The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-22
GRADERS NEXT.
City Attorney on Track Of More
Graft.
Thinks That Grading Figures
Were Wrong.
CHECKING 1T ALL UP.
Prof. Harshbarger and Mr..
Griggs Are Named.
Will Report on the Charges OF
Paving Steal.

The graders are to have it next,
says F. G. Dreaming, city attorney.
After airing the charges of pavement
graft, the city attorney states that he
is about prepared to show that the city
has been spending a lot of money for
grading in return for work that it
never got. He states that he does not
believe the contract prices for grading
in former years would permit con-
tractor to come out even
"A grader could not have made any
money at less than % cents. That's
the living price and the contracts in
years past did not permit contractor
to make anything said the city attor-
ney.
w. A. Harshbarger of Washburn
college, and George Griggs. formerly
paving inspector. have been employed
by the mayor to check up the pavement
and see if the city has paid for. more
paving on the intersections than was
actually laid. Both of these men will
go to work next week Monday and COM
mence their operations.
w. E. King, formerly assistant city
engineer, does not believe that there is
anything in the charges and thinks that
an explanation and investigation will
show that everything is as it should be.
He has turned over his field notes upon
the attempt to verify the claim that all
of the paving has been actually laid as
called for
''McCabe has attempted to cover
some of this up, at least it would look
like that in the way the accounts Were
turned in. He has made no showing
for extra charges-which should be
plainly shown in returning vouchers
whenever extra work occurred, said
Dreaming. Il think that we can I'M
cover something on the grading con-
tracts, too, even though the grading
prOffles for last year and the year be-
fore have been destroyed. l think it
is mighty funny that the records of the
office should be used for scrap paper as
the excuse was given when we asked
for the profile sheets
city has been paying more for its paw
ing than is shown on the plat" said
Mayor VIM. Green Il have not Verf-
fled the plats by actual measurements
though the city attorney states that he
has 1t is very peculiar, however, that
practically all the overcharges should
occur on the city's proportion and not
any of it on private property. We find
500 to 5000 on every block and in one
block it runs up to over $500. shall
try to employ an engineer to check
over this pavement for few days 1t
seems that it has been running along
for years and that it will amount to
several thousand dollars"
For the first time in a number OF
years Topeka manufactured paving
brick may not be used in local paving
contracts.
H N. Price. who has the contract
for paving owns his own brick plant, |
and is in a position to supply all OF the
brick for his contract if he so desires:
He occupies a strategic position and
the local manufacturers will have TO
come in with an exceedingly low price
in order to land any of their product |
Both the Capital City Vitriied Brick |
company and Rodgers Brick company |
hope to supply brick
The curbing and gutter contracts
were amicably settled to the sat1sfac-
ton of contending contractors at the |
council meeting last evening.
Haskins & Ramsey, who We're the
lowest bidders on the combined curo
and gutter, will furnish North Kansas
avenue and Central avenue with their
product The combination curb and
gutter costs 81 cents a lineal foot. F.
6. Dreaming, city attorney, assured the
that there was no rear
that the North Topeka paving could De
knocked out on a technically because
the gutter cut down the width OF the
paving three feet below the specit1ca-
tons.
The remaining thirteen out OF the
twelve blocks will be curbed with