Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-09-06
GENERAL.
Maendnmlzius Fourth street.

MARTIN KEHoE's BID-wHY THE STREET COMMIT
TEE DID NOT GIVE HIM THE ooSTRAcr-HE ASKS
AN INJUNCTION.
Several weeks ago Council directed the Street
Committee to invite proposals for matchmaking
the bed of Fourth street This being done, GER
tain bids were submitted to Council and opened
by the clerk. These bids were some four or
nve IN number, and ranged from about 81 40 to
" and upwards per square foot. That Of Mar
tin hehoe was the lowest, but the Street Com
mittee declined to recommend the award of the
contract to him for reasons which seemed to
them good aud sufficient
These reasons were First Because MIR. Kehoe
had before held contracts under the city and
In their judgment, had always given dissatisfac-
tion and Second, Because he had not the tools
with which to perform the work, in the manner
desired by the city. Some eighteen months ago
the contract for grading the bed of Eighteenth
street was given to Mr.. Kehoe, which contract
has just been completed. No specified time for
the completion Of the work was stated, and il is
alleged that the contractor, taking advantage of
this indulgence, protrasted the work much be-
yond the time necessary for its performance
by engaging in other work. and only COM
pleted the job when this was urged in Council
as reason why the award for macadamizing
Fourth street should not be given him. Mr.
kehoe also held a contract, few years ago. for
the removal Of ashes. The committee allege
that he gave great dissatisfac ion in the fulfil.
mont Of this also. Tho ordinance of the city
and Tuesday, but the work WAS almost invariably
delayed until Wednesday and Thursday.
10 properly macadamize Fourth street, in the
manner contemplated by Council, it is necessary
that the stone should be of uniform size. This
is obtained by machinery constructed especially
for the purpose. But when Mr.. Kehoe was ask
ed III what manner he expected to prepare the
stone, he replied by the use Of small hammers.
This further convinced the committee that the
contract should be given to some one who pos
sessed the necessary tools
II having come to the ears of the Street Com
mittee that William Sellers would be offered by
hr. Kehoe as his bondsman, that gentleman was
approached and, We understand, recommended
to tho Committee the setting aside of all the
bids and the preparation Of more minute speci-
hcations, upon which to invite new proposals
He had had come experience in the construction
OF macadamzed roads and the information
which he had acquired suggested to his mind the
propriety of detailed plan for the performance
OF the work otherwise it might be entirely un.
satisfactory. These opinions, of course, had
their weight with the Committee. II is also said
that Mr.. Sellers positively refused to become
MIR. kehoes bondsman, but Of this we cannot
speak positively.
These were the reasons which impelled the
Street Committee to refuse to recommend the
award Of the contract to Mr.. Kehoe. II had re-
served to itself the right in inviting proposals
to reject ANY and all bids, and acted accord
ingly.
Mr.. Kehoe now asks an injunction from the
Court OF Chancery, restraining the Council in its
award Of the contract for matchmaking Fourth
street, and the hearing Of argument upon the
melton has been set down for tomorrow week.
the 14th inst. Samuel NJ. Harrington. Esq, will
represent the city. The new bids for the per
formance of tho work were presented to Council
last evening, but it was deemed advisable to de-
fer their opening while the question was pending
in the Courts.
The total cost of the work will amount to up
wards of $50, 900.