St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-24
BROKE THE MoNoPoLY.

millions, have been projected.
BROKE THE MONOPOLY.
The Council Paving Committee
SqueIcheS the Parkhurst Com
binatiOn.
Few of the council committees met
yesterday. The aldermen were too
tired after the trip to Montreal to show
up. The members of the committee on
paving, however, got together and III
dulged in lively little session. When
it closed the manufacturers of Park
bursts combined curb and gutter had
been completely routed. The matter
may yet go into the courts.
When the bids on paving were opened
some two weeks ago, the committee
was confronted by a dilemma. Ring
d Tobin had offered to put in natural
stone curbing for 81 cents, the price
formerly paid for artificial stone.
Then it was discovered that the council
had, some time last year, adopted res
olution providing that artificial stone
be used for all curb and gutter work.
Special assessments for the curbing to
be laid during the coming summer had
been levied. on the basis of that reSolu-
ton, for artificial stone curb and gutter.
This question then arose: Can special
assessments, levied for artificial stone,
be collected to pay for natural stone?
That point was referred to the city at
torney, and the award of contracts
was postponed for the time being.
Yesterday the city attorney reported
to the paving committee on that matter.
lie held that the city, under the reSolu-
ton now in force, could not make the
property owners pay for natural stone
curDing. Ring IL Tobin, the natural
stone bidders, offered to give a bond to
indemnify the city for any litigation
which might arise over the award OF the
advised against the acceptance of such
bond. His advice did not suit ma
jority of the committee. Then the fun
began.
The city engineer, in advertising for
these bids, advertised for combined
curb and gutter. AS matter of fact,
he had no authority to use the word
combined" He used it, Assistant
City Engineer HuntresS explained, be-
cause in his judgment, it was better to
use the combined curb and gutter where
artificial stone was employed, since
then there was no chance for one stone
to drop down and leave hole for the
water to soak through. Then Aid.
Loye declared himself. Two of the
bidders on curb and gutter had sent in
bid OIL straight curb. One OF these
was from Nyvall IL Westlund, the
Standard Stone d Sidewalk company.
Their bid was SO cents. Loye thought
that because the specifications called
for bids on both curb and. gutter no one
had right to bid on curb alone. He
wanted all bids rejected and new ones
asked for. That brought Kiichll to his
feet. He saw woodchuck in that scheme.
The city engineer was never authorized
to advertise for combined curb and gut
ter, yet the specifications had always
contained that word ''combned." 1t
looked like scheme to perpetuate the
monopoly of the city'S work, which the
Parkhurst people have been enjoying.
There was hot Set-tO between Loye
and KiichIi for a few minutes, with
honors about even. Several property
owners appeared before the committee.
Most of them were in favor of artificial
stone. Kiichi declared that all were
natural stone men until they reached
the city hall. He couldn't understand
WHY thew had changed their minds SO
quickly. SO the battle ragged for nearly
two hours. Finally Aid. Kiichli pro-
posed motion, seconded by Aid. Parry,
to award the contract as follows:
To Ring 81 Tobin, for natural stone.
at 81 cents per yard, all the curDlng on
Cedar avenue from Seventh street to
Franklin; First avenue northeast, from
Main street to Second street.; Fourth
avenue northeast. from Main street to
Fifth street; Groveiand avenue. from
Vine Place TO PillSburY avenue; Henne-
pin avenue, from Oak Grove street to
Groveland avenue: Main street north
east, from Sixth avenue to Broadway;
Oak Lake avenue, from Tenth avenue
north to Sixth avenue; Plymouth av-
enue, from Lyndale to Duport; River
side avenue, from Cedar to Twentieth
avenue south; Sixth avenue north, from
Second street to Washington avenue;
Third street south, from Eleventh. av-
north, from Washington to Oak Lake
from Thirtieth to Twenty-sixth av-
enues. To Nyvall & Westlund,
artificial stone, at 80 cents per
yard, on Central avenue, from
Tenth street to Twenty-ffth street
northeast; Grant street, from NicOllet
to Vine Place; Monroe street, from
Third avenue northeast to Eighteenth
and-a-Half avenue; Vine Place, from
Grant avenue to Oak Lake avenue.
Aid. Flanders sided with Loye in favor
of the artificial stone and the Parkhurst
monopoly. He offered, as a substitute
for Kiichli's motion, motion that no
natural curb be laid except where espe-
cially ordered by the council. 1t was
lost. Kiichli's motion was adopted, and
the committee will report accordingly.
This will give to Nyvall & Westlund,
the artificial stone manufacturers, about
29, 900 feet of curbing, and to Ring &Tobin
nearly 10000 feet. King & Tobin will
put up bond to indemnify the city
against litigation. Some of the property
owners on streets where natural stone
curbing has been ordered may contest
the payment of the assessments which
were levied for artificial stone.
Loye's proposition to reject all bids
and readvertiSe was looked upon as
move to give the Parkhurst monopoly
chance to come down to the bid made by
Nyvall & Westlund. The Parkhurst
people, relying upon their patents and
upon the word combined" in the
specifications, which would, if adhered
to. shut cut other bidders. had sent in
the same old bid. But the fight may be
carried into the courts. Certainly it
will crop out in the council meeting.