The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1907-09-21
CONTRACTORS ARE
EXPENSIVE lUXURIES
so THE CITY COUNCIL FINDS THE
POWER PLANT CONTRACTORS.
NO. EQUIPMENT IN SIGHT YET
Took Job on Strength Of Their Equipment
But the Only Pieces so Far shown up
are Lead Pencils.

Every rose has It's thorn. The city
council figured when the Chicago con-
cern that has the contract for the ad-
dition TO the power plant took the job
OF the city's hands that the munich
pality tumbled into bed so deeply
padded with roses that the thorns
couldn't possibly stick through. Ex.
perience. 10 date shows that the petals
dropped OFF the flowers shortly after
the conract was signed and there hasn
anything hut thorns shown up since
They have been pricking the administ-
ration - hard the past week that the
council was obliged 70 sit up and take
notice
In the first place the contract Is let
on a percentage basis. that Is, the con.
tractors get ten per cent OF what the
Job costs for supervising the work,
buying the machinery and the use Of
their equipment The company hgur
ed an expenditure Of between $50, 600
and $25. 600 TO complete the work and
an agreement was finally reached by
which the construction company IS to
receive 81, 900 for their compensation
in lieu Of the 10 per cent. There are
few minor charges such az the pre-
MUM on the insurance, freight on the
equipment, etc, that Is to be- paid 10y
the city over and above the s.. 600
The contract was duly signed by the
proper city officials and the represent
ative Of the Faulkeneau Construction
Co, the firm name Of the contractors.
In about a week after the contract
was signed two foremen for the com
pany arrived and started the work IL
was the understanding that but one
man would be- sent at first but letter
explanation presented by the fore
Ynen stated tnat the firm thought that
matters would be facilitated very much
by sending two men instead Of one.
Last week along came third man, a
boss carpenter. These foremen are all
drawing big salaries and the city pays
them Under them are about half
dozen men picking ont a little rock for
the tail race The carpenter foreman
II overseering the screening OF the
gravel az SO much per a job that would
nc Yankee sullivan very nicely az
an expense Of his board
In the mean time the city officials
have been waiting patiently for the
equipment TO arrive but outside Of
a few lead pencils carried IN the poe
kets OF the foremen, no equipment has
appeared on the scene 70 date. What
picks. shovels, wheelbarrows ana drill
steels has been used have been pur
chased in the local hardware stores and
charged up % the city ia the semi
monthly bills rendered By the company
The Faulkeneau people, under their
contract. buy al of the material and
hire all Of the labor and pay for every
ting. the city paying them on semi
monthly pay rolls
A persual Of the statements present
cd so far show that the "superintend
ents item In Just about as large as
the labor item II further shows "A.
mong the vouchers presented postage
stamps used by the company's repre-
sentatives. livery hire for conveying
the foremen down 20 the power plant
aud other items Of similar nature.
The city council kicked over the
traces last Monday evening aud locked
horns with the representative OF the
contractors. Mr.. Klein. The first kick
was on equipment and after long dis
cussion IL was decided that wheelbar-
ows. forges. blasting batteries, etc,
properly belonged 70 the contractors
equipment and the bills for those items
were thrown out.
Mr. Klein had evidently been up
against. city councils before for the
revolt didnt faze him in the least He
sat patiently through the procedure,
occasionally remarking, Well, it's
A. TO you. gentlemen He is very
Ieasant fellow and evidently knows
his business In all rs phases In re
gard TO equipment and the reason that
none OF the promised utensils are here
he stated that It's partially the fault
Of himself and his colleague as they
advised the home office not 10 ship.
"But, he added, we have equipment
$3.50 900 worth Of H. and can ship it ia
here IN carloads II this city wants 10
pay the freight on IL II further de
veloped that lot OF equipment has
been ordered shipped, such as concrete
mixers, boiler. steam drills. etc. and ]
they will surely be here very shortly.