The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-07
Democratic Commissioners Fixed Up the
Deal with Canton Company in
a Shameful Manner.
ONE BID $4,000 LOWER
Brown-K etcham Company, En-
ploying Home Labor, Swindled.
What a Bridge Man Says About COllu-
sion-Lexow Committee Needed
i'm the Courthouse.

Cost is no consideration TO the disgrace
full County Commissioners when they want
TO award a bridge contract to the Wrought
Iron Bridge Company, Of Canton, o. There
Is an unwritten, but binding, rule in this
county, that no other company shall build
a bridge over White river so long as the
present commissioners have the letting OF
the contracts. Nothing was ever more
clearly shown than this is by the awarding
Of the contract for the First-street bridge
to the company that gets the contract.
The Canton company was not only 5000
higher than the lowest bidder, but was
given the preference over a home company
and one that has given employment to
citizens during all the hard times that
came as a result OF the success of the
party to which the County Commissioners
belong.
It was known that the contract would be
awarded to the wrought iron company, but
it was not known that the commissioners
would dare to give 1t to the company In
such fragrant disregard of right and jus
tice, and without the shadow OF law. 1t
was simply a gift to the Wrought Iron
Bridge Company of 5000 of the taxpayers
money, IL the company really gets it, but
it is not surprising, for the reason that It
10 Oh q Iuc Will III dCllOH VI Cut
board. 1t is not the first time the board
has made the company a present of large
sums of the taxpayers money There is a
maxim that there must be a motive for
everything. The motive of the County Conn
missioners in giving $1,000 to this Ohio
bridge company does not appear on the
face Of the records It is left to conjec-
ture to find motives, but in making the
conjecture one has ma cf 00nfraafc md raa-
ords Of the commissioners to arrive at a
conclusion. In the award of the Kentucky
avenue bridge the same D was given
the contract at SCI, O00, when the Brown
ketcham iron works would nave been glad
to have accepted the contract at $4,000 1t
was this company whose bid was 5000
W than the Wrought Iron Bridge Com
pany's bid for the First-street bridge.
residents OF Haughville called upon the
commissioners and petitioned them to give
the bid of the Brown-Ketcham company
Que consideration, for the reason that IL
gave employment to home labor. and had
given employment to it's men all of last
winter When other establishments were
closing down 1t should not have been nee
essary TO ask the commissioners to give
any bid due consideration. Their duty
would require this, and especially when the
bid OF such a reliable firm as the Brown
ketcham company is so much lower than
the next lowest bid, it would be but fair
10 presume that it would receive honest
consideration and ar honest award of the
contract made. The rotten award of the
contract has shown that the commissioners
not only intended to disregard the plans
ana specifications prepared for the bridges.
out dlsregarded the bids submitted for the
work as we'll In the rendition of the
L farcG-COmRdX which fhnU hnU0 H4ao -
ry1ng on for a week past they have lust
squandered one weeks time and 5000 of
the taxpayers money. The statement is
made on the authority of a bridge man
that 1t was known TO all of them, before
bids were submitted. to whom the contract
| would be awarded, and that the successful
bidder was to pay to each of them a GER.
tain sum for being permitted to get the
contract: This, of course, would be charged
IN tne DID IN addition to the legitimate
The price to be paid for the Pleasant-run
orldge Is sL42S. The contract for this was
awarded to the Toledo Bridge Company,
After the developments that come with
the awards by the commissioners il is NOT
TO be wondered that they did not notice the
discrepancies between plans and specifca-
tions. There was no need to have them
conform, as they were not to be followed.
Mr.. Ketcham said yesterday morning
to erect for 5000 less than the favored
canton company was in every detail fully
equal to the one to be erected by it. He
lowed by the County Commissioners In
letting contracts. and intimated in the
strongest terms that the reasons given by
them for not awarding the contract to the
lowest bidder were mere subterfuges.
Tn cost of the two bridges is a little
more than $4,000, which is $1,000 more thar
the. commissioners have in the fund for
building them. The December settlement
will bring $4,000, however. The expenses
of the county roads, which are met from
this fund, are about 5000, and this will
leave a very small margin when the Nav
settlement is made.