Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-09-03
The ,sater stops question Again.

sITIoN-WHY THE WEIGHT OF THE STOPS WAS IN
UREAsEn-THE DISCUSSION IN COUNCIL.
The water stops subject was brought up be-
fore Council again, last evening, by the reading
of the following letter from Pusey Jones, X Co..
which was handed the clerk by President Maris
WILMINGTON, DBL, Sept. /, 1915.
10 ne Cag CVnca Of Wilmington
Gentlemen l!eplying to Your inquiry Of
2Gth ult., in which you ask us to state "why and
upon whose authority the weight Of the water
stops WAS increased from that Of our original
estimate" we have TO say
1st. That the weights were increased because
in the opinion of the Chief Engineer Of the Wa
Department such increase would advance the
best interests of the city.
2nd. The authority for the Increase will he
found in onr contract with the Ulty,bHallHg date
March 27th, 1915, and which you Will remember
was read in Council and unanimously approved
previous to its execution.
We further refer to tile contract in qnestion
because it will supply the rcadiert meaus of
making clear the matter OF the correctness OF our
accounts with thescity, upon Whose accuracy we
had not eupposid any question could llaye been
made. Very respectfully
FrsEy, JoNFs 4 co.
Mr. Baker thon called for the reading OF the
bids for the water stops aud other matters in
connection with the awarding of the contract to
rlsey. Jones y Co., including the following
letter
WILMINGTON, Del, March 9th 1875.
IgsltWa NniS. Frtsmaat ri city GaAcd, M
mdtgi0a near SIR: We note the artluu of
Council at the last session IN regard 10 the bid-
received for street stops, in referring the matter
again to the Water Committee with direction to
procure new estimates. Against this We re-
spectfully protest.
AS the bids received varied considerably both
i'll tile price Of the stop valves wanted, and IN
the weights of TIE respective sizes, and Ms the
one submitted by lis was FOR Il smaller fnm for
iinlshed article and also ut Il less pgCc per
pound we think some explanation on our part
necessary, believing as We do that a msnnder-
standing exists to wuat uur quotation actttal-
y covered. And here lee lis ray that the re-
quremeuts Of a street stop valve are that il
shall he strong enough to hear the maximum
pressure and he tight under That pressire and
that the valve ana valve face and screw spindle
shall be of such material that neither VIII st.cl
fa-r by cOrruson
The specifications Of the Cliiof Engineer gave
nr the requirement OF strength a. p'rts-3lU
pounds to the square iuell-aHd a. tuG Stop. arc
u he used N connection with the piPc- il follows
Of course, that the same measure ol ~,geutth j.
necessary for tlese 81 for the pines. We SO
understood 1t and our estimate clyerdl thr
point as wei! a. the other requirements referred
to above.
Further We wish to say that grea. wcsht docs
not of necessity involve great strength. A cast
lnE Of the form of d street f9p Hlay be heay7
and yet he weak. aud on t'ic cOntrasy cJGHara-
lively light and yet lr strGAg. luesIuoA
then, a. we gliAraHtee all the rcq'iisltc- s.~'sed
for ard are the lowest bidders, %e i-ls that
Council Will reconsider tie vote winch rc-aoll-
mitted the question Of bids to tile committee
and direct the acceptance of our Offer This
much we believe ourselves legally eLut.el to.
Respectfully,
Pussy, juyr- L Co.
The question arose whether the realnc OF
the contract took place N Council. and II. eN-
| animation of the minutes showed that it was
not 20 recorded, Several members, however.
stated their clear recollection thgt it was read
After nomentary pause, Wm. II. Cauby
arose, saying that Fnsey, Jones y Go. were the
lowest bidders by tile ponld' He tLen read
from the contract with these gentlemen to show
that an increase On dlmuuuon in weight at
) $40 cents per pound was therein provided for
aud at some length stated ills reccOlloction ot
| tho manner in which Council approved tile con-
tract. charging Messrs. BAbcg EeA.gtr and Pick
els with leaving the room in order to prevent t.
vote. Mr., Pickles denied the statement as it re-
lated to him. In defense Of liz own capac.ty
as chairman Of the water committee he cited All
Instance wherein the former committee mad
purchased two ztops from Ihn-. johnson, for
which they pail each .-2f 81 saying
that they we're good for nothing
and had to be repaired at an expense Of -2s7
paid to Puaev. Jones X Co. tor the new ones
| He did not, however, charge fraud in tins trans
action to either the COMMITTEE rr Mr. Johnson
| 3ut, he Claimed, the assault was not made
| upon pusev, Jones X Go. -n mach a. uudn
| himself, and lie declared lie ability to hear Tie
| b1lnt of it, inasmuch an lie lad held other
| places of honor and tru-t-cyrn where lie llad
| the opportunity to scrutlui2a and judge Of Mr..
| Baker s.husiness capacity. Comparing the lids
he found that Il. II L. II. Stilmau was probably
a. low as Pusov, Jones Co. :. Int he had 10
| assurance that their stops would stand aly bet
ter test. The increase IN the weight lie said,
did not simply include iron. but brass and other
things az well. No chairman of the Water Com
| nilttee. lie Insisted, had ever been subiecs to
| such scrutiny while the opposition was wh1liy
tactious. lie thought the gentleman from the
It'll ward Mr.. Bsker) should have gone ont of
Council deceutly, eGd npt cllsigc euc 4 base
and dastardly fraud upon ary one.
Mr.. Baker denied that ho had made any
charges Of fraui repeating ard explaining tie
language he used at tho previous session. and
accused the gentleman le9m the 7tl Ward Mr..
Cauby) with lack OF velaCitr illustrating il ny a
statement that lie never went into caucus and
showing that he did DO 20 on one occasion. A.
his record had been asraied he said that he WIZ
proud of 1t tlat le cNuie to Wilmington a
poor boy and by hie own cXcrtions had risen to
what ho now was lie was not afraid to submit
his character alongside Of that of the gentleman
from the 1th ward n The people of Wilmington.
Some further discussion eusuel between
MesHrs Mclntirc Hayes and Baker. when Mr.
ileblger took the floor. saying that the oppasi-
tioll which lie hau made llai teeu den0miuAtCd
factous. lie WAS alsp accused Of keeping it M
in order to urge the Water Committee to the fui-
iilment of its duty While he did not recollect
ever having made such an assertion lie thought
such course woull have been entirely proper
under the circumstances, as shown in thi4 mat
ter Of stops. He then proceeded to an analysis
Of the bids passed upon by Council, last Spring,
and read long list of prepared figures to show
that Pusey Jones ~ Go. were not the lowest
bidders.
AT this point. it being 10 O'Clock, Mr.. pckels
moved an adjournment until tins evening"
which was pressed to vote aud carried, amid
some attempts OF other memhers to get to other
business.