Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-04-12
The Contract o. OldInance-Is il Needed

The Contract OIdinance--Is IL Needed 2
To he Editor Of lte Commercial
am glad to see you urging 80 manfully the
passage of laws by our Council that will discour-
age favontism and corruption 1t Is the more
creditable that you denounos the wrongs of our
own party friends, for who should desire purity
in the Republican party more than the Republi-
can Press itself?
To show the necessity for the Contract Ordi-
nance wish TO state case that came under my
own notice Last summer, was invited to bid
for the iron gutter plates that were wanted for
Madison strest. Thinking there had been favor
itism in the purchases, previously, asked Mr..
Quinn, the then Chairman of the Street Commit.
tee, il all bidders should have fair chance, and
was assured they would have. l made a very
low bid, and was told after the opening of the
bids that Mr.. Pickels (who was a member OF the
Oommittee,) was the lowest. thought little
more Of the matter, until / learned from Mr..
Quinn, some months afterward, that the pro-
ceedings were quite irregular, and that really
Mr.. Pickels' foreman, one Mr.. Jackson, was the
"lowest bidder" Mr.. Quinn alleges that the
several bids were in the desk or drawer of the
Commssioner's office, andthat one after another
was handed out, and read and that lastly, Mr..
he undertaking all the rest Of us, including his
Oton employer This seemed unkind, at first
sight, but Mr.. Pickels being Of a torgiving dis
position, he finally overlooked this bad treat
ment by his employee, and on Mr. Quinn express
ing doubt il such party was in the Foundry
business at all, actually offered to go security
that the contract, il awarded to Mr.. Jackson,
would be filled at this very low price.
1t is due to Mr.. Pickels to say that he denies
that the bids were given out in the way mem
toned, and says positively that they were all on
the table in the beginning as the testimony is
conflicting on this point waive it, and only ask
Mr.. p. to give, II he can, any good reason for
having his olcn foreman lnderbid him lohen he
tods 10 do The to0rk himself.
Having formerly had favorable opinion OF
Mr.. p, as an upright man, have looked in vain
for reason that would induce an honorable
man TO make one bid in his own name to his
own Committee, where no was to assist in q deci-
sion, and then have a foreman, t1ho had no
f0inldry,to to underbid him. The conclusion seems
therefore irresistible that it could only be to OBJ
tain by chicanery what could not be had possibly
by fair, open, manly, bidding.
Then again, the announcement of the Com
mittee that Mr.. Pickels was the lowest bidder
was deception, and only tended more strongly
to make bidders think they were unfairly treat
cd, and that Mr.. Pickels was using his position,
and the Committee, also, for his own selfish pur-
poses. Mr.. Pickels has been held In high esti-
nation, in the community he has been oon-
nectsd with many of our best institutions, and
noted as q liberal man, and public spirited citi-
zen now il he can be so far drawn from what is
right and honorable, and consent to use such
sharp practice in his business and official capa-
city, it seems to prove concluaively to me that
Contract Ordinance like the defeated one, is a
necessity, for these times. E. B.
WILMINGTON, DEL, April IL.