| OCR Text |
Show COSTLY CONTRACT MADE BY MORRIS FOR GRADING ON NORTH MAIN STREET "The giving of the contract for the grading of North Main street is the most expensive contract that Salt Lake City ever awarded, nd it Will cost the city more than $150,000 on a $1250 eon-, tract," declared Superviser of Streets J. T. Ealeigh. "The contract has been fixed up so that the contractor can do about as he pleases and the city can say nothing. -v 'As it is now, the cut in the mid die of the street that ia being made u dangerous and a menace to those who are compelled to go up on Capital hill. The damage suits that are threatened against the city will cost in the. neighborhood neigh-borhood of $150,000 for damages. - Several complaints have been made In the last few weeks against the work, as it is alleged that the place is not properlv guarded- Children playing on Capitol hill, it is asserted, are liable to fall into the deep cut and the rolling gavel where persona walk is liable-, to give wayl The matter is now being investigated bv the City Engineer and the Board of Public Works, and a report . will probably be made to the City Council this evening. Some action may be taken tak-en to compel the work to be hastened and the cutting of the street stopped, t " The reeords of the Board of Public Works shows that the contract was awarded to Joseph W. Mellen, 614 West Fifth North, and calls for the excavating exca-vating of 17,000 cubio yards of gravel between First and Second North streets in Main street and the grading of the approaches from Second Northland Oak streets. -The contract was granted under un-der the Morris administration, and ia dated April 17, 1&05. Under the agreement the contractor has until April 30, 1907, to finish the work. . The contract called for the work to commence five days after the contract was awarded. For this work Mellen was to receive $1250 from the city and the right to dispose of all the gravel, sand and rock displaced. - The street is to remain open and in a condition con-dition that does not permit travel until the contractor finishes the contract in April. The contractor can dig below the grade, provided he fills in the same. The contract calls for the paving and grading grad-ing of the street with the - right to charge extras. It is said that as fast as sand ia needed need-ed for the market it is sold from the gravel pit. It is situated in the heart of the city and hauling is reduced to a minimum. According to some of Mellen Mel-len 's friends, he has already" made $25,000 out of the contract and has done practically no work. "If the terms of the contract are being violated action will be taken at once' declared Clerk Christensen of the Board of Public Works this morning. morn-ing. "I did not know but What the work was finished as there has been no estimate filed in the office since I have, been here. . ' "I am now having the matter looked into, and if it is dangerous, it is a violation vi-olation of the contract and effort will be made to have it rectified." . |
