
position taken by the City Engi-
neer. and the CONSEQUENT Withdraw
al Of the bid OF Messrs Redd &
Brother. your committee was left
Just where.it was at the start,
with the alternative Of recommend
ing this work to be done directly
by the Engineers Department, at
the cost OF about s21 900. or to let
the work out to Messrs. Redd &
Brother or some one else. without
the supervision OF the City Engi-
neer and the following resolution
was referred to the City Attorney
for his opinion:
Resolved. That in view OF the
complications which have arisen
In regard to the auruav md mo n