The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-04-26
NOT A SKIN GAME
AS THE MAYORS COMMUNICATION
To Council About tho up. wa Brick Contracts
Might Lsad Some 10 laisr They wsrs-Hhh
The Hoard has to Say About it-Protsct.
iuE The Ci!,a lnlernts, Etc.

|.. .... Sud-. d ...".. INV .....r|. .. .......
In tho Second Branch OF Council last night
before commencing work on the applications
for licenses, President Hildreth read a com.
munication from Mayor Miller that caused
quite 4 buzz OF comment. Tho Mayor In his
paper referred to the fact tha. the Board Of
Public Works had at Il previous meeting OF
Council submitted an estimate OF the cost OF
paving Sixteenth street with brick blocks,
and that the cost had been placed at tl3,-
S25, 60. He also incorporated In his commu.
n~ication the resolution offered by Mr.. Butts,
authorizing the Board 10 make the necessary
contracts and the Mayor 10 sign the same OIL
behalf OF the city. which was adopted by
both branches OF Council. The Mayor
then wont on to state that a con-
tract signed by the patty Of the first
part had been handed him 70 execute on
behalf OF the city and that It was for brick
blocks costing SIS. 900; he also said that tho
construction was faulty. He suggested that
II would be wise for the Board to advertise
for brick, and concluded by stating that the
question, had been asked, whether by thu
resolution offered by Mr.. BUTTS and rule 4
OF the rules governing the Board, he WAS re-
quirot 10 Sign contracts when presented by
the Board without examination or discretion
Ia the matter; be had, therefore, decided 10
bring the matter before Council and ask an
expression Of opinion.
There was no one to speak for the Board,
and the figures were 80 astounding that II
was decided to refer the paper to the Com.
mittee on Streets, Alleys and Grades for i
report. The estimate OF the Board for paving
Sixteenth street, $l3,S25 ~, was for all the
work. Dat OF that Is 10 Come the amount 10
be paid by the Elm Grove road for its share
and the 81 600 subscribed by the c~itizsLs on
TINT s,reet, which, according to the Boards
estimate, would leave n net cost of nine
thousand and some odd hundred dollars to
bs paid by the city.
Alter Council, n reporter visited the Board
rooms aud found the Board In session. Elk.
planning that Council had been considerably
surprised by the communication OF the
Mayor, an explanation OF the high figure in
the contract was asked for and readily given.
The contract which the Msyot submitted
to Council was signed by Mr.. John Porter, Of
New Cumberland, and was faulty only in
the omission OF two or three unimportent
words left out In the hasty writing OF tho
same. II calls for l ,000, 5000 brick blocks de-
livered at the wharf at SIS per 1000. They
are to DO paid for within sixty day. after each
100000 Is shipped. In case the manufacturer
shall fail to deliver the brick In tho time
specified, four months, the Board may pro.
cure the brick elsewhere and cause the said
Porter 10 pay for the same.
Col. Campbell In explaining said: "As far
"a advertising for bids Is concerned we hnye
sscertaiued to q certainty that Mr.. Porter can
furnish us our blocks cheaper than any one
else; he has the facilities Tor doing 1t, and be.
sides makes a better brick. Your paper has
explained what it is-it IL more like q lpiece
OF granite than fire brick. As to the faulty
construction OF the contract we discovered
that this afternoon and asked 10 have it re.
turned 10 us for correction, but the Mayor
for One reeou, saw tit not to do 30. To pave
Sixteenth street will take about 500, 900 brick
that's 5000 for brick, and the grading will
bring the gross cost up to Sl3 S25 60. What
More streets will probably be ordered
paved. Tans, the North Min and
South Eotf streets projects; they
lave already been brought up in Council
and iavorably considered; they will probably
20 through. Then we want TO put down
come crossings. We could secure bricks
/, cheaper by taking u large lot. Another
resson snd one of tho important ones was
thia-you know We have to get all our brick
by river. Now suppcse we had ordered
only enough for Sixteenth street, and then
In July or August, when the river ID SO low
you cau wade It. Council should order a street
paved with brick. The Boards hands would
be tied; it would hsyo no bricks,
and before it could get them winter
would be here. Then yon notice we
don't have to pay for the brick all at
once. The only idea the Beard had, was 10
protect the city's interest, and yet the
Mayor'scommunicstion might bs construed
to imply that We were trying 10 Gouge the
city. Tho paving CT Sixteenth street, We are
positive will not exceed our estimate, and
with the amounts to be taken from it, leaves
the net cost 10 the city, a little over 5000"