The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-07
Reprinted from State Journal Janu-
airy 8, 1901
CITY WEAKENS.
Changes the Specifications for
Sixth Avenue Viaduct.
Loses Penalty Provided for i'm
the Contract.
A HOT EXCHANGE.
C0uncilMen Holiday and Jordan
in a Clash.
Second Ward Representative
Blames Delay ON Council.

BY a resolution the city council
Thursday afternoon changed the
specifications for the repair of the
East Sixth avenue viaduct and there
by affected the contract that the city
had with the Topeka Bridge company.
Whatever hold the city council had on
enforcing the $25 day penalty from
the contracting bridge company for
failure to complete the bridge on the
first day of July last, is thereby lost.
The ceuncilmen who voted to
change the specifications were: coun-
cilmen Biakely, Howard, Van Ness,
Holiday, KutZ, Montgomery and
Tandy. Those who voted against
were:f Councilmen Stanley, Horn and
Jordan.
1t is simply history repeating itself.
The city makes curious threats to en-
force the letter of its contracts and
then always WeaIens when it comes
to pinch.
The city in the past three years has
never had on it's hands such an I'M
satisfactory contract as the one that
called for the repair of the East Sixth
avenue ~viaduct due to the diIatory
tactics pursued by the contractors
from the beginning. From the begin
ming the bridge company attempted
to offer other materials than that
specified. s
Considering all this it seems little
strange that now when the viaduct is
nearly completed the council should
agree to change the contract against
the advice of the city engineer, but at
the request of the contractor.
Some six residents of the Second
| ward who live just east from the via
duct appeared at the special session
| of the council and urged that the city
make a change in the contract so that
the bridge company might be able to
| complete it's repairs quickly:
The delegation was headed by
George Butts, Chris Roof and o.
Purdy. The city contract called for
the top flooring to be laid transverse
ly. This called for sixteen foot ma
terial. The bridge company wanted
to lay the flooring horizontally so
| that they could use fourteen foot lum-
Der which they already had on hand.
The city engineer stated that this
would not wear so WELL
AS a compromise measure the
council amended the specifications SO
that the top floor should be laid at
right angles to the first floor and that
all Joints between the two floors must
be carefully broken and lap of at
least three inches provided for.
Holiday Blames Council.
During a warm interchange be-
tween Councilmen Holiday and Jor-
dan, Councilman Holiday. made a
| rather remarkable statement in plac-
! ing the fault of the delay on the coun-
| ell.
/ at criticize the council, 1 criticize
the last council, the last administra-
| ton. the man who had a hand in the
| drawing up of the specifications for
making such a contract as this said
Holiday. "That lumber is entirely too
nice that they are putting down on
| that viaduct. It ought to be in your
narlors and not on that viaduct for
| horses and buggies to pass over and
dirty up. I said. from the beginning
that we ought to have some rough