St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-06
WRIGHT AT THE HELM.
The Mayor Creates a Sensation in
a Committee Room

Inc Mayor creates sensation in
Committee Room.
By provision of the Bell charter, the
mayor. president of the common coun-
Gil and the city treasurer are constr
tuted a committee to purchase supplies
for the board of education. The law
requires that proposals for such sup
plies shall be advertised for and sealed
bids for furnishing them submitted to
the committee, which shall open and
provisions, Mayor Wright, President
Lightner and Treasurer Miller met in
the mayors Office yesterday afternoon.
The mayor and Mr.. Lightner did the
bulk of the work, and to Mr.. Miller was
allotted the arduouS duty of opening
the envelopes containing the bids.
Mr.. Lightner said the first duty of the
committee was to decide that all bids
which were not accompanied by good
bonds in the sum of $500, as provided
by law, were to be thrown out. The
mayor agreed TO this. and Mr.. Miller
looked wise" and nodded his head, so
it was unanimously decided upon. The
first bids opened were those for fuel.
Mr.. Miller opened the envelopes, and,
at the command of the mayor. was par
tlcularly careful not to get them mixed.
There were eight bids for furnishing
fuel, and, as the mayor read the propO-
sItIOns, Mr.. Lightner copied them on
sheets Of poper. The advertisement for
proposals did not contain any section re-
latlng to printing. This. the mayor
said, was mistake of the clerk of the
board of education, and consequently
the six bids submitted for print
ing were thrown aside. One of
49,
printing establishments had been
notified by postal cards to send in bids
foI printing. Mr.. Lightner and the
mayor decided that as the advertise
ments for proposals said nothing about
printing. the committee would not con-
slider such bids at all. Mir. Miller had,
however been busily engaged in open
ing the bids. without paying much. at
tention to the conversation, and passed
them over to his honor. Several of
those interested in the printing bids
asked permission to Withdraw their tig-
ures in consequence of the decision of
the committee and were allowed. to
do so. -
The opening of the bids for furnish
ing stationery and other supplies was
then proceeded with. The mayor was
right at home on the items in these
propositions, he being in the trade him
self, and ratified OFF the articles and
| price for which the bidders agreed to
furnish them at such rapid pace fiat
| Mr.. Lightner SAID he guessed 7he
wouldn't go any farther with the copy
ing. The figures would all have to lie
| tabulated. he said, and it would make
the work double if he copied
| them now and then haves.to
tabulate them over again. Mr..
Miller nodded his head two OF three
times at this statement, and the mayor
galloped up and down the list with
lightning speed, pausing every now and
then to ask the representatives of the
firms to explain more clearly what was
meant by some particular description in
the bids. y,
The manner in which his honor dis
posed Of the complicated stationery list
caused the members of The. committee
and the spectators to express great
astonishment. Mr.. Lightner conpli-
mented the mayor OIL his great ability.
and d. S. Sperry, who represented
Brown. Treacy d Co., and knows when
to say the right thing at the right time,
said it was pleasure to have some one
who SO thoroughly understood the bust
ness have such matters in charge The
Dds having all been read, an adjourns
.nt.it MAS taken to snnh Time AS The