New-York tribune., 1908-03-13
GOOD FOR CONTRACTORS
"Iaspector's Days" ShOscn to Haze
Prolonged Thor Time.

eo,,. cp-;o,,s differences between recommended
mons in regard to contracts made ny ehsiiieei'
Employed by the city in The Bronx ana me actio
taken upon them 10y President Haffen OK that DOT
,,pb were made public yesterday iii the exafnina-
don of Josiah a. Brisgs, chief Engineer oy 1ohh
P4,rrov Mitchell. Commissioner o. Accounts ooih
missioner Mitchels inquiry yesterday was oeNo'e"
to methods Of measuring sime en- contracts a sno-
feet in regard to which fresioeht 'iaheh atfN"''
had been interrcgated
Both in the Bureau of Sewers and the Bureau OF
t4ighvvays inspector is not on the 1op each
Cav every such day is not chargeahie against lhe
contractor in computing whether he has fulfilled
-eosireEnents completing a contract WITHIN the
,i,aa s,.aciaed NJ Briggs said yesterday that II
:.se Borough President were so inclined under the
inspectors day system he could extend the time
nlnit for contracts indefinitely He assented-out
relurtarflv-vfen Commissioner Michel asked him
= the natural effect of computing time by working
savs were defeat the practical definition OF
working days permitted contractor to complete
a job
As 10 particular contracts testimony in regard
to that fer the Mosholu Parkway. on which Assist
ant Engineer Fitch recommended a penalty for
twenty and one-lalf days delay. showed that the
charge had not been made. Chief Engineer Briggs
also recommended the imposition Of the penalty,
but the notation For further inquiry the chief
enEineers letter looked TO the witness as II made
n the Borough Presidents handwriting. OF Thomas
Murray's contracts on one for sewer construction
n Parkyiew avenue Assistant Engineer Day recon-
sne1ded a charge of fifteen and cne-hah days over
sirne. the charge reTnitted- Murray claimed
the allowance because he found water pipes in the
ground. which had TO be removed, but Assistant
Engineer Day said this could have been done in
pre- day. on the Grote avenue contract, time al
lowed which 400 days, inspectors were
absent from the work 1eS days. Even with allow
snce made for these days and for weather condi
tions and other reasonable causes OF delay. there
Has a balance of twenty days unaccounted for
and for which no charge had been made
on the Evelyn Place sewer. with all allowances
made fer inspectors days and other causes, 52%
days remained unexplained, but President Haffen
authorized Mr. Briggs TO make final payment
the contract without deduction Of penalty for
time. As recommended in your report The wit
ness examined his own report, but could find no
such recommendation He supposed President Haf-
fen had made mistake The contractor on this
Sob NJ J. Leahy. received allowance for overtime
also on the Kelly street sewer, because Chief En-
sineer Briggs had advised that 1t might be diff
fcult defend suit Commissioner Mitchell
thought that case for the Corporation Coun-
SCI 10 pass
A lfz. reason vas advanced by Mr.. Briggs in
q letter which was marked 20. X: I. T. H" for
failure 10 charge for 79l2 days Of delay
inended by Assistant Engineer Fitch connection
wiki q contract TO install receiving basins in West
Farms Road Mr. Briggs could not remember why
this penalty chargeabe against the Permanent Con-
struction Company had been remitted.
Finally Chief Engineer Briggs said il appeared
q though President Baffen had acted his
t1he chief engfneers} recommendations. Assistant
engineers employed on the Broadway
tract. which took 45e0 days complete instead of
the 1000 allowed for, showed in communications
shat they not disposed TO regard all the
delays 5ustifiabe, bat the chief engineer stuck
&c the opinion that most allowances on contracts
were properly made. The investigation viii be
continued to-day.