The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-10-17
COMMITTEE MAY
BREAK CONTRACT
Smith Ordered to Show Cause
Why Mayo Bridge Work
Is One Year Late.
RESClND OTHER CONTRACT
Investigation Shows That
Chewing and Clary Took
No Interest in Paving.

After resembling city contracts with
! J. Il Chewing and J. ". CE,rE be-
( cause they had shown httlc or no IN
! tercst In their execution. the counSil
Committee Oh Streets Yesterday after
noon notified J. S.ntth & Co. con-
tractors for the new Mayo.> Bridge, l"
appear at the neat meeting TO Sh""
cause why similar .Stors Should not De
taken IN regard 10 TIA; WORK. Sity
Engineer Charles t. Boiling ftpoTie"
that the new bridge MAS n"w 1873 per
cent complete. II was due 20 nave
been fully completed ard delivered I"
the City on July ]: last. hat early IA
the summer the former Committee Oh
Streets allowed four months extra be
cause. of time lost for hi%h water, cold
weather, and other conditions. The
time therefore expires or November Il
next. and CITY Engineer Boiling re-
ported that it was Obvious. that II
would not be completed BY that time
VIII Take Another Year.
Indeed, at the present rate OF PF'-
gress and after considering force ma
,crial and equipment Mr.. Boiling sad
he hardly believed thc bridg" would
be com pleted this time next year.
The contractor, he said. was very
properly hurrying forward the foun-
dattoNS fOr piers on lHV sN'uSH'A'' ''''
of the bride. while the river was low
b,,, there was much other work that
might also be going on on other sec
lions of the bridge. Were the contac-
tor properly equipped to handle such
an undertaking. Mr. Boiling said ne
realized tn" matnitude of the WORK
and the difficulties encountered. ana
was willing 10 give the contractor
every opportunity. but in view OF thf
enormous interests involved ana the
great loss to the community by reason
of tn" delay, he felt it proper to BRING
: the exact situation to the attention OF
the committee. His notice TO press
forward the work with more energy
larger force and more adequate equip
ment had received scant attention. and
i'm mos, cases no response, and ne
asked the committee to take some &C
ton.
Little Attention to Letters.
He had written Mr.. Smith, head OF
the firm. notifying him that he wouic
bring the matter to the attention OF
the committee and asked him 10 be
present yesterday. but Mr.. smith was
not in the room, nor was any repre-
sentative of the contracting hrm pres
cut On motion of Mr. Powers. the
contractor Was formally summoned
20 appear before the next regular
meeting of the committee. There Is
! no application now pending 1or any
extension OF the contract period AFTER
November Il.
afr. Boiling reported that III May
last a large contract for curbS, cutters
and granolithic sidewalks had pee"
awarded 10 J. ". Clary for work IN
south Richmond, less than one thifu
~ which has been done. The 1orce
nd
terial insufficient. The committee
ordered the contract for all the work
cancelled forthwith. and directed the
ci;v engineer to advertise for ne"
bids for it's completion at the cost
OF Mr. Clary.
Nor. serious conditions were re-
ported oil the Bacons quarter brahch
work at the foot of Harrison street
where LITTLE or eorhins mas peep
don. bv the contractor, J. B. Cne"n-
ing. The more important part OF the
, work. including an old broken sewer
which is cavinC in. has not been
,oucb.d The contract was cancehed
md the City Engineer authorized 10
.,nploy Iab teams and buy MdIetI"'
to have it completed at once at thS
. .xpense of the contractor MI MILLS
=, now member OF the street tom
r,i;.e.. and chairman OF the CoInfnit'ee
on Water remarked that ne Wishen
,.rr rruch that the committee naa
! f,spp notified sooner of the uhsat!s
factory work on the part o. Mr.
! Cb.wniug. as under the circumstances.
g.. wound certainly have opposed
! the recent action of the Water Com
yni,tee In awarding to this cohrac-
| or $4,000 contract for laying
| wafer main across James EiEe' M
Mills Indicated that he would -asoI
a general interchange OF .Hioi '''a
! ,'si-h i,competent or negligent con
,rar.crs would DE Ba.red from bidding