The morning call., 1894-10-24
A QUEER LETTER.
The Board of Works Must
Explain.
A Freight Conductor Cut All to
Pieces by His Own
Train.

/
| lie Works, already in disrepute. has still
| another sin to answer for Councilman
! Manuel has charged that the board has
| openly violated the law in purchasing a
! hre-engine.
| In Decem Der. 1893. the board advertised
| for bids for the purchase of new IRE
| engine of the third class. or third size.
and received bids from d. d. HAYES. the
agent for the La France Company, who
| quoted the desired size at $3745 each. while
there was also fourth size, which sold for
$95 less. $3.50.
Mr.. Hayes was inclined to be tricky as
well as business-like, aud wrote the fol-
lowing letter 10 an Oaklander, whose
name Mr.. Manuel VIII not give. because
be said he was an innocent party TO the
affair and has kindly furnished the CouH-
Gilman with much useful information.
HAYES letter reads:
The price OF a second-class engine is $4,000;
third class, $4,000; that price is a brand OF cars
at Elmtra. y. Y. Now. tell you what we can
do. We can put in fourth size foI third.
and third size for second There is very
little difference. The third woHld be $4,000
and the fourth would be 1880. Now you
must add on The freight on those prices. Prices
| OF rotary engines are, second-class, $4,000. or
course, try and get all you can. VIII divide
! the commission. Anything you get over the
! price l Will give il TO you. Will send you con-
| tracts, and Will sign them, so as 10 make The
contracts In my name"
And from the statements of Councilman
i Manuel 1t would seem that the Board of
Public Works was cognizant of all that
| was going on, 1t not a party to II. The
councilman used this language:
Il charge the Board of Public WORKS
| with having been shown this letter and
that the bid accepted for third siZ La
| France fire engine they knew al The lime of its
| acceptance was not third size fire engine, but
! fourth size, aud that they knew further that
q llET VfFuR NJ
! $500, or $50 less than lhe price paid for the
| engine purchased"
Commissioner Hughes Of the Board OF Public
| WORKS yesterday denied tba; be had ever seen
| the Hays letter. He said the bids had been
! calico for IN the usual and regular way aud
| that the hayes bid was the lowest one received:
| that the members OF the board bad gone 10
! San Francisco, where they spent day testing
| engines offered. and that lie engine chosen
| had been pronounced by experts as up 10 speci-
| fcatioDs.
| Mr.. Manuel said last evening that the whole
| matter would be fully ventilated al the meet
| ing Of the Council on Thursday night
! In speaking OF The purchase OF the fire engine
| last night Chief Lawtou said he machine in
] evrry way I'LL. d the bill ana The required
| specifications. that he lad personally seen the
engine taken apart and that IL was IN every
respecl n line machine.
Regarding the letter written by the La France
agent Chief Lawton said:
"Wnat does that letter amount to? You viii
notice IL has no name or address on J.. and il
was, no doubt written for some other place
than Oakland. If ii was genuine why did
Manuei not give the name OF the party 10 wkom
1t was addressed ?"
The chief thinks that the whole proceeding
on the part of Manuel Is unwarranied and that
il Will amount 10 nothing.
The Councilman, however, thinks he has
good case and he Will push The matter in his
usual vigorous way.
The Bosses Boomerang.
Ever since the local Republican bosses were
caught in an eudeavor 10 discredit the petitions
of independent and non- partisan candidates
they have been eDdeayoring 10 shift respou-
s1bilty. The shaft Launched proved boone
rang OF most pronounced tyne and now they
are engaged in The interesting occupation Of
trying 10 explain it away. hey do not deny
petitions OF non-paTtisan IN legal way, but
explain IL as The performance OF duly.
The Republican County Committee answers
the Don- partisan letter ln this way:
To the Executive Committee Of tae ALAMEDA
Cbunfy Non -PGYFfSons-6e gentlemen: Your COM
cefved and contents noted We regret To find thar
you have prematurely jumped 10 conclusions and
have endeavored TO make political capital upon
false assumptions or upon vague rumors. i his
committee, having in charge the conduct OF
campaign in the Interests Of ali Republican can
didaIes. deemed it their right and their duty TO
satisfy themselves upon the question OF legal
bearing that would affect the interests conided to
the if care and in the exercise OF that right.
the performance of that duty. have deemed it
wise TO have a legal investlgat on Of AL papers
not started any contest or made any ..conteuton"
IL. as in your communication you say, you
heretofore duly filed IN every respect in ac-
cordauce with all the requirements OF law per.
taining TO the election provisions we fail TO
derstand WHY You should rush into the pnbIIc
! prints, and gratuitousy aud unnecessarily fmpugn
the motives. attack the lmpartslfy and fairness,
and. IL seems 10 as. deliberately insult The MEM
beTs OF the Superior Court bench Of this county.
@ @mnlie you have manliestiy mlslnlerpreted the
ooJeets and purposes OF this committee, and OF
the investigation that we had right have
made, We beg state that IL circumstan nees. now
UNLOCKED for, should bring about the necessity of
judicial Interpretation or construction, we dis
tinctly inform you that we will be willing TO have
the nes ing upon such proceeding before any Su-
perlor Court Judge in this State.
Permit as further state that If. impiisd by
your con- munlcation you have the 1attering hope
OF casting sufficiently large vote for your nonlf-
| nees 10 give them standing in the election IL
seems 70 US that the purposes Of our investigation
are as much In the interest OF all candidates for
once IN this county for party nomi-
nees Inat you sustaining this .-hatiering
nope may be emin emily satisfactory TO yan but
II Is matter OF indifference to Us, as this com
mlttee Is Depending for success upon the ex-
pressed viii OF the people on Novernper q and
| not upon iegai technicslities. Yours very truly,
CHARLES MANTALEN, Chairman,
fHIL M. WALSH. secretary.
hepuolcan County Central CommiItee.
The Piedmont Road ForecIosed.
In the suit Of lie California Title and Trust
lDsur anee Company In behalf of The Piedmont
/ Gable Company Judge Henshaw yesterday
handed down decree of foreclosure in lie
sum OF S992,2O0 with interest from IN st
November at per cent and the court allowed
! $500 for counsel fees aud like amount
/ for the fees of the trustee.
In compliance with ih- wishes of some af The
stockholders Receiver Ira Bishop rendered an
| accounting, which was duly approved and al
| lowed by The court. The accounting covers the
business ever since last November. when
Bishop took charge as receiver
Receiver Bishops application TO change that
part OF the road over The Piedmont hills from
cable 10 electricity VIII be heard on Monday
next Ii is generally conceded that the change
il made, woult be i1 the interest of the bond.
holders.
Juggling the Veterans
The friends of White. the Popullst candidate
for Sheriff, and the friends of ScEarer. lie
programme Republican candidate for that
Office are having lot of fun with the Veteran
league.
Al a recent meeting OF that organization
White, being an old soldier. captured the sup