Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-28

The city council yesterday morning
held an adjourned session from Monday
in order to take action, as committee
of the whole, on the street-sprinkling
contract. When the body organized as
a committee of the whole, Mr.. Tufts was
called to the chair. Mr.. McGarry spoke
for the Belts bid. He pointed out that
the bid OF Mr.. Cross was for certain
sum per mile, and that Mr.. Belts was
for the whole city, regardless OF the
number of miles OF streets. He held
thatan increase of mileage would cause
a great increase of the expense, and that
Mr.. Belts bid on the other hand would
remain at $32, 900 during the next three
years, no matter what the increase of
mileage.
Mr.. Rhodes went at the subject in
very methodical mannir. He produced
a statement from the city engineers
Office showing that there are in the city
"a miles of gravel streets west of the
river; IL miles east of the river, and
9 lilo miles of paved streets, making a
total of about 100 miles. Mr.. Rhodes
thought that not more than ninety
miles of streets would actually need to
be sprinkled.
Mr.. Rees suggested that Mr.. Belts bid
was not technically in accordance with
the specifications, and therefore should
not be entertained at all. The specif-
cations do not ask for bids by the year.
Mr.. McGarry-Mr. Rees puts his own
construction on these bids. The aggre-
gate miles at present are 106; five more
miles are now ir course of construction.
You commence to pay Mr.. Cross from
the very start on the difference between
80 miles and Ill, or 2l miles. Before
spring all these streets will be graded.
He says for every mile over the 80 miles
he is to be paid on the basis of his 90
mile bid, or $25 % per mile.
Messrs. Nickel and Afford contended
that the streets to be sprinkled will be
so ordered by the city council, and no
more would be sprinkled. Mr.. Cross
was willing to enter into contract that
at no time during the three years would
he charge for more than 100 miles of
streets.
Major Bonsall apprehended that with
in the next six years there will be
twenty-five or thirty miles of additional
streets. Under the Gross bid, he said,
no one could tell how much the city
would have to paw. while the Belts bid
was not capable OF misinterpretation.
The discussion continued in an indis-
criminate manner, everybody talking
and nobody saying anything new. The
matter eventually, strange as it may
seem, came to vote, and the 0ntract
was awarded to A. p Cross, by vote of
5 to 8, Chairman Tufts not voting.
The committee of the whole then
arose and the adjourned session of the
council was called to order. A great
deal more talk ensued over the
sprinkling business, when, formally, the
committee of the whole made its report.
The result OF the final vote, however,
was the same.
THE MAYORS MESSAGE.
Clerk Luckenbach then stated shat
there was message from the mayor be-
fore the council.
Mr.. Rhodes-Is that the long reply to
Mr.. Rees I read in the morning papers
this morning?
Clerk-It is from one of the morning
papers. l am about to read.
Mr.. Rhodes-Then move it be filed.
I consider it an imposition on this
council that the mayor forces these
long messages on us and makes the
clerk record them at cost OF from $5
to $40 each time.
The more sensible members wanted
the document read, although Others of
the councilmen thought that the mes
sage, being of the nature of stump
speech, should not be recognized.
Eventually, the message was read and
filed without further controversy, and
council adjourned.