The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-09-26
ARE NOT SEEKING LITIGATION
Contractor White Insists That Offer of
The City Will be Carefully Consid-
cred and Declares That Mayor And
Aldermen Have Acted Fairly.

The conference between the oLnclals
Of the city and the attorneys for the
Cleary, White, Newman Company, con-
tractors for the trunk sewer at
the city hall on Tuesday evening did
not result in any definite decision be-
ing reached in regard to- the settle
ment of the sewer bills, but at the
close Of the two hour conference there
was quite good feeling and it is not
impossible that the contracting com
pany will accept the settlement offer
ed by the committee.
At the conference were Mayor Dan
0. Head, Alderman Joseph G. Rhode
City Engineer Baltzer, City Attorney
John 6. Slater, M e. White, Engineer
Haley and Foreman Duff Of the con-
tracing company and Attorneys
Thompson of Racine and Peter Fisher
Of Kenosha representing the contrac-
tors.
The officials Of the city made a for
NAL offer of settlement Of all CLAIMS
of the contractors against the city fix
ms the amount at between $685.
and 100000. The attorneys were given
to understand that the settlement had
been based on figures furnished by the
expert engineers employed by the city
and that these Nengineers in reaching
their estimate had used practically The
same figures as Lad been used by the
engineer Of the contracting company
in figuring up the amount due to the
company on account of extra excava-
tion The city committee following
the report of the experts made no pro-
vision for extra money for lumber be-
yond the lumber left in the sewer
trench at the orders of the common
council Mayor Head had figured out
the bill to cent and he had been
more liberal with the contractors than
had been suggested by the experts. The
figures of the city w9e carefully CON
sidered by the engineers Of the com
pany and it is probable that counter
compromise proposition will be sent to
the committee by the contractors.
At the close of the conference Con-
tractor White said: 'FI believe that the
mayor and the members of the commit
tee have gone into this matter fairly
and that they sought to award the
company just what is coming to it
from the standpoint taken by the city.
There is vast difference in these
figures and those made by our own en-
giueers AID | am going to have eur at
torneys make a very careful study of
the proposition. 1t is possible that the
city officials have made fair esti-
mate of the extra work j do not want
to say at this time that the proposition
will be acceptable to the company, but
our attorneys and engineers will look
into it.
Contractor White has repeatedly
stated that he IS not looking for a
court fight on the settlement Of the
sewer and he declared last night that
his company would accept loss on the
sewer rather than stand for litigation
TO secure q settlement. He has sug-
gested that the cost ofNthe sewer be
figured by experts irrespective of the
contract agreements and the city pay
The actual cost Of the sewer to- the
company. This has not met with the
sanction of the members Of the street
assessment committee.
The committee is anxious to reach
some agreement pv which the bin for
extras may be acted upon by the coun-
ell before the new tax levy is made in
order that some provision may Be
made to meet the bills of the sewer
contractors.
The council may deem it wise to
make a small oond issue to complete
the payment for the sewer but if pos
sible tile amount Of money needed will
By taken from the general funds ot
She city,