Las Vegas age. [volume] (Las Vegas, Nev.) 1905-1947, 1929-07-11

to demand payment on his contract
before the work is completed and
accepted by the city.
It was astonishing when it de-
veloped that the engineer on June
10 had reported everything all
right"
II was astonishing when the en-
gineer for the city asserted. my
contract specifically provides that
l do not guarantee fulfillment OF
the contract for the paving
1t was astonishing when the city
engineer criticised the board for
not having settled with him when
he reported everything all right.
and asserted the paving was in
much better condition then than
now."
Paving Deficient
One thing was not astonishing
That was the report of County
Road Supervisor j. P. King, show
ing that the surfacing was deficient
in thickness in many places and
that on certain streets the mixture
was too rich in oil That was a
thing so obvious TO the casual OBJ
server as to be self-evident.
The attitude of the engineer
places the city board in an en-
barraSsing position. Officially, ac-
cording to Engineer Slocum, the
paving is all right Technically
the contract which Slocum induced
the board to sign some months ago
to pay him eight per cent on the
contract price, the contractor to
pay the cost Of setting the grade
stakes and the city to pay the cost
Of inspecting the work, is binding
and the amount therein specified is
due According to the engineers
contract he is the sole judge. If he
says the pavement is three inches
thick, it is officially three inches
thick, no matter what it measures
on the ground.
There was criticism of the Slo-
cum contract of employment as en-
gineer for the city on this job
when it was made. But most of the
people felt that more than the
customary compensation to the city
engineer might be justifiable if a
good job of paving could be secur-
ed thereby
Now. in addition to the many
thousands of dollars of unnecessary
expense which the peculiar en-
gineering plans prepared by the
engineer cost the proerty owners
in addition to the unsightly mess
in which his engineering leaves
some of the streets, we are inform
ed that the surface material on the
streets is in many places less thar
called for by the specifications.
1t was the reasonable suppositior
of the board and of people gener-
ally that the reason for hiring ar
engineer and paying him eight pei
cent of the entire cost of the job
was to assure good piece OF work
We are now informed by the en-
gineer himself that his contract
does not call for such a thing. II
would seem that his chief duty il
we are to give cerdence to his ow1
assertions is to get his pay. SO fan
as enforcing the contract and spec.
ificationS for the paving, he asserts
he has no responsibility.
What Mr.. King Says
Mr.. j. P. King was asked by tht
city commissioners to inspect anC
report on the paving work. They
very properly it seems, had no con.
fidence in Mr.. Slocum's report tha'
everything is all right" made Jun,
10. They wanted some one in who's,
Judgment they themselves and tht
public generally would have con
fidence. Here is his report fileC
with the board Tuesday, July 9:
Las Vegas. Nevada
July 8, 1872!
To the Honorable Board of Cit,
Commissioners:
Gentlemen:
In compliance with your resolu
ton instructing me to make an in
Spection OF the newly laid pave
ment, herewith l hand you my re
port on same.
l find that by measuring tn
pavement that you have the quanti
ty of material called for in you
specifications, but in several place
poorly distributed.
i In particular wish to call you
attention to the following place
where the pavement in thin:
a. The North gutter line of OgdeI
Street to the corner of Fourth an
Stree to the corner of Fourth an
Ogden street.
b. Third Street from the allie