The morning call., 1894-04-12
PRICES ARE STILL THE SAME
The RoIIing-MilIs Will Stand by
Their Bid.
WORK FOR A THOUSAND MEN
How Contractors Would Profit by
Being Allowed to Use East
ern Materials.

Mayor Ellert and Auditor Br0deVtcH OF
the New City Hall Commission went ou
on a little tour of investigation on Tues.
day afternoon with reference to some mat
ter connected with the contract for the
new tower, which is now under considera
tion, and from what they learned the ses-
sion Of the commission on Saturday prom
ises to be decidedly Interesting
at the last meeting of the commission
Contractor Lewis of the firm of O'Connel
g. Lewis, whose bid Oh the work was $4,000
lower than any other, appeared before The
commission and asked that the awarding
of the contract might be postponed. as be
was afraid he would not be able to do the
work for the price namsd in the bid on &C.
count OF disposition on the part Of the
local iron and steel man ufacturies tc
"cinch" him.
The contractors appeal to the commits
sion was virtually an appeal to them tr
protect him from the home-dealers in these
materials, and the method by which be
wishes TO be protected is to allow him to
purchase Eastern materials il satisfactory
arrangements cannot be made with the rep
reseDtatives If local mills.
The specifications which have been pre-
pared fog the new tower by the architect
with reference to the iron and steel which
Is TO be used in its construction provides
for two things, namely, that the quality of
material must BE- fully up to the standard
required by the Government In the filling
of its contracts, and that it must he the
output of California mills. This la ter re-
Quirement is also specified with reference
to all other supplies to be furnished which
can be made in The State.
In making this provision the commission
was fully aware that it would cost more to
patronlZe the home market Indeed, a
number of the bids specified that they
would make a reduction of $4,000 il
allowed TO import the iron and STEEL from
the East, but the bids were at once passed
by, as it has been the firm intention from
the first to patroniZe hons producers. and
thus keep the money expended circulating
in this State.
Taking the statement Mr.. Lewis
made 10 the commission that he was going
to be ''cinched" and also his published in
terviews, in which he stated that COM
binaton had been formed. and that the
manufacturers of this city were taking
advantage of the fact that no Eastern
materials were to be used, the Mayor and
Auditor BrudeIick sailed forth.
There are but two mills in the city that
can manufacture the iron and steel re-
Quired, the Judson Iron Works and the
Pacific Rolling Mills, and the latter which
has very much the larger plant was visited
by the two officials. Much to their sur
prise, they were informed that no repre-
sentative of that corporation had seen Mr..
Lewis since they gave their prices TO him
before be made his bid. and that the
same figures which were given to him
were given to all the other contractors,
who asked for prices. More than that the
offer was made in writing. and quite con-
L.
place any obstacles in the way of the
speedy CO struction OF the tower. they are
only fearing that something will happen
to deprive them OF the opportunity of fill
ing the contract. They stated that the
honor of the company was pledged, and