Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-05-03
Messr.. waddey and starke Both Before
the Grounds and Buildings Com
mttteo-Other Business.

for the new City Hall were opened as fol-
lows: The Petersburg Granite Company,
$3.50, and the Richmond Granite Company.
S217. The contract was, on motion OF Mr..
Carter. awarded TO the Petersburg Conn.,
pany. the lowest bidder.
CARPENTERS Oct An INCREASE.
Colonel Cutshaw brought up the matter
of the wages of the carpenters on tho pew
CITY Hall. He explained that after the
rejection by the committee Of the petition
of these workmen number of them had
Quit their employment. having secured
work at better prices than those paid by
the city. The Colonel said that he pro-
missed the carpenters that he would bring
the matter before the committee if they
would return to work. which they did.
MIR. Gibson, foreman of the hardwood
work in the new City Hall. appeared be-
fore the committee and stated that the
men could make more money elsewhere.
He said that some of them were worth
more than others. The city was paying
the carpenters $3.50 per day.
Mr.. Epps moved to increase their wages
TO 30 cents an hour for nine hours of each
dav.
Mr.. Seay offered as a substitute that
those Of the carpenters who are entitled
to it should have their wages increased to
s2.75 day.
The substitute was unanimously agreed
to.
THOSE CITY-HALL CONTRACTS.
Al this point IN the proceedings Mr.. Tur-
min stated that Mr.. Waddey. of che Everett
Waddey Company. who had been awarded
the contract for the metallic boOk-iiles at
a figure $500 higher than the bid of II. NJ.
Starke & Estes. was present aud desired
10 be heard by the committee.
MIR. Waddey was extended the cOurtesIes
n h.. had lakFV mar
mission of the committee made an examl-
nation of tho bid of Mr.. Starke. aud found
very wide discrepancy. between, tho
grand total and tho Itemized totals, where
hy it would appear that MIR Starke's bid
was higher than his own. instead OF
SS73. Os lower than his bid. Mr.. Waddey
said he thought the committee and tho
public should be made aware or such
facts.
CRITICISED THE COMMITTEE.
Mr.. Starke. who was present. was asked
if he desired to say anything IN response
10 Mr. Waddey's remarks. he said that
he was confronted with the most remark;
able state Of affairs that he had ever heard
of. He did not think the committee had
done right in turning his rejected bid over
TO n competitor To figure upon, ana assured
his hearers that he would certainly have
entered his protest 10 such action II ne
| had been present when 1t was taken.
MIR. Starke stated that after the contract
for the book-tiles had been awarded ms
! bld was his own and not the cltys pro-
perty. He remarked that Mr.. Waddey
! tried TO see his bid-or part OF lt-on the
niOht when the bids were opened Mr.
| Starhe stated that he did not know eX-
acty what the discrepancies referred 70
were. but that his firm proposed TO do the
work for the sum named in their lump
total, which were the figures acted upon
| by the COMMITTEES.
MOUNTAIN OF MoLE-HILL.
The City Engineer was then asked for
his views upon this whole matter. lie sald
| il appeared TO HIM from the rumors III re-
oard TO the award of these contracts that
| people were trying to make mountain OIL
q mOle-hill.
The Colonel then went into very elabo-
rate statement Of the differences IN the
| bids upon both schedules employed. bring.
| inc in the amounts Of the grand .otals and
the sums that would have constituted the
lump totals If all items had been properly
carried out and calculated. =.
This statement showed that according
TO Starke's itemized totals his bid should
have been 3S73.77 higher than Waddey' >
on the same basis. while Waddey's bid
would have been SS77.0S lower than indl.
Gated by its grand total. In the first bid
upon the Engineers schedules there was n
difference Of about $4,000 in Mr.. Starke :
total and the figures that an addition OF
the several items would have given.
HAD no REAL EFFECT.
The Engineer stated that he had ex-
| plained the whole matter 10 the CITY At
forney. who had expressed IL as his opinion
tnat the city could only have been held
liable for the totals indicated in the bids,
claiming that the price by items only had
| effect where extra pieces were used. This
was Colonel Cutshaw's view IN the matter
also. as he still held that Starke was the
lowest bidder by Ss73.7.
Mr.. Turpin stated that he did not be-
leye any lawyer IN Richmond would agree
with the City Attorney with all the facts
spread before him, and he did not think
there was q court of equity anywhere but
what would hold the city liable according
| 70 the itamiLed prices. lie said he felt
sure that Mr. Starke knew nothing of any
such differences In the bid, and he re-
marked that no one on the committee for
one moment questioned Mr. Starke's fair
ness or honor IN any matter.
NOT THE COMMITTEES BUSINESS.
MIR. Turpin asked Mr.. Starke where he
got his total if not from the items. The
latter replied that that was none of the
committees business. aud referred TO many
|
not agree with the sum total.
Mr.. Carter. in speaking of the matter, re.
ferred TO the reports OF pilferlng and plum.
dering alleged TO have been committed by
| the committee. lie said IL was possible
| that the cOmmittee had been too hasty IN
reaching result in this contract question
and in future he would vote upon no Ions
list of figures until they had been gone ovei
| bv some one IN the Engineering Depart
4 L.. f,tr Oh hof in al
| experience rs a councilman he bad never
known so much care and labor and close
investigation 10 be given by any commit
tee IN the matter Of awarding any con
tract, and yet 1t seemed that this commit
tee had put its foot in it." He closed
his statement by saying that he supposed
| his fellow-c ommltteemen We're ready fol
the investigation.
| RELIEVED OF NO oDIUM.
Both Messrs. TurpIn and Noble statet
that they wanted IL understood that thei
did not think the committee was re
lieved from any OF the odium that nigh
attend its award of the contract for th'
CIty-H Hall book-fles TO the Waddey Com
pany because Of the facts that bad beer
developed as to the Starke bid. They haS
voted for the Waddey files because thel
thought they were worth $500 more thai
those submitted by Dir. Starke.
Mr. Noble referred TO rumor no had
heard that the Phillips gas and electric
light fixtures bid should have been u, 100
according TO the items. instead of ~, 200
as indicated by the total. and asked Col
onel Cutshaw what he knew Of this.
The Engineer said that nothing of tn
kind had been brought 10 his attention.
SIT AFLoAT by THIEyEs.
In discussing the awards in genera
sort OF way MIR. Epps said that it was no
an investigation as 10 whether the com
mittee did what was right OF not, o.
whether 1t exercised its due prerogatives
that was wanted. but 1t was an inquir'
into rumors of thievlng on the part OF tn
committee that were set afioat by thieves
He was sure that the committee had acte,
conscientiously. and he was ready for tn
investigating committee.
After some further talk upon the matte
the body adjourned.