New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-04
MR.. KIRK REFUSES TO VOTE
ACTION OF THE BOARD or ESTIMATE VOID
ONE or THE STRENGTHENING CONTRACTS AWARD.
ED-MR. KIRK w.Nrs NM -.

| ONE OF THE STRENGTHENING cOyrp crs ,,,,,pn.
ED-MR. KIRK WANTS MORE TIME
"A meeting Of the Board Of Estimate and Appor.
! tlOnment was held yesterday 20 award the stppot
cleaning contracts. President Asten Of tbe ~
| Department. was absent. beng IN the West yndies
Inc awards were laidoyer at the last meeting at
thS request e ig Gt Ma Kirk in order
more fully. Mr.. Kirk said that he was still unde-
clded The contract price for cleaning the First
District last year was $685. The lowest bid
THIS year that of John 5. Brown, is $l37,5OO-a
small increase in view Of the fact that the amount
OF cleaning to be done 81 per cent greater than
last year. In the Second District South of Four
teenth-St and east of Broadway the lowest bid
Ills dniS year Is that OF Hayward & Duffy,
3Z29 800, while last year the amount
was S225,OOO The increased amount Of cleaning
II ~ 2 per cent Mr. Kirk could no reason why
lhe amount Of cleaning should be so largely in
creased II was admitted that the districts are well
cIeaned. No complaints have been made by either
I5he pubic or the press. 1t we,ld be better 70
deduct me percentage of increase from tho cost of
,he Work: by so doing the city would save at
least 100000. He thought IT would be Advisable
to have the entire work of street cleaning per-
FORMED under contract as Commissioner Coleman
haa stated during the consideration of tho
estimates that the work could be done cheaper by
CONTRACT below fOurteenth-st. than by the city.
Inc ContiollermOyed that the contract DE award
ed TO john 5. Brown for the First District. NJ.
Kirk objected, and said be womb require more time
10 acquire information. He declined to vote and
as o'clock, the hour for the meeting Of the Board
OF Aldermen, had been reached, he asked to be ex-
cused.
The Mayor-The gentleman is not excused
MI Krk-i have duty to perform ~ the Board o. Al
cerhg en-. LOO nal |'e 10 y 0o on th,' rfoion 6a
The newspapers which have bounded IN the pat have
even - 10 i , ~; i'l S re- @uI nay, 3
will not excuse me move that the Board adjourn.
The Mayor and Controller voted in the negative
Mr. Kirk rose I'm some agitation and sat on tie
lounge near the table around which the members
OF the Board We're seated. Tho ContrOlleragan put
me notion on awarding TIE contract for cleaning
the FIRST District. The Mayorand ControlleryC'eJ
aye; MI. MIX decllncd To vote.
~ The contract for cleaning the Second
District q. was then taken mp. on mo-
said that the lowest bid was from john
>, Brown who had secured tire contract for The
First District, hut the check which he had for
wardcd with his bid was $3.50 less than the i've
per cent which the law prescribed should accom-
pany each bid. The Corporation Counsel had in
formed him that the bid could not be received, AZ
this infOrmallty Initiated it.. The next bid that OF
Hayward & Duffy, was only about 81 800 greater
than that Of Mr.. Brown. He recommended that
Mr. Grant moved that the report Of Commissioner
Coleman be accepted, and that the contract for
the Second District be awarded to Hayward &
DOhy at P299,Z9O. MI KIRK said that he was
going up stairs to attend the meeting of the Board
of Aldermen, and that he would not vote on the
resolution.
The Mayor-The gentleman s not excused, The Clerk
will call the roll.
Clerk Adce began calling the roll, and as he did
so, PTesidenr Kirk left the room. His name was
cal ed he passed out of the door, bat he dd not
respond. Inc Mayor declared the resolution
adopted
The Mayor was asked after the Board ADJOURNED
if the resolution could be adopted in the absence of
Mr.. Kirk He said that there was no quorum with
out Mr.. Kirk but he practically present wien
the second vote was taken. Mr.. hdee SAID Mr..
Kirk was out of the room when the roll called.
aud that he was no. recorded. After consultation
by the Mayor aud Controller with the Corporation
Counsel the Controller SAID that it had been de-
cided that, as Nr. Kirk was not present when the
vote was taken, the action of the Board was VOID.