The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-17
MR. BuTTIMER's CONTRACT.
The Council Asked TO Approve Its
Transfer ia }. W. Creekman.

transfer 10 j. ".
The city council will have some
interesting subjects for discussion
at its meeting next week. Among
the number viii be the con-
tract Of H. A. Buttimer for cleaning
vaults. This was formerly looked after
by the city under the title Of the odOr-
less excavating machine department, but
the last administration contracted with
Mr. Buttimer TO do the work and dis
posed of tLe city's plant TO him, the
price paid being Sl.750
The city formerly charged for the work
al the rate Of so much per cubic foot. By
the contract with Mr.. Buttimer it agreed
to pay him $3.50 for each vault cleaned.
The city collects from the property
owner. charging him 81, and allowing a re-
duction of 10 per cent. for prompt pay
meut. The city is thus a loser for the
amount Of 90 cents on each vault
II is a well known fact that since DIT.
Fauigant has been chairman Of the health
and cemetery committee that he and Mr..
Buttimer have not gotten along very am
icably- The manner in which the work
was done did not meet with DR.. Falligant's
approval. and he found frequent occa-
sion to say So. Contractor Buttimer did
not seem 10 Pay much heed 70 the IN
sIructiOns OF the chairman Of the health
and cemetery department and the latter
on several occasions complained TO the
mayor about the manner in which the
contract was being carried out Mayor
Myers endeavored 10 smooth things over
and ease up the friction IN the depart
meut. but with little success. The chair
man and the contractor were not OF
disposition 20 pun together
DR.. Fallgant threatened that he would
break Mr. Buttimers contract on account
of the affair in which he (the DOCTOR be-
came involved in with the Brown brothers
last summer, when he found that the
vault cleanings were being emptied Oh
the land of the Browns, close TO the city
limits contrary to the ordinances. DR..
Falllgant had very lively alteration
with one Of the Browns, narrowly escap-
ing bodily harm at the hands Of one OF
the latter. 1t developed that the vault
Cleanings were deposited on Brown lanG
by permission of Mr. Buttimer and for
this and other Irregularities Dr. Fall1-
CANT threatened then that he would make
night on Mr.. Buttimer's contract In
council The fight was postponed, how
ever.
Mornings News reporter learned yes
terday that Mr.. Buttimer had made a
deal with J. W. Creekman to take the
contract of his hands The price agreed
upon was said to be $500. 1t was also
learned that there would be some oppo-
stlon to the transfer. on inquiry at the
city exchange ii was learned that at p
meeting OF council held yesterday morning
Tor another purpose a petition was re
!.
TO transfer his contract 10 Mr.. Creek
man. The petition was referred TO the
joint committee Of health and cemetery
ana nnance. Thinking that DIR. Falligant
would have something to say about the
matter Morning News reporter ap-
preached him on the subject The doctor
confirmed the report that he would make
a night on the transfer and the contract
as well.
The transfer is only subterfuge" said
ne. Buttlmer knows that at the next
meeting of council I will make report on
his contract and recommend that IL be
broken. The contract IS rotten one and
ought 10 be broken in the interest OF the
health Of the city. The manner in which
II has been carried out is an outrage, and
dangerous to the health Of the city. Large
vaults involving considerable trouble and
expense in cleaning have been left I'M
cleaned, even where the property owners
have made frequent requests that they be
cleaned, while the contractor takes good
care TO clean all small vaults which can
be easily cleaned at small expense To
properly clean one of the large vaults
costs a good deal more than the amount
allowed the contractor by the city while
the cost of cleaning many of the small
vaults is only a fraction Of that sum. 1t
IS very easy to see why the contractor
should be disposed to clean the small
vaults promptly and to let the large ones
alone. There have been so many irregu-
larities that il would be hard 10 enumerate
them all have been keeping a close
watch on Mr. Buttimer and i think will
be able TO show council why the contract
should be voided"
DR.. Falligant said that among other
things the contractor had been dumping
the refuse from the vaults near the pow
der magazine in plain violation of the or
dinance which requires that all such re-
fuse be removed two miles from the city
limits. The contract was made In 1894. and
was for four years. When DR.. Falligant
went to look for the contract the other
day 1t could not be found. The suppostion
is, he says, that it was abstracted from
the city records. This viii be brought out
in the night on the contract at the meeting
of council. There are likely to be other
sensational features