The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-04-03

The paving question after four months
of deliberations, consideration voting and
vetoing is finally nearly a. clear as mud.
The council met again last night to hear
the reading Of bids aud to let the con ract.
Mayor Cox was in the chair and all the
couucilmen were present.
On motion the bids were opened and
read.
+. G. Lottier of Fort Scott, put in bid
for VERIFIED brick according to the specif-
cations at So cents per square foot.
R. Wilson and 6. Johnson put in bid
for flag stone at 1874 cents per square foot
&C ording to specifications
R. B. kepley of Topeka put in a bid for
vitrified brick according to specifications
Tor II cents per square foot.
Sumption & Son put in bid on Port
land cement walk according to specifica-
tions for 1874 ceuts per square foot
Bulla & smith put in bid for trified
brick according to specifications for $40
cents per square foot aud cement Is cents.
In anticipation, hover. of some question
being raised as TO tue quality of tue brick
Bulla & Smith also put in bid for brick
rs good as that of kepley's for 81 cents
per square foot according to Specifications.
They evidently assumed that the brick
under the 7-10 cents bid Was superior to
Kepiey's, for their bid for it is 2-l0 of a cent
brick as good as that of Kepley.
Nothing was now left but the response.
bility, and this WAS very soon s. tiled by the
announcement that each of the bidders
bad placed a certified check in the hands of
the city clerk.
city engineer aud three or four assistants
came into the council room lugginy arms
tut of brick and stone samples with 'em.
He laid them on the desk and the twelve
councilmen got around them and began
examinations. They were like so many
doctors around the dissecting table.
Mr.. Hill start ID the ball rolling by NOV,
ing that the contract be let to Wilson g.
Johnson for flag stone at l2sl cents.
johnson followed by an amendment let
ling the CONTRACT to r. B. Kepley for Wit
-ified brick al 12 cents.
M. Sawyer Offered an amendment Civ
ing the contract to Bulla & Smith for Wit
rified brick at no.
Speeches we're in order.
Tom Wilson, ex-ciIy attorney, appeared
In behalf of Bulla q Smith aud IN de
red hot speech which brought loud cheers
from the galleries. He said lac would pro-
test against giving tue contract to any
6rm but Buila & Smith. They are Re-
sponsible" said he, land held so by the
highest official in this city. Not
only that but they have their Ger
titled check in the hands of
tuc CIcEh us du cslttuCc VI ROOt ltlln. III
addition their bid is one-third cheaper
than the bid OF r. B. Kepley aud we pro-
pose to give better material; we will give
brick of equal value for still less. The
people are getting tired of this work aud |
the tax pagers will be heard. The statute |
plainly directs that the bid must b. |
awarded to the lowest responsible bidder. |
Every councilman took AN oai b TO 20 by |
the statute aud / hope no man will be |
false TO that solemn oaif. If he does h |
be held liable indivi iuslly for dam /
ages, The mayor has vetoed this hocus |
pocus twice. He WAS right, eternaIly /
right, every time aud the people are |
upholding him and will uphold him |
III il. The tax payers have something TO |
Say in the affairs Of this city and they are |
with bis honor, the mayor, to man. ! |
make no charges against the counc linen; /
am not here for that. but / do hope they |
will be true to heir oaths. l do hot want
TO anticipate what he mayor will do, but |
l do say that if Mr. kepley is given the |
niract at one third more than Buila and |
Smith he will be everla-tingly sustained |
in IL If he vetoes the contract again The |
city engineer knows that the material |
proposed to he furnished by 6uila aud |
Smith at s no cents Der SOU re foot Is |
better than the material PROPOSED to lie |
furnished by r. B. kepley at l2 cents |
Much has been said about the |
moral right to give the contract to Mr. |
=
having the material for the pavement |
shipped to Wichita under contract th,t |
WAS afterwards proven to be Illegal. He |
took that risk knowing TINT the contract |
WIS Illegal for Inside of twelve hours after |
1t was let he received telegram stating |
that IL WAS illegal. You can let the cou-
tract to Kepley but the court will be ap-
pealed TO and complicated litigation will |
follow and in the end the property holders |
along the streets will not have to- pay |
Cent"
Councilman Mccall followed Mr.. VIII
son In which he hit former admiuistra-
tons some blows az don't want il inti- |
mated that violated my OATH" He then |
related how former ADM Isl rations select /
cd a different stone for tue city building |
and thought thai he council had n right /
to select the maj erial for paving nd deter |
mine its vaIur. He wished it Distinctly |
understood that be wanted no private OF |
public favors and would therefore vote |
rs his judgment and honor dictated |
Councilman Mccall made an elo- |
guent sp--ch for one who said h. |
was no tslker aud when he came down to- |
wards The reporters desk hitting one brick |
against the other with chips flying in every |
direction, his attitude was positively tragic.
He wouud mp 10y saying that the council |
ought To award the Contract to Mr.. kepley |
as gentlemen OF honor.
Councilman johnson made speech the |
ouIueh U. WHICH Was inat tue COUNCIL ua!
the moral and legal right 10 give the Con-
tract TO Mr.. Kepley.
Tom Wa Came to the front again and
said that the statute said nothing about :,
honor, that there was no ques' ion rs TO 1
that "All the contention is" said he. |
"whether the contract should or should |
not be awarded to tue lowest responsible |
bidder. Toe law says it shall"
Ga Sawyers amendment Ia the amend |
menf, giving the Contract to Bul n & Smith /
for 7-l0 CENTS, the vote stood as follows:
Ay.s-Schsd, Aih-rts Sawyer.
Nnys-Farries, Burton, Hill. Kenyon,
Mellinger, johnson. MCCALL, Horner anu /
Casweil.
A vote Was then ordered on the amend |
ment to the motion. giving the contract to |
X b, kepley at l2