The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-11
SAYS IT IS UyFOUyDED.
The Mayor Denies The Charges in The
GuilmaTtin Circular.

the City ANY Mules for the Scaveuge-
Departmental Only sold the City
Four Mules for His Own Department..
He Explains the Transaction and
Other Matters Connected with His
Department The Matter Likely 70 be
Discussed in Council.
TIE circular distributed ty Gull
martin & Co. ana which was printed DO
yesterdays Morning News. attae1,as The
methods by which the city patronage IS
given out and asserting that SNAPS ani
scoops" were enjoyed by members of
council. with particular reference e1-
IDENTIFY TO Alderman OBren. naturally
created considerable sensation.
The inPrs ssion given ont ir the circu-
lar was that Alderman O'Euen had
made a sale OF fifteen mules TO
the city or was about To- make
such sale. for the scsvengor de-
partment as well as four mules for the
street and lane department Of which he
is chairman, and that Gullmartin q 60.
had been debarred from the privilege Of
making an offer on the stock.
Mayor McDonough was seen yes
terdsy by Morning News re-
porter with regard TO the circu-
lar lie was naturally indignant that
any attack Of this kind should be made
upon tho members Of the city council and
that he himself should be included in the
attack. He denounced the circular as un-
warranted ana an outrage.
Mayor McDonough stated his desire 10
make a statement concerning the portion
referring 10 a letter received by him from
Mr.. Guilmaruu:
"The statement" said the mayor.
which appears in to-day's Morning News
so far as it concerns bid received bv me
from Mr. Guilmartin is false I do not
know whether the error is on the part Of
the Morning News or MIR. Guilmartn. /
have not had any conversation with MIR.
Guiimartin on any subject i'm several
months. Jan. I, last. / received the fol-
lowing letter from Mr.. Gulmartin:
Office of j. F. Cuilmartin & Co, Live
Stock Commission Merchants and Proprle-
tors Savannah Sale and Boarding Stables,
and Stock Lots. corner West Broad aud
William streets. Savannah, Ga. Jan. J.
1895. To Hon j. J. McDonough. mayor Of
Savannah Ga. Dear Sir: We Will thank
you very much if you viii refer this our
application for an opportunity to bi1 ON
mules, application In from Mr.. E. II. Chea-
tham's department. or any other depart
ment needing same. We can furnish the
city with mules as good and as cheap Cor
T..
preciate a chance which we have never
had as vet. Very respectfully.
J. f. Guilmartin & Co
Il do not know" said the mayor
whether this letter was received by mail
or was left at my Office in my absence. |
did not see Mr.. Guilmartin. No bid was
made by him through me or anyone else.
that know or You viii observe that the
letter is not a bid on the night OF the
meeting of council. Jan. >. | handed Mr.
Guilmartin's letter to a chairman of one
of the committees (Mr. O'Brien) / in
tended that it should also be shown to DR.
Harris, chairman of the health and GEM
etery committee. but IL was mixed up in
some of my private papers and I did not
come across II again until yesterday
When I saw Mr.. Gulmartins circular /
took the letter and called upon Dr.
Harris. 1 had not heard that he had pur-
chased any mules for the scaVenger de-
partment, He informed me that he had not
purchased any l showed him the letter of
Mr.. Guilmartin and asked him to give MIR.
Guilmartin a chance to bid on the mules.
DR. Harris said Mr.. Gullmartin had called
on him and asked for written specifica-
tons as to the class Of stock wanted. He
refused to give specifications as he said
he did not buy mules that way. DR. Harris
said that he informed Mr.. Guilmartn that
he only purchased mules after trial, and
when the animal and the price We're salts
factory. He had several on trial. some of
which he expected to purchase and others
which he would refuse"
Mayor McDonough was asked about the
reference to the purchases Of lumber for
the city in the Guilmartin circular, mani
festly intended as hit al the mayor.
Il have nothing to do with the purchase
OF supplies for the city" the mayor re-
piled These purchases are authorized by
council and are made through the chair
men of the committees"
Mayor McDonough said that some years
before he became mayor he had a CON
tract with the city to supply all lumber
needed at fixed prices. This is not allowa-
BILE under the present rules. Any chairman
of committe who has lumber to buy is at
liberty to purchase from any dealer in the
city, There is nothing surprising in the
fact that the chairmen usually make their
purchases from McDonough 4 Co.
The mayor was asked why il was that
when stock and supplies were to be pur-
chased for the city in amounts exceeding
500 that bids We're not advertised for in
order that all dealers in these lines might
have an opportunity to bid.
"A rule was enacted during my first ad-
ADMINISTRATION" he said, that whenever
any expenditure of this kind should be au-
thorized by council it should be the duty
of the marshal to notify the dealers in
those lines and secure bids from them
and that he should then make the pur-
chase according to the best bid made
Some Of the aldermen objected very Sc
riously 10 this. and said that il was a
small privilege TO allow them to dispense
the patronage of their own departments,
and one that they felt to be due to their
positions. The result was that we went
back to the method OF having the pur-
chases made through the chairmen of the
committees for which the expenditure was
authorized
Mayor McDonough said that he saw no
objection TO Alderman O'Brien purchasing
stock for his department from himself.
provided he furnished good stock at the
market rates, which he believed he had
done He was asked if there would be any
investigation by council on account of the
Guilmartin circular.