The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-04-21

The shape In which the $500, 900 loan
bill for the improvement OF the streets
and avenues OF tho city passed the
Senate does not satisfy the friends Of
the bill. The amendment attached to
1T to makes the directors OF the Street
and Sewer Department pay the inter
est on the loan lis not SO much objected
to as the other amendment that Sena-
tor Donahoe attached to it, which reads
as follows.
Provided, however, that the said
Board of Street and Sewer Commits
sioners shall give all the contracts for
material and labor, for paving the
streets, to resident citizens OF the
City, County or State.n
II this amendment would do what
was intended IL would practically kill
the bill, but asst Is in direct opposi-
ton to the law creating the Depart
ment OF Streets and Avenues, IL Is be-
lieyed that IL will be of little conse-
quence. Desiring to know what the
directors OF the Street and Sewer de-
partment had to say about the Dona-
hoe amendment representiye of the
REPUBLICAN started out this forenoon
In quest Of those officials. The first
one he came across was Samuel Cham
bers. LET them go ahead,'' said Mr..
Chambers, the amendment won't be
worth the paper it is written on.
1T doesn't say the material must be-
manufactured IN this State it is only
to be purchased from persons in this
State" Pointing TO the asphaltuml
blocks with which a great part of
Market street is paved, AIr. Chambersl
sad, Il suppose that is some Of theI
material alluded TO. That Ia mott
manufactured here at all, and ID only
purchasable through agents. Ireckonl
tho Street and Sewer Department can
establish Its own agency. or there can
be more agents than one IN the city to
create o competition. No. let the
amendment go, and let US have the
money with which to make the repairs.
that Is all we want. The Street and
Sewer Department is responsible for
any misappropriation Of the money!
leaving Mr.. Chambers, the Republi-
can representative. dropped into thel
office OF JosephL Carpenter, Jr., presi i
dent OF the board of directors of theI
Street and Sewer Department., wherel
he came across Dennis j. Mention, AMI
active member OF the Executive Conf
mittee of the board OF Park Commits
sioners. MIR. Mention was asked hisI
opinion Of the Donahoe amendment.
Mr.. Mention thought TINT 1t was en-
tirely useless, and was surprised that
such an attempt had been made to over
rule and fetter the directors Of thel
Street and Sewer Department.
Mr.. Mention was under the impress
sion that the amendment required thel
materials to be manufactured in theI
State, but upon being shown theI
amendment he came TO the eonclusionl
that 1t would not do so much harm, asl
we can get the needed materialthrough
agents in this State.
Tho citizens committee, said Mr..
Mention, will meet this evening and
take whatever action in the matter that
is deemed necessary.
The next seen, was Joseph L. Carpen-i
ter, Jr. Mr.. Carpenter said, Just take I
what / said ina morning paper and you
will have my-views.p Turning to the
Morning News the following was
found:
IF the second amendment is legal
the bill is practically useless and it'll
would DO far better to kill it than to
let it pass. 1t is our desire to put !
down improved pavements IL tho bill
Is passed and We receive the money.
II we are compelled to purchase ma
terials in this city this cannot be done,
as the only paving materials manufao-
tured here are rubble stones and bel
gian blocks. II we should buy iirebrIckI
or asphalt blocks we would have to
buy them from the agents at whatever
prices they cared to charge.
1--WE are compelled under the act
creating the department to ADVERTISED
for bids for work and TO give the con-
tract to the lowest and best bidder.
The lowest and best bidder does mott
come from Wilmington. As an ex-
ample, take the bids on the intercepting
sewer. The lowest bid from Whining
ton contractors was, in round numbers,
$4,000. The lowest bid from othersl
was, in round numbers, $4,000. Nol
sensible citizen would for momentl
hold that we should have awarded the
contract at $1,000 when we could gebs
it done for 34z, coo, and thus save thei
city $54, 900 on one contract.
Il think the amendment kills the
usefulness of the bill. do not know
what action the Citizens Committee
will take in the matter, but SO far as
am concerned personally l think 1t |
would be best to use all influence TO
kill the bill unless the amendments
can lie reconsidered and dropped
AS the reporter left Mr.. Carpenter
said the Citizens Committee win meetl
this evening and take some action in
the matter.