The daily gazette., 1879-12-19
SECOND EDITION
CITY COUNCIL.

REGULAR MEETING LAST EVENING
THE SIMMONS BROS.
STONE CRUsHER--A LONG DISCUS
SION.
City Council mt last evening in reg
ular session. President Sharply in the
chair.
The session was prolonged one up
to o'clock but two reports had been
mlttae, but OF such q nature that most
every member had something to say in
regard to the reports.
The Street Committee reported ad-
vcrsely on the petition of Simmons &
Bro. offering to do paving at 6 cents per
square yard setting curb for 9 cents per
running foot; gutter stones cents per
foot; and laying flag stones at cents
per running foot.
Mr.. Chandler said that he would like
to ask the chairman of the Street Com
mittee why he reported adversely to the
communication.
In reply, Mr.. McMenamin, the chair
man stated that the communication had
been carefully considered by the COM
mittee and they had decided it to be q
forgery. Furthermore in 1869 when the
Republicans were in power Simmons Il
Bro. were paid Is cents for paving and
10 cents for curb stone Davis u Bro.
offered to do the work for 8 cents, but
the Republicans refused to give them
any work. When Sixth street ives Or
dered to be paved Simmons & Bros bid
was 15 cents, and Davis IL Bro. IA cents;
still Simmons q Bro. were awarded the
work. Some five years when he was
then chairman of the Street Committee
he advertised for proposals for paving
two squares ON Church street. The
bids OF Davis & Bro. and Simmons &
Bro. were alike. The Democratic
Council voted to divide the work. At
ter waiting two weeks for the Simmons
to 60 to work the committee waited on
them, and they refused to do the work.
He knew that no man could do the
work at the price Simmons & Bro, offer
ed to do 1t.
Mr.. Paynter said he would like to ask
the chairman of the committee If he
thought Mr.. Simmons was not compe-
tent to do the work. If the chairman
thought Mr.. Simmons could not furnish
proper security and do the work proper
ly he would vote for the report. He
thought the Council should do the work
as cheap as possible the money does
not come out of the general fund, but
cut of the pockets of the tax payers.
Because the Republicans abused their
power, he did not think the Democrats
| should. If Council did not get work
done as cheap as possible what was the
| use of asking for proposals. He always
| thought the Simmons Bros. competent
men.
Mr.. Allen said that when the commu-
nication was first presented to Council
he met George Simmons a few days
| afterwards and asked him about it. The
| reply of Mr.. Simmons vas that whoever
cent it was very foolish as the work
| could not De done aL Lnat prIvr. THO
| speaker had heard that the Simmons
Bros. had said if the Davis Bros. came
down in their price that they would
come down still lower, as they intend
ed to starve them out.
| Mr.. McGlinchey said that he had met
Mr.. Geo. II. p. Simmons after the COM
munication had been presented, and that
he had informed him that the work could
not be done for the price, although 1t
might in some places. The city is re-
sponsible for all the work done, and not
the property holders. Therefore the
committee had decided to have some one
whom they could rely upon. The Davis
| ASioos hdd o6ASCu W uO Oil WOIh OFCi
again that was not properly done at their
own expense. The city could not afford
to pay a man to wach work being done.
Mr.. Paynter did not say that the COM
mittee had acted wrongly, but the city
does pay man for watching work being
done. If he does not do it, the city
should have one that would.
Mr.. Chandler said that if the chair
man of the committee did not think
Simmons Il Bros bid a bona .fde one,
he should send for them and their Sc
curity and find out whether it was CT
not, or else make Davis u Bro. come
down to the same price. 1t was not
right to make the tax payers pay SO per
cent. more than Simmons q Bro. offer
to do the work for. There. are other
contractors in the city who are willing
to do the work at the same ptice.
Mr.. Rodney said be thought that the
setting of curb should be thrown open to
competition and then prices would regl.
late themselves. The committee has nc
right to be arrogant and designate to
property holders who shall set their curb
He desired to know by what authority
or ordinance the committee arrosate tC
themselves who shall set curb for private
parties.
Mr.. II. IL. IaylOr raised Jne pOlnC Ol
order that the question before Council
was on the adoption OF the report, and
not on the question of whether private
parties shall have work done as they
please.
Mr.. McGlinchey stated that the chair
man of the CO nmittee had called upon
the City Solicitor in regard to the setting
of curb, and his opinion was that pri
vate parties had no right to set curb as
the city was responsible.
This closed the discussion and the re-
port was adopted.
THE STONE CRUsHER.
The same committee presented the
same report made two weeks ago in re-
gard to awarding the contract for fur
nishing stone for the crusher to Jane,
Murray.
, In presen ting the report Mr.. McMens
min said that some two weeks ago the
committee had rep orted to Council IL
favor of awarding the contract to Mr.
Murray and the same night a reInon
STRANGE against the location of the bfeak
or at Fifth and Van Buren, streets, wa,
presented, and on a motion of Mr.. r. Ii
! Taylor, the whole matter was referred