The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-03
SCHEMING IN c R
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS LOCK THEM
SELVES UP WITH BRIDGE PLANs.
More Of the Rottenness i'm the MAN.
agement of County Affairs
Observation-Disclosures Job.

After a partial examination of the bids
submitted for the erection of the two new
bridges which the County Commissioners
are contemplating building they have con-
Guided that their courage required a little
bolstering, especially upon the First-street
bridge. The attendance of a delegation of
farmers from Wayne township was Sc
cured yesterday in order to give the COM
missioners reason for saying that the build
ing Of the bridge was demanded. About
seventy-fve farmers came into the COM
missioners' Office yesterday afternoon.
messages were sent to newspaper offices for
reporters and the commissioners were called
down from an upstairs room, where they
were closeted considering the bridge bids
IN secret The farmers made known their
desire TO have the bridge built and were
listened to patiently by the commissioners,
but We're given no promise as to whether
the bridge would be constructed or not.
The farmers were evidently satisfied. how
ever, and went away after saying that
they considered that the commissioners had
promised to build the bridge.
Inc commissioners are now pretending to
make a careful investigation of the bids
and refuse to permit an inspection Of the
plans and Specifications under which the
bids are made. A representative OF the
Journal asked Commissioner Hunter for
permission to look at them yesterday after
noon. He was told that they were upstairs
at that time and the commissioners were
using them. He was told that they would
be brought down and put in the safe in the
evening and he might look at them at that
time. Afterwards when they were brought
down Commissioner Reinecke, president Of
the board. refused the reporters request
to examine the bids. saying he could ex-
finished their Investigations. Al of the
commissioners avoid the question when 1t
Is asked direct as to which the commits
sloners consider binding upon them, the
plans or the Specifications. Firman Stout,
when asked the question, said he did not
know; that the attorney Of the board, Mr..
Brown. would be the man to decide that
question. Attorney Brown said Saturday
night that he did not know which would
be binding: that this was a question for
the commissioners to settle. In the course
or the same conversation Mr.. Stout init
mated that neither the plans nor the speci-
f~cations would be considered binding I'M
less the commissioners desired to follow
them. In the specifications there Is a para
graph to the effect that the commissioners
may disregard any or all of the bids and
may award the contract on a bid that con-
forms 10 neither the plans nor Specifica-
tons. This leaves a convenient i~oophole
for the commissioners to go through in
awarding the contract to any favorite
WDOm tuey may ueSlre. IL the Favored DID
der. who is on the inside, does not get his
bid under the plans and specifications IN
such shape that the commissioners would
feel that they were reasonably safe from
criticism in awarding it to him it is an
easy matter for them to come to the con-
clusion that a bid submitted by him al
together different from the plans or speci-
hcations is the most practical and award
the contract on this bid. Nearly all of the
bidders have submitted such bids.
President Reinecke, Of the board, said the
commissioners had about half finished their
examination Of the bids submitted and that
the contract would not be awarded for
two or three days yet.
Although the commissioners claim they
can award a contract without reference to
the bumgled plans and specifications for
these bridges, yet at their first meeting in
September they adopted a resolution, which
is spread on the minutes, to build the
bridges according to 1.-THE plans and speci-
fcations." Although the plans and the
specifications for the Pleasant run struct-
ure are at wide variance and practically
worthless as far as honest bidding is con-
cerned, yet the commissioners allowed
County Surveyor Julian $50 for the plans for
the two bridges.