Daily Republican., 1886-12-14
Board OF Eduestion.

school, which several property holders
had been permitted to tap. The chair
stated that the drain belonged TO the
Board, that property holders were per.
mitted to tap It by the payment OF $25
each, and 1t was In his opinion the duty
Of tho Board to keep 1t In order.
Mr.. Trump stated that the drain had
been obstruoted, and that through that
obstruction Adam Lang's cellar had
been flooded. For self protection Mr..
Lang had to get . plumber, open the
drain and remove the obstruction at Q
cost Of $3l. The question was who
should pay the bill.
The members differed, some saying
the Board should pay 1t, others that the
Board should pay only proportionate
amount, and still others that Mr.. Lang
should pay all. Az the bill was made
out to Mr.. Lang the further considera-
tion Of the matter was laid over until
next meeting and until q proper bill
as ainst tAe board would be presented.
DR.. Shortlidge presented . bill of SIS
from the Schoen Heater Compan for
repRiring heaters In No. IL school, but
as Mr.. Schoen had guaranteed satisfac.
tIon he thought the Board had better
not be In hurry TO pay until 1t was
faction.
DIR. Shortlidge, from the committee
appointed Some two months ago to in
vestigate certain repairs made in No.
school, and the exorbitant prices said TO
be charged for such repairs. made a
somewhat lengthy report. stating that
they considered the charges unreasona-
Bile and excessive.
They found that an item in the charge
was for two men for twelve and half
days work, which could have been
done by two men In two and half
days. The committee also reported that
| the charge for material In majority OF
| instances WAS 200 per cent. anu Others
800 per cent. more than other RESPONSE
bic firms in the city estimated the ma
terial at. The report also called atten-
ton TO the fact that no credits appear
| upon the bills for old and valuable ma
terial taken away by the contractors,
which included twenty-one return bends
and three one. quarter inch brass valves.
The report strongly condemned the
practice Of ordering work or repairs
done exceeding $25 in value without
first having obtained proposals for tht
same, as is required by the bylaws o.
tho Board.
The report stated that the COMMITTEES
had no hesitation In recommending
that this particular bill be refused pay
ment unless very large deduction b
Inn ade by said firm. The report wa
lsigned by DR.. e G.. Shortlidee, 8. r
lSmith and j. G. Massey, committee
DIR. Shortlidge at the Same time statet
!. THAT the committee had copied tn
Items on the bill and sent them Il
;. .IGawthrop q Brother, Speakman
Brother and j. O. Briscn, all well
known and practical plumbers and ga
Ifitters, and asked them to make esti
mates ON the job. No intimation what
ever was made as to what the estimate
were wanted for.
On motion of Mr.. Kyne, one OF tn
Sayers Brothers, who was present, wa
given permission to explain his charges
Mr.. Sayers took the floor, and afte
, looking for some time over the repoi
! said he WAS sent for by Mr.. Kype to g
/ Iup to No 8 school and make som
a changes In the pipes, the complain
being that they did not heat the roomI
, He made the chan ges desired, and b
: knew that the pipes now heated all tn
A rooms and gave general satisfaction.
to the estim ates made by other plum
ers, he said they could not begin TO bu
i the material for what they state. Their
!. was the bill. There was no unreasor
able charges In 1t. He did not kno'
what to say in regard to the charges
Q only that they were right and he 81
{ pected to be paid. Growing excited l
= his statements. he proceeded 10 say tbs
q mem ber had told him during the da
that that member (pointing to D.
5hor,lidge) had told him that 18th
. damned old Irishman's g bill wab comm
f up to o'niRht."
II AT this point DR.. Grimshaw indil
t nantly called Mr.. Sayers to order, an
9 many other members protested again
1 such profane abuse of the privilege
q of the floor. Mr.. Sayers was admol
q ished by the chair to go on and e!
n plain bis bill, but he had nothing mol
r TO say than that the charges were CO
i rect and honest, Mr., Kyne did NJ
a know why such report was brougl
b iu. DIR. Shortlidge had expressed hin
self to Mr.. Sayers as not being oppose
% to the bill, and another member, NJ
Il Massey, had said it was oil tight, bat
/ seemed as If they had all signed the T
Ie port. He did not know why Mr.. Ma
d sey did 80.
A.. ur. Shortlidge said II was strange tn
: the member from the Second wa
? could not keep from making misrepr
sentations. He denied point blank Il
assertion of the member 30 far as
Twas concerned. DIR. Shortlidge tn,
M read from the bill several items to she
~ excessive charges. For instance 63 fe
TbEof pipe was charged 8 cents fox
n which Gawthrop & Bro, Speakman
Bro. and J. O. Brison ali put down
cents foot. A hydrant, for whi
$40 was charged, j. @. Brison Won
4 put in for 81. SO
H Mr.. Kyne doubted If it could be dol
IS for that price, and be thought Mr.. b
.f SON must have known for what purpo
the estimates were asked.
N Mr. Simmons settled this point
y stating that Mr.. Brison put one in
I him for ST. 80, ard Mr.. Hanson stat
4 THAT Mr.. Brisop put two in for him
81 80. Speakman & Bro. offered to p
q in hydraHts for Sc 20.
After q statement by Mr.. Greenlee th
a, Ibe did not think the charges excessi1
1.-The discussion was terminated by
!, IShoItlidge moving that the bill, $l2l
lie referred back to the Investigate
tai committee to effect a settlement wi
lSayers & Bro.
aD. On motion of Mr.. Trump the proI
ofiioers were instructed TO draw on
City Treasurer for the regular month
appropriation.
nj A Communication from Thomas
QI Willisms, Superintendent OF the Pub
- Schools Of the State, was read. i
n Elcommunication stated that the amt
State Teachers Institute will be b,
in this city on Wednesday, Thursd
and Friday, January IL. 10 and IA, a
Invited the hearty CO operation of
Board, the Superintendent and teach
IoY the public schools of Wilmington.
On motion of Mr.. Fuekel the comm
h tnication was referred to q committee