The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-28

Special attention is now being persist
emily directed TO the section in a bin re-
Gently introduced into the lower House of
the Legislature by Speaker w. L. Clapp,
providing for Jew changes in the organic
law Of the Taxing District government.
The section most referred to, and
strained into construction to mean the
breaking down OF the law to let out con-
tracts by the regular system OF advertise
ment and bidding, is rs follows
Section 3. Be it further enacted. That
Section Z OF the original act aforesaid be
aud the same is hereby amended SO as TO
provide that contracts let under advertise
ment for bids as therein directed, shall be
let, il at all, to the lowest responsible bid
der, unless the Board OF Fire and Police
Commissioners shall find that they can get
the material or service for less price;
that the said Fire and Police Commission
ers may contract at the lowest possible
price where no bids are made in response
TO advertisements therefor that all work of
repairing streets OF said municipality may,
at the scretion of the Fire and Police
COMM sioners, be done by the street force
and in that vont the labor and material
tn 1reior may be bought by the commits.
sioners without advertisement"
The Legislative Council, resolved into
conn ittse, including Judge S. b.
Walker 10 consider changes in the charter
laws OF the city, sat four days. Every
change set forth in the bill was discussdd
until il was made perfectly clear and ac-
ceptable to all the members. Before be-
me upulIt aIo,,taI ,,soo Ir,,.h, 80. -,
open session, there gone over again care
fully and referred to the Legislature.
The main reasons which contributed TO
the adoption OF the section quoted, are
these II is frequently the case that con-
tractors and dealers IN materials called for
by advertising by the city or any corpora
ton, combine to squeeze" said corpo-
ration for more than the services or
open market. In some cases no bids arc
made IN response to the advertisement,
and other conditions contribute 10 the dis
advantage sought 10 be done away with.
The history Of the Taxing District govern
ment thus far shows that all the work il
has had done, and all the materials pur-
chased, without advertisement and bids
has been far below market price,
anu utlbN lONtHl lItNl0uh nluN.
The last provision OF the section quoted,
referring to street repairing, is
the only one proposing TO be done with.
out advertisement and bids. The inten-
ton IN that recommendation as expressed
in the open meeting at which the bill was
approved by the council, was TO keep
street force continually at work ON tho
repairing OF streets. Wherever stray lots
of stone or other material suitable for
these repairs could be bought to the city's
advantage the commissioners should have
power 10 purchase.
tHE APPgAL published the bill the day
after its adoption by the Legislative Coun-
Gil, and again the day after its introduction
into the House by Mr. Clapp. The last
publication was early this month, and
until a few days ago there was not muir.
mu: Of dissent heard. No other section Of
the measure has been distorted into a
serious or even wild menace 10 the welfare
Of the city. The bill does not refer to the
resumption OF the name "city Of Mem
phis, or the reconierring upon the city
by the Legislature Of the taxing power.