| Show I r i I ABANDONS i i i J f SIDEWALK WORK i insists Upon Being Released From His Contracts With City CANT COLLECT HIS MONEY MOVE ADDS TO EMBARRASS EMBARRASSMENT EMBARRASSMENT EMBARRASSMENT MENT OF ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIONS S Birch has unofficially announced to ja the board of public works that he will wUl not fulfill his sidewalk contracts He Is expected to ask the board to be released from further obligations r has long been expected and when it happens will plunge the ad administration administratIon ministration Into ven even deeper deeser dee er mire than it now Is 13 in regard to the tha carry ing Jog out of public improvements Birch will assume the same attitude as s the Utah FIreproofing company did in he will claim he has exceeded his ap approximation As this was the tho ground upon which the latter concern secured Its Ito release on the recommendation of cf the city attorney Birch stands an ex excellent excellent excellent show of out from under un under under der on the same grounds Birch has done worth of work and anil his only called for worth But Birch has another ground which Is better still According to his con contract contract contract tract ho is to be paid in warrants Birch has received no pay of any description for tor five months and some mme of the co com COIl compensation n he accepted before that time was in scrip Under an ordinance passed last Monday evening by the council councH all this scrip is to be redeemed in warrants but as yet the city auditor au at auditor has not issued the warrants Birch Up Against It Besides this Birch has over Oer in warrants due him These he has sold auld to the board of land commissioners at t 95 cents on the dollar He cannot how now however however ever secure any money from the bOld board until he produces the warrants and he heT T cannot annot produce the warrants until the auditor issues tham them That Birch is ready to throw un the sponge was admitted bv by b Chairman Leonard of the board of public works yesterday who said that Birch told him that he absolutely refused to do any anymore an anymore more work ork for the th city In fact Birch has not done any work ork for a consider considerable considerable considerable able period and his intention to throw up his contracts is shown not only by his words but by his actions and the principal trouble is that the city wont ont pay him what he h has honestly earned The council blames the board of works the toe board of works in turn blames the council the council then blames the new w and the auditor blam blames s the council board of works and the new law aw and there you are The fact tact Is however that Birch is 15 tired of work working workIng working ing for tor nothing Situation Is Serious That the predicament is a serious one is I acknowledged by all In the first place Birch has about feet of un uncompleted uncompleted uncompleted completed sidewalk work These con contra tra s were entered Into about a year ear ago and were at the prices then pre prevailing The th city cannot do the work now for the price originally bid and as ashe the he assessments have already been made under the old and obnoxious law changed by the last legislature the city will WUl have to pay the th difference between the present cost and the cost as esti estl estimated estimated mated a year ear ago This will mean a considerable sum Bum of ot money and the city olty has no money with which to pay for it Most lost of the work which Birch has to todo todo todo do is II in extension No 99 on the north bench which includes the territory be between b between tween Third and Sixth avenues and all aU aUthe the intercepting streets If It he gives up his contract there will be no sidewalks worthy of or mention on the north bench as the Utah Fireproofing company con contract contract tract was in that district also The other work Is In extensions No 88 9 and The former is on the cast east bench and the latter is in the southern portion of or the city I |
