The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-09-04

DNSSCNl US III OuN pA'''
Two amendments were offered by
Minister Thurston and Rep. Ilustace
to section 10 and passed, and the
section passed as amended.
Sections IL, IL, Is, ii, 10, l6, II
10 and 10 were passed.
AT this point the Scrgcant-at-
Arms announced messenger from |
His Majesty.
The PRESIDENT Let him march in.
After handing letter to the
President the messenger departed,
and the House went on with its
work.
Section 20 was deferred.
Sections p to Al were passed
with scarcely any change.
Rep. Hustace moved section ~ be
considered.
Noble Waterfonse moved the Sec
ton be stricken out.
The section passed with slight
amendment.
The bill passed to engrossment
and was ordered to be read third
time on Thursday.
The Clerk then read the message
of His Majesty vetoing the Coffee
bill. 1t appeared in Wednesdays
issue in full.
The consideration of the veto mes
sage will be taken up at p. m. Fri
day.
The vote by which the third read
ing of the bill relating to taxes was
set for Friday, was reconsidered
and the bill was ordered to be read
on Thursday.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS.
Minister Thurston presented the
following statement:
In reply to the questions of Rep.
Naone, in the matter of the grading
of Alakea and Halekauila streets, L
beg to reply:
lst. 1t is not true that Mr.. Crib
BILE had not filed his tender for the
grading of Alal1ea and Haelkaulla
streets when the other tenders were
opened.
I'd. 1t is not true that the tender
was awarded to Mr.. Harrison and
afterwards withdrawn and given to
Mr.. .Gribble.
The reply to the first two ques5
tions covers the third.
Iwould further explain this trans
action as follows:
All public works of this descrip-
ton are in the Department of the
Superintendent of Public Works.
Whenever it is proposed to let out
work by contract, plans and specifi-
cations are drawn up and an estl'
mate made in that office of the
reasonable cost of such work, in or
der to give q basis for judging ten,
ders, which frequently vary over loo
per cent.
The advertisement for tenders is
made in the name of the Minister OF
the Interior, and final award of thu
contract is subject to his approval.
Such approval is never given un
til after consultation with the Super
intendent of Public Works, ant
comparison with the estimate of thu
cost.
If the bids reasonably approx
mate the estimate made in the office
the lowest is accepted. If not the.
are all rejected, the clause in tn
advertisement, reserving the RICH
to reject all bids, being placed ther
for that purpose.
The custom has been for bidder
to hand their bids either to the Min
lister, clerk in the Interior Offlc
or the Superintendent of Publ
Works.
In this particular instance MI
Gribble handed his bid to the Super
intendent of Public Works on Aug
21st, the time for receiving bids bt
ing fixed at noon on the 22nd.
AT noon on the 22nd L opened tn
bids that had been handed to tn
clerk of the Interior Office and my
self, not then knowing that an
bids had been handed to the supe
intendent.
Mr.. Harrison's bid was for 50
1854 and was the lowest the
opened, the others ranging up
$3.50.
Mr.. Harrison was present, an
asked if his bid would be accepted
or words to that effect. AS di
not know what the Superintendent
estimates were, and he was not pr
sent, replied that this was in Il
Superintendent of Public Worl
department, and l should have
consult him before making any d
cision. At O'Clock the Superb
tendent of Public Works came
my office to confer with me on Il
subject. He then stated that he hi
bid, received the day before fro
Mr.. Gribble, which he produce
and which was for 81, 800. He al
showed me the estimates prepare
in the office, which were for 81, 80
AS Mr.. Gribble's tender W
reasonably approximate to the Go
ernment estimate. it was accepte
AS the next highest bid was
over 81 900 more than and near
double the Government estimate,
.yould not nn1nr onV piroDm Stan(