The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-08
RIVAL FIRE ENGINES.
Criticism Of the Purchase by the
Board Of Works.
PRICE or FIRE HOSE IN BOSTON,
Fire Co0mlssloosrs Net Consulted - -
tAo 0oleetions-van Bsoeklin Ne
lonAo ais Beard.

The Ore commissioners met Lest night, but NOT
. word vas said about the purchase Of about
5000 worth Of engines and other appliances BY
the board Of public works After the meeting,
which Wa :ssendsd b Mayor sweeney, Com
mimioueys Foster and Masol and Chief Hunt,
there was IN informal talk about the matter.
Commissioners Masel said hie understanding
wa that the board Of public works intended
consulting the dre commissioners before award.
ing any contract He was astonished to learn
that the contracts had been awarded. He said
Whatever responsibility there vas should fall
upon the board which did the buying. The en-
CINE selected was made In St Paul, yet in its
home city there was but one in usa Portland
had one. bat acquired IL through the annexation
Of AIbina.
sThe whole thing was raw" said Commits.
sioner Foster. "Chief Hunt and were present
at the board Of works meeting - spectators. but
We were not invited 70 express any opinion
Within about half IN hour two men who know
more about threshing machine than about Z
IRE engine, voted away about @4,500 In the
matter Of hose there were two bids, one 1t
IS cents and the other ct 90 ceuto
The last was for the Paragon, . standard brand,
and tho kind now In use BY the department I
veutured to remark that the contract should Be
divided, but was told one man had had lis hose
In stock for three months, while the other
would send brand new shipment After the
new shipment made arrangements to get the
three months old stock"
One Of those present remarked that IS cents
seemed to be . high price to pay for cotton hose,
II was related that on February q, of this year,
Representative Of the Boston Betting Com.
pany, to whom the board Of public works
awarded the contract for cotton hose
council Of Boston that they sold
certain hose to that fre department ct 60
cents per foot THE average price," he said.
sis about IS cents per foot. That price IL about
10 to Is per cent less than We sell to other cites
We sold to New York last year at cents par
foot higher than VS. paid BY Boston for the
same quality of hose"
At the hiehest rate that would make the price
In New York 81 cents per foot, and q the
freight to Seattle 10 under cents per foot, It
should b sold here ct 20 cents . foot-s clear
difference OF l5 cents bolow the price to b. paid
BY Seattle.
Chief Hunt was asked what he thought about
the purchase of the engine He replied:
am only . subordinate, and my opinion has
wait till the engine arrives and has been tested,
then II 1t does not come up to the guaranty ~
ject It
TO the Watef0us which has been selected?
was more in favor of La France; IL 10 Q
higherp priced but lighter engine.
Commissioners Van Brocklin. Of the board of
public works, was asked what he had to say
about the purchase Of the watefous without
consulting the hre commissioners. He replied:
We were directed BY the ordinance 70 mske
the purchase on our own responsibility, ana
We used our best Judgment A member OF the
board and the chief were present
and could have made objections 1t they had
any. This whole matter was discussed for
several sessions of the council committee, and
it WAS the unanimous opinion of the commits
sioners who attended the discussions that the
steep hills Of Seattle needed . light engine.
Now, here 10 . list OF the bids, with the weights