The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-12-12


there, and as above stated the session
would go by and nothing be done. Such
schemes have worked. 1t might work
in this case, and then of course the
board OF public works would DO an in
stitution for two years to come. Let the
people of Roanoke look at the picture
on this side.
l believe in meeting every question
fairly. but see how "Citizsn'' gsrbles
The construction l placed on certain
section of the charter, and how he mis-
represents the proposed amendment
itself, land he has failed most signally
to show how it woulu DO good for tho
contractors, mechanics and laborers of
Roanoke that Council should have the
supreme power to award work to non
residents over their heads at any figure
they might deem proper"
Whether he means to award the
work over the heads of the contrac tors.
etc., of Roanoke, or over the heads of
tho non residents or over the heads Of
Council, fail to see. For tho sake OF
saving timo will take the former TO
be his meaning and expose another
OF his attempts to pervert the facts in
the case. He demonstrates ttor ignor-
ance OF the true purposes Of Council
and of the result which would obtain
by the proposed amendment. There is
no change in the Sc ction other than it
strikes out tha words Lowest bidder"
and makes it incumbent on Council to
seek for responsibility in contract tor
as we'll as the price which he places
in his bid.
The same section alss allows the city
to have certain work done without
letting 1t to contract. Is this not lust?
Is 1t not for the interest OF the people
of the city? How can Citizen" so mis-.
represent the facts as to assert that such
provision would be in tho interest of
the nonresident? That is the very
point Council desires to avoid. You
have only to go to the records OF the
city to show the evi resul ting from
that too numerous award of contracts
for WORK the city had to do TO non resi-
den bidders. In nearly every instance
the nonresident bidder has been but
few dollars below the home bidder. The
contracts had to be awarded to them,
however, under the provisions of the
present charter.
Look at tho trouble with extra bills,
with insufficient bond, and the ever
ready greed of these whose interest is
not with Roanoke to gouge the cor
poration. The general laws Of the
State and the common law fixes this
question OF the Lowest bidder" and the
Lowest responsible bidder" beyond
every doubt. When Council advertses
for bids for any manner Of work, it
reserves in every instance the right to
reject any and all bids, but, under the
general principle OF law, it is COM
PEELED to award the contract to the
lowest responsible bidder.
Let the people of Roanoke look at
this question as a business matter, and
as work performed by their legal repre-
sentatives, whose only object is to re-
duce expenditures in the municipal
government and to provide be tier means
for carrying on public improvements.
1t certainly cannot be denied that
there is any other organized body in the
city OF Roanoke, or any person in this
city. who better knows the needs of
the city as to a new charter, or who
is better qualified to prepare draft and
to submit the same to the legislature.
l have now done with the question,
and do not propose to write any further
communications on the subject. nor to
trespass upon the public patience with
matter that has already been fully
discussed. "OBsERvEp
Roanoke, December IL, 1893.