The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-17
To FIX BLAME FOR
CONTRACT DELAY
Committee Instructed to Get
Facts So That Public and
Council May Know.
ITS HARD TO GET MATERIAL
Railway Plan to Run Loop
Through East Franklin
Street Approved.
ITS HARD TO GET MATERIAL

Following vigorous arraignment
Of the delays to which many OF the city
contracts have been subjected by coun-
Gilman Vonderlehr. OF Lee Ward. the
Council Committee on Streets. at It's
meeting yesterday afternoon. APP
pointed a special subcommittee. con-
sisting of Councilmen Vonderlehr and
Haddon and Alderman Nielsen. to in
vestigate into all cases Of unusual de-
lay. and report the result Of such ex-
animation to the next regular meeting
of the full committee.
so much has been published in the
newspapers said Mr.. Vonderlehr, and
so much criticism has been directed at
the various Council committees. as well
as against the contractors, that l think
it is high time to establish once for ~
the justice Of these criticisms. II
these delays are unavoidable or are
really chargeable to carelessness on
the part Of the city or the contractors.
il will be we'll to know it,"
Boiling Defends Contractors.
City Engineer Boiling reported to
the committee that practically every
city contract now being executed Is
far behind time. This state of affairs.
he said, was largely due to the fact
that most Of the contracts for street
paving and sewer work were not
awarded until May !. and that con-
tractors have experienced unusual dif-
fculty this summer in securing the
material needed for their work.
There is not a single contractor for
stone work." said MIR. Boiling, who
is not far behind. AS far as l know
every quarry in the vicinity of the
city, supplying the granite spalls We
use for l.aving. is behind on it's orders
Not longer than last week seventeer
contractors doing work for the city
were compelled to suspend operations
because Of the impossibility of secur-
ing ordinary brick"
FRANKLIN Street Loop.
The sub committee appointed to pass
upon the application Of the Virginia
Railway and Power Company for per
mission to lay tracks on Franklin
Street between Seventh and Eighth
Streets to complete u loop over which
the company proposed to operate cer-
tain OF its suburban lines. reported
favorably on the plan. The report
was adopted by the full committee and
the City Attorney was instructed TO
frame an ordinance embodying the re-
concentrations, TO be submitted TO the
Council for passage.
According to the loop plan the rail-
way company will construct special
curves and crossoyers at Seventh and
Broad Streets which will enable cars
from West Broad Street to turn south
into seventh Street. and cars from East
Broad to turn into Seventh Street
north and south.
Together with the tracks to be laid
on Franklin street between Seventh
and Eighth. this will form loop owe:
which 1t is proposed TO run the Bar
ton Heights and Lakeside cars which
come in North First Street: the High
land Park line which comes in North
Seventh Street: and the south Rich-
mond lines which come up from south
Seventh Street
Rv eliminating the reversals which
are now necessary at the terminal
corners. the railway company claims
much dangerous congestion VIII be
avoided and the service greatly I'm
proved.
Award Many Contracts.
The committee awarded numoer
of contracts for paving The Lom-
hardy street contract for asphalt block
was awarded to the Washington As
nhalt Block and Tile Company at
s. 20 a square yard The contract for
the paving on the Boulevard near
Beverly Street was made contingent
I upon the passing by the Council OF the
necessary appropriation
A subcommittee consisting of Messrs
i Pollock and Powers was appointed Z"
! confer with the Chesapeake and Ohio
and Ssaboard Air Line Railways with
the object Of working out plan Tor
the enclosing o. Shockoe Creek
Messrs Powers. Mills and Haddon
were Amounted by Chairman Pollock.
| a special committee on bridges.
| At,orrey A. b. Guigon Of the VIZ
sinia Railway and Power Company
( and City Engineer Boiling engaged
| in a debate which lasted nearly an
hour ovc- the kind of paving the raii-
| Wv comusny should be required TO
/ lay on West Leigh street. The com
rli,tee voted to sustain the engineer
and Mr.. Guizon declared the willing
ness OF his company to comply with
Mr.. Boliins's specifications