The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-10-29
QUEER PUBLIC METHODS
How the Contract for the
New Police Building
Was Awarded.
LUMP VS.. ITEM BIDDING.
Contractor Curley Accused Of Play
ing 1t Sharp on the Other
Bidders.

There is no end of talk among those
who were in the lobby of the Street and
Water Board when that Board got to-
gether yesterday morning, as to the
method followed by the Board in award
ing the contract for the new police build
ing. It is likely that an investigation
will be set on foot in the matter and that
the Board of Finance win again obstruct
the proposes of the work by refusing to
concur in the action of the Board
A REMARKABLE ADVERTISEMENT.
The Street and Water Boards adver-
tisement for bids on the new building,
which appeared in THE SUNDAY MORNING
NEWS of last Sunday, read as follows;
CEALED PROPOSALS WILL BE RECEIVED
- at the office Of the Board OF Street and Water
Commissioners on Monday, October 26, 1899, at
ten o'clock a. M. for the work and materials at
tendAnt on the. building contemplated new
Police Headquarters and First Precinct Police
(. Station, in accordance with plans and specifca-
tions on file in the Office OF L. H. Broome Archi-
tect, No. AZ Montgomery street, Jersey City,
"nsae specc in,pfmaon M may nS os of
sureties can be had by applying at the Office Of
the Chief Engineer, corner Of Jersey avenue ana
Mercer street
The bidding will be divided into five sections,
as foilOws:-
1st, mason work; ed, carpenter work; Sd,
plumbing and gasfit ting 4th, steamheating, ETC.;
9Th, ping and Gaping.
the bidding for each item to be individual. and
the lump sum named for the same, but this will
not preclude bidder from combining all the
items and naming figure for the entire work
complete.
Bids must be enclosed in sealed envelopes, en-
dorsed Proposals for item specifedI Police
Headquarters, etc, = directed to "E. A. Dugan,
Esq, Chairman OF Committee on Public Building
and Docks" and handed to the clerk of the
Board in open meeting when called for in the
order OF business relating to sealed proposals.
He who take the trouble to read the adj
vertisement must see that it Is blind
one. How bids that must be itemized
bids can be Jumped bids is one of those
things no fellow can find out. But sew
eral bidders put in their proposals in good
faith.
A TIP FOR THE LUMP BIDDER.
1t is not rulable or regular for one bid
to be opened and read till all are in hand.
But is rule was fagrantly violated yes
terday. AT the Office of the Street and
Water Board this morning 1t was ad-
mitted that the individual item bids were
first called for and opened and read before
the lump bids were called for.
'Was It possible, " the clerk was asked,
is'for one intending to submit lump bid
to sit in the lobby, jot down the lowest
OF the iteInized bids, strike their total,
and so underbid the individual item bid
ders?o
'sWell, that was possible" was the can
did answer
81 don't know, 2 came back the an
swer.
HOW 1T WAS DONE.
Those who were in yesterdays lobby
declare as a matter of fact that 1t was
just that thing that was done. The
Individual item bids were opened and
read. Joseph H. Cutley sat in the lobby,
so the story is, made notes of the lowest
of the individual bids, ran up their total,
and by the time the lump bids were
called for at subsequent stage of the
proceedings, had prepared bid that in
its total under-cut the individual item
bidders He had with him at the time
gentleman named Hall, who was prob
bly, to receive the contract from him for
masou's supplies, TO officiate as his
surety Mr.. Halls presence was prob
ably due to the fact that, as Mr.. Cutley
couldn't know till he had heard the indi-
vidual bids, what his bid would be the
amount of the bond could not be deter
mined and he had to be on hand to sign
the bond when drawn in proper form
The lowest bids by items were as fol-
lows
F. G. Meehan. mason work. .......... .$17 900 90
Gilmor g. Mullins, carpenter r.......... 9945.00
w. W. Farrier, plumbing, &C ......... 1,693.15
Charles Crossler, steam fitting. ........ 1,SS9.00
Patrick Connolly, piling &c............ i,995.0o
IOthl %55 4Sl,lo
Altar CutIcu had rooohad thic tofaJ In