The copper era and Morenci leader. [volume] (Clifton, Ariz.) 1911-1929, 1914-08-21

The Three Miles of Construction
Work is to be Started Immediately
and Local Labor Employed.
The contract for the building of the
first link of the Greenlee County and
Graham county State Highway was
let this week by the Board of Super
visors when they held their meeting
on Monday.
The contract was awarded to the
firm of Clay C Ruth, of Morenci,
construction work for the Arizona
Copper Company, Ltd, at Morenci,
and the price was $39,930 go.
Contractors who submitted bids and
the several amounts were as follows:
Aubrey Investment Co., $53,879.55
o. j. Cotey.... $45, ,67S. OIL
A. j. Crockett. -. .$42,5O1 90
Clay & Rutn. soy, ,93O. ~
b. Vandercook -. :. $52 ,497 go
After due consideration of the bids
presented together with several petit
tions which had been filed by citi-
zens of the vicinity praying the
Board that the state highway be
built by day labor, the Board awarded
tract price, but a clause was insert
ed in the contract that the contrac-
tor must employ all local labor in
the district in preference to imported
labor. The time for completion of
the road was placed at four months
and a bond in the sum of $4,000 was
required.
Assistant State Engineer Barlow
is here on the ground and will have
supervision over the construction In
this work he will be assisted by w.
r. Hutchins, formerly of the engineer
ing department of the A. G.. company
Ltd.
Wade Hampton, R. A. Campbell
and A. L. Gravely, members OF
Greenlee's board of supervisors, have
requested publication in the Copper
Era columns of the following letter
in regard to the building of the more
than three miles of state highway by
private contractors, rather than by
the method as outlined in widely
signed petitions to the effect that the
work be done under the supervision
of a state engineer who would
employ on the construction the many
men who have recently been thrown
out of employment because of the
present copper depression:
Clifton, Arizona, Aug. 20, 1914
To the Public:-
In view of the wide circulation
given to certain petitions to this board
for the elimination of proposed con
tracts for State Highway work al
ready advertised for contract an6
the performance of the work by day
labor, the Board takes this method OF
acquainting the signers of the said
petitions with the action taken by
them and some of the reasons there
for
The Board in administering the af
fairs of the county is charged to dc
SO in the most economical manner
and in pursuance of this policy have
deemed it most advantageous to award
the contract to a local bidder on con-
dition that he employ all local labor
thus giving the relief sought by the
petitioners.
The law provides that only citizens
be employed on public work so that
as many of the unemployed citizens
as could possibly be cared for by
the day labor method will be employ
ed by the contractor.
In awarding the contract to a local
bidder with the local labor only
clause, the Board has taken the only
step that will insure the immediate
employment of a large portion of the
idle citizens. In the event the bids
had been thrown out the performance
Of the work by day labor would have
been under the supervision of State
officials and this Board would have
been powerless as to the time the
work would start and the number of
men to be employed thereon.
That there are insufficient funds to
give employment to all in the dis
trict is a matter of regret. This fund
being a state fund is raised by a
State tax levy, fact perhaps not
known to all of the petitioners as is
also the fact that this Board is power
less TO increase the amount in the
fund by any method at their command.
WADE HAMPTON,
A. L. GRAVELY,
R. A. CAMPBELL.