Arizona republican., 1913-04-10
H. J. MANN |S
 N0T AT FAULT
Reclamation Service Off cials Correct Impressions About Contracts at h. dian Bend and Ever green

Some mighty fine work. was the way Project Engineer Fitch character ized the repairs on the power canal from the intake to Roosevelt dam Mir Fitch arrived night before last from the dam, where he had gone with Mrs Fitch on short inspection tour of the work. It will be recalled perhaps that there were certain extensive re- pairs to be made on the power canal due to the fact that the peculiar clay through which certain sections of it were dug had swelled with the moisture and thrust the concrete lining out of place. When Engineer Hill was here the latter part of the old year, he went over the canal and ordered a number of gangs to work upon it, working under a force account for the reclamation service. Foreman, Whitney who bossed the gangs on the original work on the intake dam and parts of the power canal was called in to oversee this job, which is now getting well along to- ward completion.
 Being approached about the work at Evergreen and Indian Bend, yesterday. Mr Fitch said that the idea which has gotten out that the contract was let to be finished on January p was not true, that the twenty-five day limit had been put upon the operations in the canal and for which water had to be turned out of the main ditch. As far as the quality of the work was concerned, he was not prepared to say but just as The Republican stated the other day. hot .ol,l inspected by reclamation engineer appeared on the face of it satisfactory although uncOmpleted Certain gates for the wasteways at Indian Bend and Evergreen have not vet arrived, and this, too has delayed the work. al 1 though it is not a matter that can be helped by Contractor Mann.
 Engineer Peabody of the reclamation service. who has direct charge of the work at the two wasteways, stated yes terday that he had heard of no trouble in the contractors camps outside of some minor difficulties in keeping men on the job earlier in the year, but that this was not l to be considered confirma tion of the rumor that labor conditions
 
 i ficially say that the work is satisfac- i tory until after the final inspection has l been made. but I will say that as far as l know the statement that the con- | crete work is faulty is not true The | work has not been accepted yet, nor i can it be until completed. It was not 1 necessary to finish all the structures by January 25, and indeed, it would have l been impossible to do so.'
 1 The misunderstanding arose over the | belief that there was a certain time | January 25-by which the two gates | had to be done. It was only small l part of the work that had to be fin | ished in that time and this was done | before water was turned back into the
 canal about the twenty fifth
 There are two interesting features 1 about the work at Indian Bend and 1 Evergreen. One is that the waste | ways are the largest single structures
 in any project canal and the other that l the work was done under the only gov | ernment contract let since the Roose- 1 welt dam was built. All other con- 1 tracts have been let by the water us l CTS association. Herbert J. Mann is | the first contractor since the dam was | built in whose hands the United States | has placed an order for structural
 work for the Salt River project