The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-08-22
Street WORK FAR
BEHIND CONTRACT
Bat Committee Continues to
Give More Time 10 the
Negligent.
CAR COMPANY is BLAMED
Held Responsible for Long De-
lays in Paving Many
Streets.


Streets.
Dilatory work of city contractors
and the delay In execution OF public
work formed n topic OF discussion at
the meeting of the Council COMMITTEES
on Streets yesterday afternoon. but
little was done. tie contractors that
asked for further time getting 1t In
each case. City Engineer Charles h.
Boiling brought first TO the attention
/ OF the committee the fact that bids
/ had been Invited and contracts award
ed in April 10 l.. T.. Brown & Co. for
laying large amount Of granolithic
/ curbs and cutters. Some OF the work
in the West End has been partly com
pleted. but sixteen blocks on Church
/ liill remain untouched. and no mate
rial has been placed on the ground
Tho work was to have been completed
/ in sixty days and is now that much
overdue. Mr. Boiling had secured bids
! from other contractors and favored
having the work done At once at the
I expense of Messrs Brown * Co The
committee heard from Mr. Brown. re-
minded him that he had assured the
committee in tho spring that he was
/ amply equipped to carry on the work.
and finally gave him 4 week In which
to begin work. If 1t is not begun ia
that time. and thereafter prosecuted
to the satisfaction OF the City Engi-
neer. Nj Boiling was authorized TO
! have the work done AZ the expense OF
the contractor
( Paving Long Delayed.
Mr.. Boiling then reported that early
in the spring the committee had
awarded to various paving contractors
contracts Tor paving Robinson Street
from Broad to Main Street. Ashland
Street from Harrison to Randolph
marie to Cary Street In neither case
has the street railway company even
begun to replace It's rails although
given repeated notices by frequent let
tiers from the CITY Engineer.
or Main from Filth 10 seventh the
paving mad been delayed Tor several
weeks by me street car company after
the street was torn UP. and on Broad
Street from Harrison TO Alison street
very SLOW progress has been made IN
relayns the tracks. the car company
there causing much delay. Mr.. Boiling
explained that the reason Tor these
delays vas that heretofore city con-
tractors have done the paving between
the car tracks at the same rate Is
charged 20 the city. the bill being paid
by the street car company under IT'S
franchise obligation.
Car Company to lIlame.
In the past few months the commit
tee on Streets, over the protest OF the
city Engineer. authorized different
method OF laying the car tracks. elimi-
! mating concrete under the ties, and al
| lowing Il crushed stone bed. Because
/ of differences in the method OF layins
! this surface, contractors We're unwil-
ing 70 take the paving at the same
| price as that done :or the city out
Side the car tracks. and IN the case
I of Main street We're unwilling 10 guar
antec the work when done. There Is
no obligation on the contractor for
/ the CITY 10 do work for the street
car Company at any price. The ordi-
nance merely require the street car
! company 20 repave between It's tracks
| and FOR two feet on either side with
/ the same material and in the same
I character 8 the city paves. Tho COM
/ mittce after discuss on decided that
/ It had oothing to do with what ar
! engagements the Virginia Railway and
/ Power Company may make with It's
/ contractors. and Instructed the city
/ Engineer TO notify the company TO
proceed with the paving forthwith.
under penalty of prosecution In the
courts for further holding back of
already long delayed improvements
Haphnzard Methods OF Committee.
The haphazard way In which the
Street Committee does it's work was
shown IN the report of the CITY Engi-
ncer that of the amounts apportioncd
| for streets generally TO each ward In
! the annual ward grab following the
adoption OF the last annual budget each
Ward save Madison and Washing ton
has far exceeded its apportionment in
the amount OF work ordered. while not
ons-third OF the street fund has been
actually expended Clay Ward was
apportioned 100000. and the ward del
egation has ordered work costing more
than S7l,oo0 OF which less than $4,000
has been paid out in the seven months
OF this year that have passed.
Unless more business-lke methods
are adopted. It was predicted that a
large part of the street funi would
revert TO the treasury a tho end Of tho
year. unspont Notwithstanding the
overwhelming demands for street i'm
provements in every section. OF the
various funds under charge Of the
street Department last year. there re-
verted to the city treasury unexpended.
because of delay in execution OF CON
tracts carrying the work forward into
this year, S35,436. Of which amount
S14.22s.2e has been appropriated for
streets generally.
Damages. but No Grading.
Mr.. Boiling announced the appoint
ment OF Thomas Z. Boyle as arbitrator
for the city In settlement of certain
grading damages in the East End In
this connection 1T was reported that
several OF the ward delegations. not
ably Lee Ward. have ordered assess
ments of damages for grading and the
/ city has paid damages for grading
streets for which there are now no
available funds to do the work On
report of the Assessor OF loamae
$500 was recently ordered paid prop