Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-07-17
P. ]. MORAN SAYS
THINGS TO BOARD.
Contractor Declares He is Being
Made a Punching Bag for
Aggrieyed Members.
HIS PAVING BILL NOT PAID.
isauabble Between Engineer aud Public
Works Committee Assigned as Iiea-
Son for Nom pm ynent Of Contract.

L = { / T. i ~ u
Patrick j. Moran, the official contrac-
tor, talked outin class last night when
the boar dof public works held UP his
| estimates submitted on the resurfacing
| OF Main street. The board refused
to allow the estimates because Moran
failed to carry out an order issued by
| the board OF public works held UP his
| pans!on Joints between the sidewalk
and the curb. Moran followed the adj
| vice OF City Engineer Kelseysand Mayor
Bransford, ignoring the board, and now
he Is being punished. The board de-
cided last night that unless Moran
placed the expansion joints between
the sidewalk and curb on Main street
that he would have to go to court to
have the matter adjusted.
The resolution was carried which wsls,
introduced bye. D.. Rooklidge last week
refusing to- pay Moran until he com !
piled with Il the order OF the board
which was in accordance with the plans
and2speclfications. MoransMill have to
abide by this, the board says He can
ICstI VII EltlS =SlhcWdih ttiiu lcdNE
4 an expansion joint between it and the
curb, or the board will hold out enough
money to pay for the work at the ex-
5pense of the contractor
Moran called attention to the clause
In his contract that the opinion of the
city engineer on technicalities shall be
final. Chairman III. g. Mcmillan in
formed the contractor that the eNpan-
sion joint was not technicality, but
called for in the plans.
CALLS IT SPITE WORK,
zs Just because you fellows and the
mayor and the city engineer can't get
along together. you decide to take your
spite out on the contractors.
We get along all right. Mr.. Moran"
Chairman Mcmillan replied. 5f
you can't tell nue. anything about
that, I have been here too often. Under
my contract Il believe that l have fol-
lowed 1t to the letter and have COM
5pleted the work and think that 1t is
only fair that should get my money
Il have submitted two estima ties that
amount to more than $4,000 and you
are unwilling to allow me any of 1t be-
cause of this petty dispute between
yourselves and the{city engineer. If
had stopped work when the board or
dered me to you wouldn't have had
the job completed for some time to
come. have done my work according
Z to contract and you have not paid me
"a cent for It, and I don't think you
should take any such arbitrary action
as that. There are no plans or speci-
fications In the contract regarding the
isidewalk,y5a that was nothing but
patchwork There is nothing in it
about expansion joints.
HOW TROUBLE AROSE.
This statement ended the ontroversy
and the board laid Moran's estimates
on the table. The trouble arose when
City Engineer Kelsey, backed up by
Mayor Bransford. counterinanded an
order issued to Moran ON Main street.
Moran was carrying out the orders of
the board in placing expansion joints
between the sidewalk and the curb.
When Kelsey saw what Moran was
doing he got the mayor and they went
down and ordered Moran to place the
sidewalk flush up against the curb. He
followed out the instructions Of the city
engineer and the mayor, despite the
fact that the board ordered him sew
eral times to carry on the work as it |
had directed, which was according to |
tho plans and specifications.
The board was not ready to take up
Moran's bill of $4,000 for repairing the |
wooden stave outlet sewer pipe. The |
reports of the inspectors are being item
lied The board is willing to pay |
Moran for the work of reinforcing the |
pipe under the railroad tracks, but it
claims no responsibility. for any of the
other work. This work under the
tracks will cost, it is estimated about
Sc 900, and that is all the board pro-
poses to allow him on the work. This
bill will probably come I'D at the next |