El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-06-20
Surety Company Is Asked
to Make the Contractor
Remedy Alleged Defects.


Asserting that the Public Works En-
cheering company of Portland Ore. had
failed to comply with the terms of
contract made with the city relative to
the construction of the city sewage dis
posal plant, mayor c. E. Kelly at a
meeting of the city council Thursday
morning was authorized to send letter
to the American Surety company Of New
York, calling on that company to cause
the engineering company to comply with
the contract, or to do so themselves.
The city holds the bond of the surety
company in the sum of $4,000, taken
as a guarantee that the company would
do certain things, which the city cOun-
ell declared it has not, and now the city
Is asking the surety TO make good
There were two letters, one addressed
to the New York and the other to the
engineering company at Portland.
Detailed Statement Made
The extent in which the engineering
company failed to comply with the con-
tract it had made with the city was set
forth in separate detailed statements
attached to the two letters.
In the statements 1t was stated the
contract in this instance was made on
March Z, 1910, and the company to Sc
cure the city for the construction and
operation Of the disposal plant furnished
the $4,000 bond dated September p,
1910, the American Surety company OF
New York being the surety.
The CITY council declared that the plant
had been in operation long enough TO re-
veal the existence of grave defects, and
that the contract had not in all respects
been lived up to.
Some Alleged Defects.
Some of the defects set out were as
follows. The provision to the effect
that the effluent shall be clear, eOlOrless,
without odOr. nOn-putrescible, and purl-
fled by bacterial action so that all germs
should be practically removed. The lack
of publication in this respect was said
to be due to number of causes, among
which were included inadequate drains
at the bottom of the filter beds, The
inability of the sprinkler heads, the IN
ability to maintain the rotary screens
in anything like continuance OF opera
ton and others.
Furnace Not Satisfactory.
The furnace, which was agreed to be
installed by the company, it was re-
ported. would not perform its work, IN
that the residual from the furnace under
the working load of 4S tons per day
was not thoroughly burned and free
from organic matter.
Some Things to Be Remedied.
Among the things which should be !
remedied before the plant is equal to /,
the contract. suggested, were the fol- ]
lowing: Better and safer means OF /
cleaning the coarser OF the primary !
screens; doors for the pump room flow; /
improvements in hosting apparatus for j
primary screens; opening to permit the !
fan to take in air from the screen room I
at all stages; improvements in the fan; !
some arrangement to effectually close I
the openings around the hampers; smoke /
flues so made as to prevent water from |
coming into them; weirs put IN between !
SedimentatiOn tank; bypass around the
heater
It was stated that the city of Fl Paso
had called the cOmpanys attention 10
these defects before but no reply had /
been received.
Makes Complaints in Writing.
As required by the bond given it was
stated. the city now makes the objec-
lions and complaints in writing, and de-
mands that the surety company comply
with the contract.
The City's Health.
The following IS the report of the
health department for the week ending
June 20: Number OF deaths, 30; AmCri- I
cans. s: mexicans, 20, and negroes ..
The total number of births was given at
u, being one American and II Next
cans.
There are five cases of smallpox in the
eruptive hospital. Four were dismissed
last week
Under the heading of inspections were
included: Meat markets, 29S. fruit and
wagons. 81; fruit and vege-
table stands, 296; bakeries, >; confec-
tioneries. 2; laundries, 321 premises:
172 restaurants; 80 milk wagons; -
meat wagons, ; slaughter houses. I42
dairies, us cattle; 50 calves, Sc hogs.
120 sheep.
The following articles were con
demned: Meat, 1913 pounds; "a pounds
of fruit and vegetables.
The report Of plumbing Inspector NJ. P.