The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-19
SAYS COLI GU UTSHAW
REFLECTS ON THEM
City Engineer, They Contend
Has Charged Thcmin Advance
With 1ncompetcncy and
Treated Them as jack
legs in His Comments.
Session Of Board.

Though number OF important
matters were considered by the Board
OF Aldermen in session last night the
sensation of the evening came with
the production OF letter from T.
criticizing the City Engineer. and ask
Ing TO be relieved OF the contract for
surveying and plating the newly ans
nexed territory. i;;S 3
The matter came up on the question
of.4the concurrence OF the Board In
the action OF the lower branch in
awarding this contract to Redd 4
Broth err. 4 q
Pr&sident Turpin drew from his
pocket communication from the sue
cessful bidders for the surveying con-
tract. Messrs. Redd & Brother, and
presented 1t to the Aldermen
Interest was great as the sergeant
alarms began the reading Of the
paper. and It was intensified as 1t
became known that the firm asked per-
mission to withdraw their bid, or. that
falling, appealed to members to vote
against the award. In a review OF the
entire circumstances and events lead
ing up to the present status. the firm
complain OF the reflections cast upon
their ability by the City Engineer and
OF the cxacting conditions he sought
to place upon their acceptance OF. the
contract. Members OF the Board char
ucterized the letter as manly one,
hut further than this declined to dis
cuss the matter in any way. 1t will
however, precipitate an interesting sit
Euation in municipal affairs, and further
deyelopments are beinl awaited with
Interest.
Letter From Firm.
6The following Is the full text of the
|letter Of hessrs. Redd g. Brother. as
read to the Board by the sergeant-at-
arms:
nichn,ond, Va, June 1s, 1907.
To the Board OF Aldermen Of the Il
/ Sg City OF Richmond.
GentIemen,-InF view of certain
unexpected developments in cons
ncction with the proposed survey
OF the annexed territory, we feel
| cOnstralDed in Justice to ourselves
\ to make this personal statement
Some months ago, during the
winter, Colonel Cutshaw sent for
us to come to SEQ him in reference
to the survey Of the annexed ter
ritory, and stated that he would
want our services in connection
with the same, MS We were we'll
acquainted with the territory and
maps, plans, ETC., which would very
much facilitate the work. We
agreed to render any service asked
! NV him, and to furnish any infOr-
| nation that We might have, our
. compensation to be fixed by arbi-
trntion In case the City Engineer
. | aud ourselves could not aEree as
/ to an amount.
The next we heard of the matter
1 was when we were called upon by
4 the Committee ON AppOrtionment
OF Expenditures In the Annexed
i Territory and asked to submit
4 bid for making a complete survey
4 OF the same. We have never made
any effort to secure this work,
aud hive never asked any member
OF the Council or hoard to vote
J, for us. We made our bid In good
j faith, and were fully prepared to
i do the work to the satisfactton OF
n any reasonable man-be he official
or citizen. All we wanted was fair
\ treatment, and we expected to
i stand upon the same footing a.
i amy other engineer or firm, but
Just as soon as 1t became known
Il that our bid would be favOrably
reported by the committee, most
remarkable thing took place.
Resent Action of Engineer.
The City Engineer, who prepared
the specificationsN under which the
work was to be done, appeared In
print In the public press and put
llx down an "jacklegs," and under-
]: took to show that we were nbso-
r lutely unfit to do the work that
> we had proposed to do, thus con-
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