Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-04-11
The SPECIAL SESSION.
nYsRs AhO RICHARDSON HAePf
The 6oara of P.olic Uorks Reqilssfs1
70 let ths Contract Tor tbs Cig
raj 20 ~ y Hicnsroson.

The Common Coane.l ll4et .z -peeiai ses-
.ssn last sgsnii.z o0 receits aa1 eon-lder q
report fsogl ths 8osrl u f4ple Aorks rela-
igr ~ the biis FIR .ae sieeia.a sf rae pr9-
poset Gay hal bail lls Al uenber- of
rha C0aucil aers ia tbslr -sals a1 roii cal-
snd the Coanci. chalsa9eE sa. sell nllesi sltn
sel rsseaEalss einzsus al.J hsasy Taxpayers.
Cn aiouoa ~ AID Pafa8slss Prssiieul
ihaysl, * ths bo8ra II Public NOrks Sss
invited ~ make a stalefoeut a. ~ the bids
rscsssd b TIE board 2nt ~ vIe~s ia re-
.srd thereto. M fhayer sas called Tor by
a. Hayor. and made coneise. plsaln speech.
he - II TIE Bard ~ Public Works bad con
.ids.f 4 sell ths @ork is "a proposed Io un-
derfake and bad aIlsnpted u provide f0r
a buihiinz saich should come within the
speclfed iialit of slsego. Ia asking foF
ehitect plane th-g bad placed the limit ~
cost &C this azure. After several plans had
been Submitted and "a sht after ni-at spent
~ considering them tbe individual msin0er-
a the Board hs.d arrived az the same con
chisi0n. shhlut d-ea-sson 0r eontsrsnce,
att rtEa- tieir universal choice thai the
8 u- submitted - Architect Myers. OF
D-loit. ~err Tar superior 10 any Of
th@ others FROM the time their
present t.as decision had gained strength
With Board member tnd The great differ
enee between his plans and the Others sub-
mfttsd grew more apparent. The Size Of the
building. according % Mr.. Myers plans
sas Ten feet longer and ten feet wider than
ans ~ she other. At The rimc the bids were
nrst opened tte Board haf misgyings thai
the blgidllg could not be- ouiu for SL0,oo
bat the contract viii Mr.. Mser- vas such
that should the Board ,ai 20 receive a bis
within the prescribed niaif be -hould receive
no compen-atiou toe hi- plans. Al the open
M ~ the fr-t bids Mr. Myers. as well
ihe Board seemed % be Disappointed The
BOARD reasoned that a. there sas differ
ence of so go between the lowest and high
eft hids received there va not - much
csu-4 Tor disappointment az Mr.. dyer,'-
falhbility The Board wa- satisfied II could
not receive "a better plan 70, the building
without much larger discrepancy IN cost
over lle lowest bid received, and Wa al-a
satisfied l would not be able 20 secure the
erection Of the building foe any less sum
Adj. Gilbert. IA order % bring the subject
before the Council offered resolution ap-
proving the construction Of city ball. sub
-tantialiy after the plans presented by
Architect Myers. and "a the price indicated
by the lowest bad The Mayor then invited
the citizens present 70 participate IN the di--
cu--ion Mr. G.lbert presented the inanci 4
aspect of the ease. granting that the com
pletion of The buildiu, would cost $4,000.
aud considering che city va. already bond
ed for $500 for the Fulton street bridge.
showed taxstion would De no greater the
comin. two years than it had been the two
years preyious while the bridge bonds would
be paid aud be-ide- raising S;OOno in los5,
and <tpOco in lsSe for the city hall. Tins,
ne showed. was principally owing 70 the fact
the railroad bonds were ont of the way.
Freeman Godfrey was loudly called for
and made telling speech IN favor of the
erection Of the building AZ once: that while
the people had reason 10 expect building
world have been erected for the purpose. TO
cost not more than SI5oOoo. be would glad
ly pay has additional proportion of taxes 10
have the work done after Mr. Myers's plans,
which he considered good. He spoke AZ
some length upon the necessity of the build
ing aud the advantage Of building It now
when material = cheap.
Prot Sweu-berg vas called for. tie said
IA. had come - listen and not 20 be heard.
hut he wa- interested IN the building. and II
wa- his decided preference that work should
begin at once tie emphasized the fact Of
the great saving in money in building nov,
when materials Of all kinds and labor are
cheap. thought the building could be erected
now for 5000 les- than at any time during
the past few years. The Professor spoke Of
the city'a enterprise IN other directions, Of
her rapid growth and how he. for one. should
hail with pride the day when he could point
to a City Han. constructed IN keeping with
the city'- advancemsnt. Men are willing TO
pas little EXTRA tax 20 be allowed such
privileges. We should build for posterity /:
CONSIDER vel ,i.- citys growth and future
needs and not build an edifice which in ten
year. from now would call down upon our
heads rfdicnle and force IA 20 admit big
blunder IIe believed a building after Mr..
Myers plans Vouid ansver the requirements
~ years 2, come and would he glad to pay
his proportion - extrs cost for -uch a struct-
u-e
Wm. Widdicomb ssid he xas AZ first op-
pos--d 'o the bonding ~ the city for toe pur-
ro--e aud voted against the measure. bat was
aov highly in favor Of II. and especially
since Adj Gilbert had Submitted fairly
fhe fnncisl -ife Of The question.
Hon Iniius H0usemsn fully concgrred IN
the opinion ~ the Board ~ rsblic Works
f and stoke earnestly If the needs Of such a
building. the home labor and material that
vouid BE- demanded by rs erection and
thon-ht che city could Hl afford to huild
F cheaper or less complete strpctnre.
Wm. r Powers. y. T. Avery aud Col =
" Fox expressei views -imilsr 20 the above
fhe latter gentleman dwelling scme~hst
uron the sfFect the brHdinz would have fn
increasing ssiues ~ other property.
Ait Giiberts revolution Tss called FOR
ans Ala sfiIoan offered as a nfzfifute. that