The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-09-07
CONTRACTOR and
CITY ENGINEER in
Heated Argument Over Ac.
ceptance of Broadway
Last Night.
STREET is ACCEPTED
ONLY CONDITIONALLY
City Engineer Calls T. J. ShOrb
Mad Man-Fights Acceptance
of Improvement.

The question whether the city should
accept Broadway and order the tax
bills paid to T. j. Shorb, the contrac-
tor who made the street, resulted in a
heated argument before the City
Council, in which Short, City Engi-
neer Silver and Herman Rabich took
the most active part. The longer the
argument continued the palmer it APP
peared the matter was personal one
between the City Engineer and Shorb
who have been on unfriendly terms
for several years.
The street was finally accepted by
the City Council on the condition that
the contractor repair those places
(which were found to be defective. The
City Council also voted to retain the
tax bills due on the property on which
the Federal Building is erected, for
(which the city must pay the improve
ment taxes.
The argument followed the reading
of the report of the City Engineer on
the controversy over the construction
of the street. The report was COM
Ipiled at the request of the city coun-
cilmen, who had asked the City Engi-
neer for detailed explanation as to
the cause of the many verbal tits be-
tween him and the contractor during
the time the street was made.
| The City Engineer emphasized in
his report that Shorb had not complied
with the specifications of the contract
land, therefore, recommended that the
street be not accepted. He told of the
many controversies he had with the
contractor while the latter was en-
gagged in the improvement of the
street. The City Engineer alleged in
his report the defects found in the paw
ing of the street were mainly due to
the improper mixing of the concrete.
Shorb in responding to the allega-
tons set forth in the report of the
City Engineer maintained it was i'm
possible for him to pave the street az
cOrding to the specifications. which, he
pronounced as Anticipated. He sale
too many inspectors had been employ
ed by the city to oversee the work, and
he could not please them all, as all
disagreed as to the way of mixing
the concrete and completing the i'm
provement. One of the inspectors, he
said, was q lprize-fighter from St
Louis, who knew nothing about the
business.
In defending his work before the
council, Shorb also denounced the
property owners who had interfered
with him, attacking mainly Herman
Rabich. The latter warned the City
, Council not to accept the street in the
present condition. "If you accept the
street, he said to the cOuncimen
"every contractor will violate the
plans and specifications for the con-
struction of thoroughfare and make
the improvement to suit his own con-
venience and own plans"
The argument reached its china,
when City Engineer Silver answered
the remarks of Shorb. 81 do not want
to engage in any argument" he told
the councilmen, "but merely want to
protect the rights of the property
owners. | do not want to make this
matter personal affair, because
would not argue with a mad man or
with man whom | consider mentally
deranged," the City Engineer exclaim-
ed in his excitement.
The verbal tilt became so intense
that the Mayor had to call the meet
ing to order, and when Shorb con-
tlnued to interrupt the speakers, Chief
of Police Whitener threatened to han
ish him from the meeting. "You have
not right to put me out" answered
Shorb, "only the Mayor has the au-
thority to eject me from this place"
retorted the contractor.
The controversy was brought to an
end by Councilman Vineyard, who of
tered motion to conditionally ac-
cept the street as made by Shorb, pro-
Vlded, however. that he repair the
places that had been found defective.