St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-12-14
A BIG INTERROGATION
Aid. Yoerg Figured in That
Role With the Board Of
Public Works.
He Would Like to Understand
the System of Letting
Contracts.
The St. Paul Choral Club Com
passes a Great Initial
Success.
Brother Potter Scores the
Sinners at the West Side
Revival.

The board of public works and its
method of awarding contracts came IN
for mild roast last night at the meet
Ing of the council committee ON streets.
At the last regular council meeting Aid.
Gehan raised an objection when two
important contracts came up for con-
firmatIon. The particular contracts we're
for the grading of Lawson and jerks
streets, between Mississippi and Earl.
tine Lawson street contract having been
aw ,rded TO Charles f. Sandeen at
1855, and the jerks street to Dale u
Bumgardner at $50, $40. Aid. Gehan at
the time intimaLed collision, alleg-
ing that Sandeen had originally
been awarded both jobs, and that
he had withdrawn from the jerks
street contract in favor of Dale & Bum
gardner. who were the next lowest bid
ders, but some IS, 400 above Sandeen.
The Ninth ward alderman talked about
an INSIDE and an "uuJSidP," and lntI-
mated some very crooked practice. Last
night Aid. Gehan had cooled OF very
considerably, and was apparently I'M
disturbed by any Doodle apparitiOn. Aid.
YOerg, however, had on his inyestiga-
ting clothes, and was one briStllng in
trrrOgatiOn point. 1t was explained that
Sandeen's jerks street bid was finally
thrown out as unreliable, but Aid.
TOeTg could not see how that could be
when his Lawson street bid was all
right. Ii was not the bidder, Aid. Cul-
len explained. but the bid. that was I'M
reliable, and it came out that the board
has often refused to award contracts
at less sum than the work can be
reasonably done for. Sympathy for the
would-be contractors bondSmen, and a
desire to avoid trouble. was the cause
given for this course. Aid. YOerg did
not believe it was business" He cited
the case of the Selby avenue grade,
stating that the first contract for that
imbrovement was annulled as unrtli-
able, after which the board Te-adver-
tiSed for bids and again awarded the
contract to the same party at higher
figure. Il do not believe this work is
being done as it should be-" he said.
arguing that the practice would tend to
encourage the placing of straw bids.
and that it virtually opens the way for
such fraud. Contractor SandPen aS-
serted his innocence in the matter,
claiming that he made material
error III HEuTiuS OH lue JCU
and that he asked the board to
release him from, the obligation.
He assured the committee that this
had been general practice 10y the
board, alluding to the recent Hope street
grading contract. Aid. Yoerg wanted
to have the contracts laid over until
Dale q Bumgardner could be brought
before the committee, but as majority
Of the committeeman present opposed
him. he aSSented to the proposition to
report both contracts to the council for
mally. Aid. Sanb0Tn was of the Opin-
ion that the contractors had acted in
good faith, and stated that if the coun-
ell considers it bad practice to annul
contracts it can call the boards atten-
ton to the matter by resolution.
An old resolution fathered by Aid.
Kahn. providing for the opening of Con
way. Frances. Minnehafla, Third and
other streets in the city limits, was
trOtted out. 1t was decided to report il
favor of opening Minnehaha street cleaI
through and the other streets to White
Bear avenue.