The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-01-06
BYRNB OUT In TEE COLD
His Nice Little Street
Cleaning Contract
Voided.
FINANCE BOARD CAN'T SEE 1T.
And the Contractor Threatens 10
Stop the Work That no One
Knew He Had Begun.
FINANCE BOARD CAN'T SEE 1T.

The Board OF Finance held short
meeting last evening. The most i'm
por tant business they transacted was to
non-concur In the resolution of the Board
Of Street and Water Commissioners,
awarding the contract for cleaning the
streets to Henry Byrne. This was done
on the advice contained in the following
opinion of Corporation Council Ed
wards:-
"Hon. Board of Finance
sIRs-The resolution OF the Board OF
Street and Water Com misBtoners award
ing the contract for cleaning the streets
and removing the ashes and garbage for
the present year to Henry Byrne. now be-
fore you for concurrence. has been re-
ferred to me for my opinion. 1t appears
that, in answer to the advertisement for
proposals, number of bids were received
upon the blanks prepared by the Chief
Engineer; Of these bids, that of Henry
Byrne was not the lowest, in point of fact
it was the highest bid for the work. This
bid the Board of Street and Water Com
missioners accepted upon the reason. as
stated in the resolution, that 'he was the
responsible bidder who offered the terms
most advantageous to the city, and that
a readvertsement would not result in ad-
vantage to the city.
uc lCSOlubiOu Va tudb OOdEQ 10 COl~
rect in form. They had right under
the law. upon such finding of facts. to
SO award the contract under provisions OF
Section 159 Of the Charter of 1871, which
enacts that after advertisements the
contracts shall be awarded to or the pur-
chase shall be of that responsible bidder
who offers the terms most advantageous
to the city, This section has been
amended SO as to exclude from this pro-
vision all contracts for street improve
ments; they must be awarded to the low
est bidder; it is still the law with refer
ence to contracts of the class now under
consideration.
SHOULD EXAMINE THE BIDS.
"Your Board should therefore look into
the whole matter and examine tine vari-
ous bids made for the work. paying par
tcular attention to the character of the
bondsmen offered as security, and il
you then fihd upon such examination that
Henry Byrne Is that responsible bidder
who offers the terms most advantageous
to the city," you have right to concur
in the award of the contract, but il you
do not SO find it is your duty to non con-
cur.
ALL THE BIDS ALIKE.
II call your attention to the fact that
all of the bidders offer in their bids the
question of price. as remember it. none
of the bidders have offered to do the
work within the appropriation made in
the tax levy. When you decide to award
the contract you should first increase the
appropriation by the sum required TO
make up the deficiency under the pro-
visions OF chapter 40 of the laws Of 1890.
following the general form of the resolu-
tion adopted for similar purpose last
year.
Very respectfully,
WILLIAM d. EDWARDS. G. C.
Mr.. Byrne was present at the meeting
and declared that all work upon the
streets which he was doing would stop at
once. 1t has stopped this morning.
The Board appropriated $1,000 out OF
the contingent fund for the furnishing
of the Oakland Avenue Police Station.