The morning call., 1890-08-16
CITY HALL CONTRACT
Why Such a Difference in the
BidSg
MI strother Insists That tbs Work Is Not
Being Done as 1t Would Be if Lavtr
We're Still the Architect

In the absence of Mayor Pond Mr..
Strother presided at the meeting of the City
Hall Commissioners yesterday. The main
purpose Of the meeting was to open bids
that had been invited on three important
contracts.
Before these were opened, however. Mr..
Strother said he had a matter of con-
siderable Importance that he thought de-
manded immediate attention of the COM
mission. In his recent surveys of the City
Hall building he had discovered dangerous
defects in the construction of the two tow
eTs on the Larkin-stTeet wing, and, as they
appeared to be in an unsafe condition,
threatening the lives of the workmen and
the public, he proposed resolution that
three experts be appointed-one by each
Commissioner-to examine the towers and
report back TO the board.
These towers, Mr.. Strother explained,
were erected twelve years ago. The ter
minalS are leaning, and if they should be
dislOdged by the wind the fall might de-
stroy large portion of the roof and pos
sibly some lives. This commission would
be held responsible by the press, even
though the work was not done under it.
sTROTHER READY WITH HIS MAN
The resolution was adopted, and Mr.
Strother promptly announced that his ap-
pointee would be Augustus LAYER, formerly
the architect of the building, who was
asked to resign year or so ago. MIR.
FlOurnoy named T. j. Welsh. The third
man was not named owing to the Mayors
absence.
There was still another matter that
struck Mr.. Strother ms demanding speedy
attention. Somebody had told him that the
capitals of the pilasters now being put in
place on the Larkin-street wing are de-
formed, and while he was a Commissioner
he did not want anything OF that kind 60
ing on. He considered that also matter
that should be referred TO experts, and
therefore proposed another resolution to
that effect. The resolutions called special
attention TO the fact that the capitals on the
pilasters Of the other portions of the build
ing, designed by and put in place under the
supervision OF Augustus LAYER, are correct
ly modelled, and in his opinion there never
would have been any occasion to ind fault
with the present work If Mr. LAYER had
been retained as the architect of the com
mission.
To strengthen his position Mr.. Strother
questioned Architect Patten about the cap
itaslS,' and the latter admitted that they
were not equal in design and workmanship
10 the first made.
ATTENTION CALLED TO THE WORK.
Superintendent Boyd stated that he had
noticed the infeTi0rity Of the work and had
called the attention of the RiSdOu Iron
Works to the matter.
Mr.. Strother wanted to know if he had
called the Mayors attention to it as well.
and Boyd answered in the affirmative.
This seemed 10 anger Mr.. StrOther. The
matter had never been mentioned to HIM.
and he did not understand why. While he
had no doubt MI. Boyd was discharging his
duty faithfully, he wanted that gentleman
to distinctly understand that the City Hall
Commission Is not a one-man affair. 1t is
the right Of every member to know all about
what is going on, particularly where there
could be any question about the quality of
the work.
Mr.. Strother's resolution proposed that
the investigation Of the capitals should be
made by the same experts appointed to
investigate the towers, but Mr.. FlOurnoy
did not approve. He thought IL quite
enough that the superintendent and archi-
tect should attend to the matter, and so
shaped his resolution.
Mr.. StTother finally acquiesced, but not
without insisting that his resolution should
be spread upon the minutes Of the COM
mission.
The contracts upon which bids were in
vited are as follows:
Contract %, far laying artificial stone side
wa r. around pat Of the CITY Hail TesefyatIon,
together With curo.
Contract "a, for making and placing four pieces
OF statuary over Tie four pedlmenls on the out
side OF lie Hall OF Records.
Contract 70, for finishing rooms IN the base
ment for Police Department, Receiving Hos
pltal and Insane Commission.
WHAT THE BIDS DISCLOSED.
The bids opened disclosed the following
estimates Of the work proposed:
Contract 23-For stone sidewalks, etc: George
Goodman, Sl1, 7OS rs; deduct 80 cents per i'm.
4 foot for OLD granite h. (ITaVaS RTOs Gil
500; deduct so cents per linea foot for old curb.
California Artificial stone Pavement Company,
Sll, $50; deduct S63G Tor old curb
Contract 24-fOT supplying four groups Of stat
Uary: Frank Happers0erger SIS 900; Rupert
Sehmid, S13, 800; Frederick tlUhr, Sl9,11O; +.
Marion ellis, SIS, 144i Albert Weinert S17.-
45O
Contract 25-For completing the western por.
iion OF The basement: Richard McCaun $685.
694; Western Iron Works, $50. $3.50; Emmett &
Lyman, 500 $40.
a minute or TWO before the bids were
opened, but, according to the timepieces
carried by the Commissioners, a minute too
late to be received, another sealed Did was
handed IN and the board refused it. After
the others had been opened, however, j. c.
Bateman, who had come into the meeting
room meanwhile. Informed the commission
that the unopened bid was his and he was
positive it had been filed in time. He was
pretty sure that the commission would find
1t TO the city's interest to open that bid,
whether it was accepted or not.
Acting upon this hint the bid was opened
and II was found that Batemau Bros. were
willing to take Contract % for SS7, 225,
nearly 5000 lower than the lowest Of the
three received. This bid, too, exposed a
somewhat awkward condition of things
The three bids received and opened were
Just close enough together in their estimates
10 give color to each other, and yet between
the highest bid received and Bateman's bid
there was difference in favor Of the latter
Of S12, 700.
AN IRRESISTIBLE INFERENCE.
The inference seemed almost irresistible
TO the on-lO0ker3 that there must be collu-
sion somewhere, and it became matter of
general gossip around the hall that an eX-
perenced contractor could afford to under
take a work of that magnitude and impor-
tance for S12,70 less than a competitor
supposed to be equally experienced and
shrewd.
The bids were all passed to print, and on
the 25th inst. another meeting of the COM
mission will be held to consider them. 1t
is limited by some of the wise ones that
none Of the bids will be received on Con-
tract %.
Samples or models Of the statuary. de-
signed by the bidders on Contract "a in ac-
cordance with the ideas suggested by the
Commissioners, are now on exhibition in
the Mayors office, and are said by compe-
tent judges to be works of considerable
merit.