The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-03-15

| The called meeting OF the council was
not well attended last night
| During the day Mr. Cox the mayor drop
! ped into the city clerks Office and inform
ed that gentleman to make out call for
special meeting to be held last night
| and to have the proper notices served on
| the councilmen
| At 7:3O D. M Mayor Cox entered the
| City Clerks office and didn't find a soul
there but the assistant city clerk. Coun-
Gilman Caswell. an EAGLE reporter and
| Sewer Commissioner FItzpatrick who was
vigorously denying the false report circu-
| that ne was candidate "for councilman
| at lage." Soon afterwards Councilmen
Schad and Hill entered and the hour hav-
ing arrived the mayor called the three
councilmeu to order and the call was read.
The meeting was called for the purpose
of vetoing the contract Let to Mr. Kepiry
of Topeka for the paving of brick sidewalks
on North Main street.
Joe Henley was on hand with roll Of
paper that looked something like protest
and he was the first one TO suggest that the
three councilmen present voted against the
contract and the nine councilmen absent
voted for it.
On motion of Schad the council adjourn
ed for want of a Quorum.
After adjournment Councilman Burton
of the Sixth ward arrived
The only one around who seemed will
ing to talk on the subject was Joe Henley.
he was present AS the attorney for prou-
erty owners affected by the paving con
tract-in other words be was present to
protest against the contract, on their be-
half, "as an outrage"
"The meeting was called" said he "for
the purpose OF vetoing the contract. As
you are aware the contract was let to Mr..
kepley of Topeka at 81 cents per square
yard more than home concerns bid on it,
or, in other words, for SO per cent more
than tue local bids. This is something
more than the property holders would
stand, at least more than my clients would
tolerate. The parties who put in the
lower bids are home concerns and there was
no question but what they were responsible
bidders, as certified checks were enclosed
with their bids as guarantee that they
would fulfill the contract according to
stipulations."
why did they give the contract to the
highest bidder?"
There is where you have got me-" said
Henley. "They claim that Kapley had
his material on the ground and that if he
didn't get the contract he would suffer a
great loss for that reason. The fact is my
clients do not propose to pay 80 cents per
square foot for Mr.. Kepley's mistake in
placing material on the ground TOO pre-
vousiy. Besides he could not suffer loss
equal I o the differences between the total
cost Of the paving under kepley's bid and
that OF the lowest responsible bidder"
How much is the differences
about 5000 in round figures. Kepley's
only loss would be the cost of transporta-
tion in his material from Topeka to Wich-
its, and that, certainly. would not exceed
over 500. The principal is, however. not
that. but whether the property holders
sho1ld pay Topeka man about 80 per
cent for having "A sidewalk with
Topeka manufactured material than they
would pay hom- man"
Mayor Cox was seen and while be said
that he bad pretty positive views on the
subject, they were embodied in his veto
aud he did not think it proper to give
them to any body before giving them to the
council.