The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-06-27
REIcHERT,s BID ACCEPTED.
The Council Votes the Sewer Job to the
Racine Man


! At the council meeting Wednesday
evening the letting of the building OF
the sewer to the new bicycle factory
was let to n. f. Reichert & Co., of Ra-
cine. 1t came near making a fight, but
after a small skirmish the opponents of
the city building scheme gave up quiet
ly and in order retreated from the field.
The first matter to come before the
meeting was a proposition of c. S.
Nichols to make photographs Of various
parts Of the city, the city government,
the public and semi-public buildings,
etc., for his paper, Headlight. He
stated that the matter III the paper
would cost nothing and all he asked of
the council was to appropriate about
$500 for cuts to illustrate the work
with, the cuts to be property of the city
when the work was complete. The
matter was referred to a committee
consisting Of Aid. Yule, O'Donnell, Nc
Givern and Schend, with power to act
The next matter to come up was the
presentation Of an ordinance against
playing base ball or foot ball in any of
the parks or public grounds except the
school grounds. This ordinance was
ordered to take the usual course.
The committee on paupers reported
that the poor house was in very bad
shape and was much in need of re-
pairs. Inasmuch as the repairs would
cost at least 5000 the committee recon-
mended that new building be con-
struct6d. There are so many improve
ments now in hand which seem more
pressing that the council decided to re-
pair the building enough to tide it over
awhile until some Of these other matters
can be disposed of.
When this matter had been settled
Aid. Head requested that he be allowed
to make a statement. His remarks
were as follows:
GENTLEMEN: Inasmuch as there has
been some controversy in regard to put
ting in the new sewer to the bicycle
factory, and as the mayor has honored
me by appointing me chairman of both
the finance and sewer committees, |
desire to say that I have looked up the
condition Of the city's finances together
with statistics of the cost of sewers
heretofore put in here, so as to compare
them with the sewer bids we now have
under consideration.
The finances of the city are not at
present in such shape as to allow the
city to put in the sewer by day work.
The total improvement fund amounts
to only $4,000, and we have already
contracted to put in water pipes to the
new factory at a cost of 1882, and we
are bound by agreement to put the
road to the factory in first class shape,
which will cost from $4,000 to $4,000.
These two items alone will virtually
use up the entire fund.
We have been doing so much extra
work this year that all the different
funds are short, SO that we have not
the money on hand with which to put
in the new sewer by day work; and as
time orders are illegal the Only way for
the council to borrow money would be
for the members of the council to be-
come personally responsible, as ex-
Mayor Kupfer and council did during
lis term in office. | don't think we
care to do that in this case, as it is not
necessary.
In regard to the cost of the sewers
put in here in 1898, the two lowest bids,
one of which was accepted, ran as fol-
lows: 18-inch, $1.30 and $1.05 per foot;
24-inch, So and 1896 per foot. The
bid we received last Monday evening
was: 18-inch, 80 cents, and 24-inch,
$L35. 1t will be seen that our present
bid is 40 cents per foot lower on 18-
inch pipe and $1.65 per foot lower on
24-inch brick than two years ago.
In regard to the city's putting in
sewers by day work, will say that while
it may have saved money on the 8! feet
brick sewer it put in by day work on
Park street, as the bid at that time was
$4.85 per foot, it would lose money at
the present time on the same sized
sewer, as Inc price would not exceed
So per foot, taking our present bids as
basis to figure on.
The least the labor on a pipe sewer
cost the city was ST per foot, and that
was l2-inch sewer; while our present
bid is only 81 per foot for 20. inch and
80 cents for l8-inch, including labor,
pipe and all materials, which will leave
not to exceed 40 cents per foot for la
Dor. So that figuring on the present
very low bid and the past experiences
of the city in putting in it's own sewers,
the city would lose at least 81, 900, be-
sides having to buy $500 or 5000 worth
of tools, curling, etc.
"Then in regard to keeping money
at home, il is part of the specifications