Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-15
SMALL FIRMS WILL BID
If They Don't Have to Wait for Three
Years for Their Money.
MORROW REFERS TO THE COURTS.
lie Says the Mayor Must Exercise the
Powers of His Office.
TRACTION LINES WANT A NEW LINK


ing and there will be more business done
than there was at the regular session last
Monday. The Finance, Charities and Cor
porations Committees met yesterday after
noon and passed upon important business
to be taken up at the meeting.
The ordinance born of desire to cheaper
street paving was recommended by the
| Finance Committee after an interesting dis
cussion, and at Controller Morrow s request
no action was taken on his communication
relative to the Mayors approval of contracts.
When the bill providing that interest
shall begin on all street contracts
as soon as they are completed
was read Mr.. Bigham raised the point that
while it would result in cheapening the
cost of a pavement to benefited individuals
it would only be makeshift by which the
city treasury would suffer for the difference
between the present cost and the lessened
cost resulting from this ordinance. In
other words the city at large would pay q
part of all improvements made under the
new bill
Giving Small Contractors a Chance.
Mr.. Robertson took different view of it.
'oThe object of this ordinance is to open
competition. As it has been in this city for
many years the small contractor has had no
show because he could not afford to expend
ten, fifty or hundred thousand dollars on
a piece of work and then wait from one to
three years for his money. 1t is only big
firm with plenty of cash that can do this
successfully, and they have therefore
had little or no opposition in secur-
ing contracts at higher rates than
they have been let for in other cities. By
the adoption of this ordinance the door is
thrown open to many contractors who can
not now risk offering a bid. They can ne
gotiate paper with any bank when they can
say that interest will begin as soon as their
work is completed, and in this way with
comparatively small capital contractor
can assume the risk of a contract that
hitherto would be away beyond his reach"
Mr.. Bigham-Who pays the interest after
the work is completely
How the City Will Gain.
Mr.. Robertson-The CITY, 1t requires
from two to six months to get the assess
ment for an improvement into the City At
tornevs hands for collection. AS soon as it
gets there interest begins to come from the
property benefited.
Mr. Bigham-How much will the city's
interest bills amount to in year?
Chief BigeIow, who was present, an
swered: "The Mayor and L, in preparing
this bill, figured that it would cost the city
about per cent on the total cost of i'm
provements made each year. In 1890 the
total cost was S55O,OOO. Last year it was
$500, O0O We calculated that the expense
to the city would not exceed $4,000 a
year."
Mr. Bigham-well, if that is all it will
cost and it will make paving cheaper, 1
think we should adopt the ordinance. But
how do we know it will do that?
Mr. Bigelow-There is no doubt of it.
That point has been satisfactorily deter
mined.
When the Controllers communication
was called up he said: "This matter was
referred bv Councils to the Finance Com
mittee and the City Attorney As he is
not here 1 would ask that nothing be done
until he has had time to consider it. Iwish
to state here that the impression has got
abroad that my communication demands
more power for the Mayor. That is mis-
take.
'1t only asks that he be allowed to exer-
else the power resident in him now with |
relation to all city legislation. Our laws
make the awarding of contracts city legisla-
ton, and it would be better for Councils to
correct their error in this matter than to
bear the cost of having it decided by the
courts. There is no doubt that the court
will so decide, and unless Councils act there
is no doubt but the courts will have an op-
portunity to decide ---~
The implied threat in the Controllers re-
marks caused the committeeman to open |
their eyes and look significantly at each |
other, but no remarks were made, consider |
alton of the paper being postponed
Mr. Holidays audit ordinance was |
amended, giving the auditors discretionary |
power to proceed back to and including the |
records of 1888, and as much further as they |
may desire. 1t was then ordered favorablv |
returned TO Councils
Chief Bigelow had a number of resolu-
tions for the purchase of land at Highland |
park. One authorizes the condemnation |
and purchase of 80 acres for the new reser-
voir, for which S75,0 has been appropri- |
ated Another is for the purchase of five
lots at the highest point on Garfield Hill, |
to be used for tank to supply that part Of |
the city with water lying higher than the |
Highland reservoir The tank is at present
located on leased ground and adjoining that
to be purchased. Two other resolutions
were for the purchase of one acre ard 16 |
perches of land from D. z. Brickell for
s., 600 and 9. 76 acres from NJ. C. Dulane for
S., 900.
A Couple of Direct Questions.
Mr.. Paul demanded to know why 80 acres
were provided for a reservoir, and Mr. King
asked what was meant by the purchase of
more park land.
Chief Bigelow explained: "The addition
to Highland Parl, asked for is land that pro-
jecis into the park, surrounded on three
sides by park property, is cheap at the fig
ures at which it has been offered us, and is
provided for the park appropriation.
On Mr.. Brickels piece there has
been paid nearly $500 of a sewer
assessment, and land all around it is held at
much higher figures AS to the reservoir
it Will require 80 acres for the reservoir,
alone. / inserted so acres in the resolution
because in the purchase of so acres level
land we will probably be compelled to take
some rough or hilly ground with it, There
will be no necessity for more than 80 acres,
but this bill will allow proper latitude
for getting the kind of land we need.
it is better to buy little more than
absolutely needed, because there is bound
to be more or less leakage, and we would
have to paw in few years more in damages
to adjoining property than the land would
cost That has been our experience invar-
iably.
Spectators Push Up Prices.
'T thought 1 had nearly enough land for
a reservoir purchased short time ago at q
low figure" continued the Chief "but
some land sharks got to hear of it and they