The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-02-28
Startling Facts for the Tax
payers.
INSIDE VIEWS OF MAYOR
DEERING'S ADMINIS1RA-
TION.
Has He Violated the Law FOrbIddlng
City Officials to be Interested In
Contracts fer the City,
HE is GIVEN AWAY BY "ONE
WHO KNOWS"
What Others Who Know Have to
Tell, and What Official
Records Reveal.
REPORTED HMPROPER TRANS
ACTIONS BY ALDERMEN WINS
LOW AND BxENGE.

cary in the day its suggestive eontents were
the theme of conversation all over the city
among business men and politicians. A few
had an inkliug OF the facts underlying the
damaging hypothesis of the Argus correspon-
dent, but to many it was an enigma why
any sane man should print such an article in
the Mayors behalf. This communication was
as follows:
KEEP IT BEFORE THE PEoPLE-oNE IrEM
SAVED BY MAYOR DEERINa.
The city contract for coal was awarded to
Messrs. Sargent, Dennison s. Co., they being
the lowest bidders for furnishing the same.
Mayor Dsering's knowledge of coal. and the
various kinds suitable for steam a. we'll "a
domestic purposes, has been in this instance Of
great value to the city. He required the con-
trac ors to furnish coal he knew all about,
hdUSng been agent for the miner for many
years. The result shows that the saving in
fuel this year to the city will amount to aE
least one hundred and fit+y-two tons, over $500.
We shall now probably learn from the Press
that. this is one of the contracts made to
further the political ana personal fortunes of
the Mayor. Tax payers isn't this the right
kind of Mayor? Supposing that he 1CGs In
terested to the extent OF selling his o1cn goods
IL has been many years since ae had a mayor
to look after these matters Certainly not
since Mayor Mcclellan, who always bought the
city coal direct from the miners, ignoring auy
business our coal dealers might claim. There
fore keep it before the people The Mayor
required coal furnished by the contractors
that he was sufficiently familiar with in It's
quality, aud its burning qualities, to effect this
great saving. ONE Who Knows.
A. present we shall not discuss the matter OF
economy, which the writer OF the communion
tion tries to make prominent further than to
say, what must be plain to everybody, thar 1t
/.
in will be sufficient There are three months
of coal-burning weather ahead. But we wish
to call attention to points which directly bear
upon the Mayors wisdom, csrefnlness and f.
deity in his Office and whether as Mayor of
the city he has been Selling his own goods" as
Zone who Knows" appears to acknowledge,
in violation of explicit statute laws.
THE COAL CONTRACT OF 1882 AND MAYOR
DEERIEG.
At the close of the last municipal year there
was left on the records of the Committee on
Pablo Buildings at the City Hall, the follow
ing memorandum, which was also endorsed on
= March 7th. 1883.
Committee on Public Buildings.
The committee deem 1t proper to put on
record the reasons why the bill OF Sargent.
Dennison & Co., for coal, amounting to $265
has not been approved.
The city has claim In set of against the
said firm growing out of the failure of Sar.
gent, Dennson & Co, to furnish to the city
coal of the quslity, and in the condition re-
quired By the advertised proposal which was
the basis OF the contract with them. On TIRES
several occasions the Committee on Public
Build Dgs has attempted to have Mr.. Sargent
before them and adjust the matter but he has
failed to appear. The GOAL has heen in
spected By experts who report that it is not
such as is called for by the contract; not being
well screened or in good order.
(Signed.) CHARLES F. LIBBY,
Chairman.
Tie reports of the experts who were called
in to inspect the coal were made In writing and
are as follows:
PORTLAND, Oct. 2e, 1882
TO @. r. Libby, Mayor.
Dear Sir-In accordsDce with your request,
have examined the coal at the Butler School
and am ooliged to report TO you that it is not
properly screened.
Yours truly,
RICHARD CoLE.
PORTLAND, March 3rd, 1883.
To his Honor Mayor Libby.
Dear Sir-At your request have carefully
examined the coal in the several school builG-
ings including the City Building with the fol
lowing results: Vaughn street, Park street,
Spring street, Casco street, Smaller, North and
dign OCnOOl 10 % ID q 1hlE COlOlLlOn. west
Eud, Butler, Center street and City Building
to be full OF slack, caused by not being proper
ly screened, although some OF the slack is caus-
cd by the coal being very soft which naturally
would crumble in handling.
Very respectfully,
Il. B. sw1rr.
PORTLAND, March 5th, 1883.
H31s G. Il. Libby, Mayor.
Dear SRI have examined the coal at the
different school houses IN the city as you re-
queated, and fad that some of the coal is in
very bad order; the coal in the West. Butler,
Vaughn street, Bracket street, Centre street,
Casco street and North Schools and City Build
ing la very bad condition, not screened, in the
High and ShaiIer schools In fair order; also
the Spring street and Monument street schools
in good order Yours truly,
@. Fl. GREENE.
The official advertisement for bids to supply
coal for the city, under which Mr.. Sargent's
bid was made, and accepted, was in the fol.
lowing terms:
"The Committee on Public Buildings will
receive sealed proposals until Wednesday, at
noon, June %, 1882, for $50 tons Of best quality
Lenigh coal (broken) aud 236 tons OF best
quality Lehigh coal (egg size), 2240 pounds to
the ton, to be delivered and put in and
trimmed in the pens at such of the public
buildings and schoohouses Of the city, and at
such time as may be designated, the coal to be
in all respects of the best quality, and in the
best ords and well screened eon the wharf
before delivery, aud weighed by such weigher
as the city may designate.
The committee reserves the right to reject
any and all bids that may not be deemed for
the interest Of the city. Address proposals to
CHARLES E. LIBBY,
Chairman.
The situation then, at the close of Mayor
Libby's administration, with respects to this
matter, plainly appears by ofIioial documents.
Messrs. Sargent, Dennison & Co., whose bid
to furnish coal for the city had been accepted,
had not been paid in full, q balance of S265
remaining unpaid; and the reason was that the
coal supplied by them did not correspond 10
quality and condition with the specifications
OF the contract under which 1t was furnished
This fault had been noticed and reported by
the inspector in October, and payment of the
only part of the account remaining unpaid
was Immediately stopped. His report was at
| forwards confirmed by two special inspectors
| appointed to make q survey of it. MIR. Sargent
had been three times notified to come before
| the committee In order that the matter might
| be adjusted and failed to appear. Mayor Lib
| by then put upon record the fact that the
terms of the contract had not been complied
with, as the reason why MIR. sargeLts bill had
| not been fully paid. in order that the incoming
Mayor might have the facts OF the case ofac.
tally before him for his guidance in protect
ing, as he was bound to do, the interests of the
city and seeing that the public money was not
expended except for value received.
But Mr.. Sargent who had so steadily refused
to go before the committee under Mayor Lib
| by's administration to make any explanation
| of his failure to perform his contract accord
ing to its terms, became at the end of the year
very active worker for the election OF Mayor
Deering. And at an early date in the admin
istration of the new Mayor, whom the Argus
would have the people believe to be much
more jealous guardian Of the public interests
than Mayor Libby was, or than Mr.. King will
be, Mr.. sargsns's bill cas paid IN JlR, without
any inquiry OF Mr.. Libby as to the facts Of tho
case. The city had clear legal claim sgalnst