The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-09
FULTON HITS BACK
City Engineer Returns Fire of
Contractor John Richie.
Brings Up Suspicious Past His
tory on City Work.
NOT SATISFACTORY.
Fulton Says Richie Has Al
ways Been Poor Worker.
Blames Contractor for the Con.
ditiOn of Topeka Streets.
SATISFACTORY.

Claiming that his work as a paving
and sewer contractor in the city was
most unsatisfactory. that he had been
mixed up in a number of questionable
lawsuits in connection with the city
contracts, and that he had made a
number of untrue statements in regard
to his ideas on the characters of the
city officials. City Engineer Fulton
gave out an interview to the State
Journal today that peppered unmerci-
fully the general character and work of
John Richie, paving and sewer con-
tractor.
In the State Journal last evening. Mr..
Richie gave out an interview stating
that City Engineer Fulton was mo
good that The would lose the city
thousands of dollars eventually and
that The was not fitted for the posi-
tion.' Today Mr.. Fulton came back at
the paving contractor with all guns at
once and he assailed from every posi-
ton the connections between Mr..
Richie and the city.
after my appointment to the office
of city engineer in December, 1909, /
made check on estimates allowed
John Richie for work done on paving
previous to the time 1 was appointed"
said Mr.. Fulton. Il found that Richie
had been overpaid to the sum of 3d.
$3.50 on final estimates issued to him
November 1909, for paving Kansas ave-
nue. between Seventeenth and Twen-
tieth streets. 1 tried to get Mr.. Richie
to return this money to the city but ne
would not do So and held up his eSti-
mates after 1 came into the office I'M
til February to get back this So, 523. so
which belonged to the city.
ION February 1 notified the mayor
and council that he was holding this
money and would not return it. They
instructed the city clerk to take it out
of the money appropriated to pay Mr..
Richie for work done in December and
January. This was done and since that
time Richie has not had the best feet
ings for me.
IT certainly appreciate the fact and
consider it an endorsement of my work
as city engineer when a contractor like
John Richie roasts me. You have
probably noticed that when you force
certain contractors to do the right
thing and make them live up to their
contracts they will boiler and try TO
blame it on to the other fellow.
''It would seem (from what he says)
that Ri' chic is very much interested in
the taxpayers and worried for fear they
may lose some money on my account
To people who know him best think
this is a joke. To hear him talk as a
rule he is the one that is always los
ing and getting the worst of it. There
isn't a contractor doing work in To-
peka today who fights to keep from
doing his work according to the con-
tract as hard as Richie does.
In some places he has been forced
to go over his work three times to get
it in decent shape and am now hold
ing back 10 per cent of his contract on
this piece of work until it is compile
ted and UP to specifications.
IF John Richie is so worried about
the city losing money why doesn't he
be fair and come, to trial in the suit
the city has against him to recover
some $4,000 to $4,000 for work it is
1ea1 onr ri -fsai11
he had a contract to build in the west
part of the city and on which it has
been said he was willing to compro-
mise for 5000 or $4,000 but the city
would not agree to said compromise but
would rather go before a jury with the
merits Of the case.
I'm regard to this department not in
specting his work 1 would take it from
his standpoint of view the way he
squeals when he is called to time that
what he really wants is less inspection.
He cries around that I am holding
him back on his work. The truth of the
matter is that it has been a continual
fight to get him to rush the work. He
now has some five blocks closed up to
travel.
kansas avenue from the bridge over
the Shunganunga creek to Twenty third
street has been torn up for over six
months and the people living on that
street can hardly get in and out of
InSlT IlOfHSo. llC CQIOliiS 10 al pioSO
but no paving has been done.
Boswell avenue between Sixteenth to
Seventeenth streets today is all torn
up and almost impossible. He has been
on this street grading for over two
months. He has finally got to work
paving two blocks on WoodlaHn ave-
rue after the street had been torn up
stree winter.
He has plenty of work ahead Of him
on these unfinished streets and my adj
M I, "a -
years contracts he has about six blocks
shat have not been touched. 1t is time
to get busy
HE OVATJETE.D STATEMENT