The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1915-11-13

80 cents per foot less than the mex
lowest bid. Said work was complet ei
about June 3rd, 1914. The distanc,
was 1922 feet. The contract price wal
s30t4.90. For departure from plan,
there was deducted from said contraci
price the sum of $l82 80, leaving S2832. .fl
for the footing. The contractor was
penalized on this amount the sum OF
$250.00, being the amount that the City
had paid for an inspector beyond the
time in which the contract was to be
completed.
In anticipation Of the completion of
said wall and it being ready for filling
in, the commission advertised for pro-
posals for filing in behind the wall.
Bids were presented, ranging from %
to As cents per cubic yard, most OF them
exceeding thirty cents per cubic yard.
In view of the amount of money avail
able the commission considered the bids
excessive. Later, on October f4th, 1914,
John Anderson entered into contract
with the Bond Commission to do the
filling for IA cents per cubic yard.
After having filled 7448 cubic yards. he
abandoned the work on April 5th, 1915
and on April 9th, 1915 filed his petition
in bankruptcy in the Federal Court at
Biloxi. The bond commission called
upon his surety, The American Surety
Company to proceed and carry out his
contract. The surety takes no steps
towards the completion OF Anderson's
contract, the bond commission re-adver
tised for bids to complete said work.
The bid of the Mobile Dredging Com
pany OF Mobile, Alabama, to complete
said work at 1871 cent per cubic yard
was accepted and contract entered into
on July 9th, 1915. The Mobile Dredg-
ing Company went diligently to work
and up to the 29th of September 1915,
had pumped in filling to the amount Of
25925 cubic yards, having virtually
completed its contract according to
plans and specifications up to the north
side of the store of the Bay Mercantile
Company. On September 29th, 1915,
an unprecedent storm destroyed several
hundred feet of the wall from Union
north, behind which there had been
placed no filing, besides greatly enlarg-
ing the space behind the wall which
was to be filled under the contract.
This destruction of the subject matter
of the contract made an end OF it.
No new action has been taken by the
bond commission since the destruction
of part of the wall, for the reason that
the space the wall occupied is email
part of the territory along the front
which equally needs protection, the
streets in many places having been
entirely washed away, and the amount
of money available being totally inade-
ouate to meet present conditions.
The matter of damages against the
surety of Anderson, and of special
assessments against property abutting
on the street where the work had been
completed at the time of the storm will
be given proper and timely attention by
this commission.
This commission desires to state that
every step that has been taken since its
creation is a matter of public record,
and all communications to and from said
commission have been copied in it's
minute books and said books are open
to public inspection by any one interest
ed or who has even idle curiosity. From
the beginning its membrs have under
stood the duties which the law places
uuons them and without any unnecessary
delay have proceeded honestly and in
teliigentiy to perform them, There in
nothing in the Law or charter, requiring
this report to your body, but it is made
| voluntarily by the commission SO as to
rive information to captious critics, that
thew NAV have some knowledge OF the
| subject about which they assume to
speak.
| This commission is divorced from
politics. Indeed, under the charter Its
members do not haye to be citizens OF
voters, the only qualification being that
they shall be adult taxpayers OF SAID
City, and shall not be State, County
OF municipal officer, or even acandidate
for such Office, and they shall serve
without compensation. No membsr o.
this commission sought OF desired ap.
pointment thereon, but each has cheer
fully accepted the burdens and respon-
sibilities and have carefully performed
their duties without desiring any COM
pensation than their own approval.
/ A few days after the storm citizens
or property owners meeting was Gale
on the initiative of members OF thi
| commission. AS result of that meet
ling we understand a committee Q