The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-25
FOR FIRST time.
City Will Make Paving Con-
tractors Rush Work.
Will Enforce Penalty Clause of
Contracts.
WORK is FAR BEHIND
On 65 Elocks of Paving in Hands
Of Two Companies.
They Will Have to Hurry-City
Fathers determined.

Regarding the protest which has
been going up over the city because
the paving contractors have failed to
make satisfactory progress on their
contracts for this years paving, the
city officials have made 1t known that
for every day after the expiration of
the time limit given to the contrac-
tors ten dollars will be charged
against them and the salaries of the
inspectors will also fall from their
check.
This means that Contractors Gill
fllan and Richie, who have the only
two contracts for the 65 blocks Of
brick paving this year, will be paying
into the city treasury ten dollars
day after the first of December. Gill
fllan has his limit placed at Deem
Der 1 and Richie succeeded in hav-
ing his changed to January 1. But
from the progress that has been
made both contractors Will likely
have a good sized chunk taken from
their payments.
Gilfllan has total of 361s blocks
of paving contracts. Out of this lot
he has finished up blocks or
hardly one-fourth of the total amount
and he has been working all summer
Richie took contract for % II
blocks and he has just seven of them
finished He is still three-fourths be-
hind Out of the IS blocks of brick
having to be finished in Topeka be-
fore the end of the next three months
only 16 of them are ready.
Firm for First Time.
Never before in the history of paw
ing in Topeka have the city officials
claimed that they would bring down
the penalty of ten dollars day
The contractors have been able to
come to the council. compliment the
councilmen on their good looks ana
get away with an EXTENDED tlIne
limit. They have never taken the
time limit seriously and it has been
standing joke in the contracts.
Penalty Section Is Legal.
This section in the contract Is per-
fectly legal however, and right from
the mouths of Mayor Green, CITY Al
torney Ralston and a majority OF the
councilnen. a statement comes to the
effect that the section will be enforced
to the dot and the ten dollars day
penalty will be inflicted without any
mercy whatever. The people over the
unnecessary delay and the city officials
will act There is no trouble over the
decision of the courts in matter OF
This kind. City Attorney Ralston said
this morning that if the city could
prove that they had been damaged to
this extent it would be an easy matter
to collect.
The City is ready to prove this at any
time-at least the temperS of the Of
ficials have been damaged to this ex-
tent and they will see to it that the
contracts are finished or the fine
brought forth. Then there is another
expense to the contractors. If they do
not finish by the time limit they will
have to pay the salaries Of the city in
spectors. This is a good sized expense
account for anyone.
It is said from good authority around
the city hall that Richie has apparent
1y taken little interest in the work. He
is said to have spent the last week at
tending the Wichita fair and travelling
over the country. Work on the South
Topeka paving has been mighty slow
and generally on account of the at
temptS of the contractors to change
the grades set by the city engineer.
thus lessening the expense of their
work.
Gillian has his gangs at work