St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-06-09
II LOOKS SUSPICIOUS.
The Assembly Refuses to Con-
firm the Third Street Paw
ing Contract,
Whereupon the Bidders Tell
Of a Very Singular Threat
Made.
Reasons Given for Their Votes
by the Members Who OBJ
jeeted.
The Seeger Matter Will Re-
eeive Attention at a Spe-
cial Meeting.

CG1VO ALLCnC1Oi1 al q 0NO
cial Meeting.
1t took two hours for the board of al
! dermen to elect presiding officer at us
meeting Tuesday night, but the same
thing was done by the assembly in two
minutes last evening. Ali the members
with the exception Of AsSembiyman
| Lightner were present when the meet
ing was called to order. Mr.. Reardon
asked that Assemblyman Doran take
the chair pending the election of pres
ident, but this was rendered unneces-
sary by motion of Mr.. johnson that
the clerk be directed to cast the ballot
for ]. II. Wolterstorff. The motion
! prevailed, and after the clerk had de-
| clared the vote unanimous Mr.. DAILY sug-
| gested that to be consistent Mr.. Reardon
should nave voted mo" The presl-
! dent having resumed his position on
| the dais, the next business was the cleo
ton of a vice president. Mr. johnson
nominated Mir. Reardon for the posi-
ton. Mr.. Reardon objected, and said
| he came to the office of aSsemblyman to
represent the people and he hoped the
| members would spare him. His protests
| had no effect. for all those present voted
| for Reardon, with the exception OF
| Timothy himself, who shouted mo"
| MI. Lightner came in just after the
election of Mr.. Reardon had been an
nounced.
The Seeger gasoline contract came up
| by the clerk reading the following COM
municatiOn from Mr.. Seeger:
Enclosed find bills for lighting the gasoline
| lamps of the city for the months OF feDruaTy'
March, April and May, 1893. In view OF the
decision of the district court judge IN regard
to my contract with the city and the fact mat
have done this work for the past -FOUR
months and more without having received
any compensation therefor, and furthert nat
have never been notified to discontinue tle
lighting Of these lamps, trust your nonor-
able body will take such immediate action as
may De proper to pay me for this work; ana
also 10 make some arrangements 1or the 40
ing OF this work until u new contract can be
made and entered into.
The bills presented were for 1924
lamps lighted in February. March,
April and May at 81, 155, for each month,
or &c., $40 for total.
Mr.. Van Slyke moved that the CON-
municatiOn be referred to the committee
on gas. 1t was suggested that the COM
mittee on claims would be the proper
one. Mr.. johnson said Mr.. Seeger'S at
torney, Harris Richardson, was present
and would like to be heard in the
matter.
Mr. Richardson thought in view of all the
circumstances, speedy action should De taken
in the matter Mr.. Seeger. he said. had gone
on lighting the city for some months. and
was prepared to light the city until valid
contract was made. II would be proper, he
said, to pass the claim al once and REFER II 10
the comptroller.
The corporation attorney informed the
members it would be necessary to advertise
for bids for lighting the city for the balance
OF the year. and upon the bids to enter into
contract for such, purposes. lie hao not
had time since the decision to prepare
| the proper resolutions and advertisements,
but in the meantime he suggested that as the
city had been benefited by the lighting of
the lamps some steps be taken toward al
adjustment of'ihe claim OF Seeger.
The members held consultation
with Mr.. Lightner, and the following
resolution was prepared and adopted:
That the communication of Robert Seeger
be referred TO The gas committee and the cor
poration attorney to report a proper resolu-
ton providing FOR compensation for gasoline
lighting from Feb. 1, 1893 the committee to
report at al adjourned meeting Saturday
afternoon.
Row Over Contract.
The approval of the contract awarded
by the board of public works to Thatcher
& Burk, of Chicago. for the repaving OF
Third street. from Sibley street to the
Seven corners, provoked some discus
sion. The firm was given the contract
on a bid of S29, 900 a week or so ago, their
| bid being 5000 lower than any of the
other bidders. When the approval OF
the contract came up in the assembly at
the last meeting, Mr.. Reardon had
| it referred to the committee Oh
streets, intimating there was some
| thing wrong in the premises. The
| committee reported the same back
| last evening without any recommended
| ton, and as soon as the clerk had so
| announced MI. ReardOn was on his
feet. The citizens, he said, had been
| raising great TuSs about encouraging
| home Industries. The firm which had
been awarded the contract, he said,
would purchase their blocks in Michi-
gan and bring the materials ana labor
| from Chicago and Duluth. This state
of affairs, he said, was objected to by
| the property owners who would have
to pay the assessments for the work,
and also by the public. Some
of The citizens were of the
opinion that it was Impossible to get
men in st. Paul to do any work, and the
! decorating committee of the Hill cele-
| bration had sent to Chicago and New
| Orleans for competent men to do this
work. His idea was that there were
! any number of men in the city to do all
! the work there was to be done, and for
| this reason he was opposed TO the APP
prevail Of the contract. Mr.. Van Slyke
said one Of the firm who had been award
ed the contract was present, and would
like to be heard. 1t was decided to
| hear the gentleman, although Mr..
Reardon objected.
Was 1t E2ulIdozed!
NJ c Burk, the junior member of the firm,
| said he did not come 10 beg for the contract.
| they put i'll the lowest bid, accompanied by
| "a certified cheek. and were awarded the con-
tract 1t was not the intention to bring in
| foreign labor, and they intended to put in all
materials purchased in ST. Paul. The cedar
blocks would be purchased i'll st. Paul. pro-
| viding they could be secured as cheap here
as at other points. A member OF prominent
| lumber firm had Informed him during the
| afternoon, he said, that unless q contract was
1 made with his firm for the blocks the coli
| tract would not 20 through the assembly
| meeting He was ready, as were the firm he
| represented, to make all agreement in writ
ing that all materials and labor would be
purchased and hired i'll ST. Paul
with The exception of The cedar blocks. and,
if the prices were right the blocks would
also be bought here A number of ST. Paul
firms had bid and been awarded contracts at
West Superior, where he lived, and no objec-
ton had been made TO their being non-resi-
dents. The senior member of the firm was
property owner III st. Paul, and this could
be substantiated by glance at the tax lists.
The firm had been awarded the contract be-
cause they we're the lowest bidders, and they
were justly entitled to the contract.