The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-10
Road Contractors
Showing No
Discrimination
Continued from page 81

trouble the contractors have is to get
labor which is very scarce The la
borers come into Mulberry every
night and go back in the morning
and spend their money wherever
they please. The feed for the mules
is at present. purchased in Tampa,
that being entirely under the control
of Pipkin Bros, who are, SO they
state, ready to buy in the county if
they can get satisfactory prices.
We heard no complaint at Mulberry
and are unable to learn of anything
for which to blame the contractors.
Our next visit was to a district
south Of Barlow on the road to Fcrt
Meade, where the Edwards Construc-
ton Co. have another crew OF ne
groes, 16 in number, widening the
clay base, after which they will scar
|ify the old road, reshape it and get
lit ready for the asphalt. We found
the scarifier on the road, seemingly.
We found that these men, too, were
being paid ST. per day and that
most Of them lived in Homeland or
Whereabouts and were buying their
supplies from the local merchants.
being done on a portion of the Dixie
Highway.
The next visit was to point OH
the Dixie Highway. commencing al
the city limits Of Fort Meade, and
running south thereof to the DeSoto
county line There were about 2
teams and 16 or Is men engaged in
putting in a heavy fill and clayins
the surface thereof with a soft pud-
die clay, which was being handled
with considerable difficulty from q
pit about two miles south of town
On going down into the pit water
was struck and pumps did not pre-
vent the working up of the clay into
mess which it was then problem
to handle. The material was said
to be fine and looked excellent for
the purpose, but the men were not
satisfied to work in it and the fore
man in charge said that they would
use clay from another pit after Sat
urday last. Wages at $l.25 per
day, which the foreman stated would
be raised to ST. so after that week
Most of the teams were supplied from
the neighborhood--very few of which
were able to do satisfactory work,
same rate of $4 so per day being
paid. Scarcity of labor complained
of, which, at this point, is not to be
wondered at on account of the con-
ditions of the work. Men live in the
neighborhood and all supplies bought
here.
Only Preparatory Work
Upon inquiry, we find also that the
contractors are not any of them EN-
gagged in other than preparatory work
most of which is on the Dixie High
way. They are under contract to com
plete the mileage on the Dixie High
way as early as possible, and most OF
the crews at present working are on
the Dixie.
We have been unable, up to the
present time to visit the other camps
located as follows: At Connors' on
the Bartow-Lake Wales road Engaged
in grubbing and grading) and between
Haines City and Lake Alfred on the
road to Lakeland and the Hillsboro
county line, known as the Lee and
Jackson highway. In this connection
we have ascertained from the Humph-
reys Construction Co., whose con.
tract covers Division 4. from Socrum
to Mulberry, that they will locate one
of their camps for this work at Kath.
leen to work north and south five
miles or Whereabouts each way, and if
they should receive the contract for
the city work, would reset their plant
at Lakeland and work south to Medul.
la, setting there third time for the
work on to Mulberry. They state
J they are unable to set their large
plant at Lakeland because of the con.
dition of the streets leading to the
county roads, and over which they
would be unable to run their motor
trucks carrying material, but that if
the city would clay these same streets.
where necessary, at once. they would
reconsider the matter with view of
locating at Lakeland.
Contractors Have Charge of Location
of Camps
Mr.. Humphrey. speaking for the
other contractors. stated that the mat.
ter of proceeding and where camps