The record-union., 1895-04-09
ALL BIDS ON PUMPS REJECTED.
Clerk Flint Instructed to Advertise
Again for New Bids.
The Funded Debt Commissioners Re-
quested to Present a Report
to the City Trustees.

TO the S1Cy trustees
The City Board of Trustees held its
Lawton, Wachhorst, Kent. Davis, Bragg
Tozer, Devine, Pennish and Leonard be-
ing present.
Leonard, for the Fire Department Com
mittee, reported that the fire alarm boxes
and poles are being put up at Fifteenth and
D streets, and he moved that the Superln-
tendent of Fire Alarms be authorized TO
employ two men to help put them up.
Kent said that the Superintendent on a
former occasion employed outside men,
and he moved that the men employed
this time be such IS had resided in the
city for at least year.
Leonard accepted the amendment, and
the motion was carried.
Kent moved that the Superintendent OF
Streets be instructed to put in man-hoie
at Second and @ streets. Carried.
Bragg reported in reference to the mat
ter of lost coupons, for the payment OF
which request had been made, that there
were several thousand dollars worth OF
such coupons, and the committee to
WHICH Lu9 uldII0E udO D00u IolSAASd L0-
ported against such payment.
On motion of Devine, it was decided
not to pay any such coupons.
PRIVATE CONTRACT.
A petition of property-ownerso on S and
L streets, between Twenty-hrst and
Twenty-second, in relation to grading
the street along the block, was received.
l.. F. Breuner addressed the board,
stating that considerable cutting down Of
the ground in the block would be needed.
The idea of the property was
that the City Surveyor fix the grade, the
property-owners have the street graded
by private contract, and the surveyor be
then authorized to fix the official grade
after the work was done.
Permission was granted to the prop
erty-owners to grade the street al theiI
own expense. the City Surveyor to fix
the grade.
WATER RATES.
A lady complained that she had been
assessed for water for irrigation, and the
matter was referred to the Water Asses
sor.
Kent favored free water for irrigation.
as tending TO the Improvement of the
looks of the city. He moved that the
City Collector be instructed to prepare q
list of water-takers and the amount col
lected from them. He contemp plated iu-
should be made for irrigation.
Considerable discussion ensued, and
the motion of Kent was carried.
THE ] STREET CONTRACT.
Hiram W. Johnson addressed the board
in relation to the bids for the improve
ment OF street with bitumen.
The report OF the Corporation Counsel
was read, in relation to the failure of one
of the bidders to put in a proper check
- n II a1Fa L..
subject of the accompanying check, and
stated that the board had right to reject
any or all bids. he thought that as the
lowest bidder had tailed to put in proper
check, the board would do well to reject
all bids, and readyertise for new bids.
johnson said that he appeared for James
Touhey, the next lower bidder. He said
that the report simply indicated the course
the board might pursue, but did not touch
the question. the law says that a bid thai
does not conform TO the proposals shall
not be accepted. OF course the board
had the option of refusing all the bids,
bur he called its attention TO the fact thai
Mr.. Touhey is the only home bidder, and
to refuse to give the contract to Mr.. Tou-
hey would perhaps result in placing the
future contracts Oh the streets in the
hands of outsiders. Mr.. Touhey spends
his money here, where he makes it, and
the speaker thought that home industry
should be encouraged.
Mr.. Mcdonald, the representative o1
the City Improvement Company, said he
had the opinion Of the ablest street law
yer in the city of San Francisco and he
disagreed with Mr.. Johnson. There was
little infermality in his bid he admit
ted but he had since placed his check in
the hands of the Clerk. His company
pays taxes in this city and is therefore
not an outsider. He also claimed that
Mr- 1ouhey had not the proper ma
ehinery to carry out his contract.
Touhey replied that he had all the ma
chinery necessary.
Deyine moved that all the bids be re-
jected and the checks be returned.
Kent hoped the motion would not pre-
vail. The specifications called plainly
for deposit OF 10 per cent. on each bid.
which Mr.. Mcdonald did not comply
with. 1t was stated that there were oniy
two steam rollers on the coast. If that
were so, chance for competition shonld
he given and Touhey's bid should be ac.
cepted, so that combinations could not bt
formed to raise the prices Of such work
he moved as substitute that the bid O.
Mr.. Mcdonald be rejected. That of Mr.
Touhey, ,aboutthe guIarityof WI hich there
-"as no question, was only a little over
$500 more than McDonald's. 1t could moi
make more than s. 40 difference to anv
owner Of forty feet front, and he thought
they would prefer to pay little more in
order that Touhey might have the con.
tract.
Devine said that he made his motion in
order to avoid possible litigation in tbt
future.
Kent moved that the matter be laid
over Tor week, in order that the prop,
erty owners might be interviewed, as he
thought they would be willing TO give
Touhey private contract for the work.
Pennish said Kent had an object in
view, but did not know how 10 get a. it
Kent denied that he had any interest in
the matter, and made 8 remark about the
Sewerage Committee, which brought OF
an exchange of tart remarks.
kents motion was lost, and the motor
to reject all bids was carried, Kent
Naehhorst and Lawton voting no.
FUNDED DEBT COMMISSION ERs.
Devine offered a long resolution in.
structing the Funded Debt Commission
ers 10 bring before tho board all the can.
celed bonds and other bonds of either
the city or county that they hold, together
with all certificates of inde eptedness oi any
kind that may have come into their pos
sion, in order that they may be counted
and checked up, and examined as to tn,
condition the said securities are in, anc
see II they have been properly Cancelled
according to the Act of 1872; that til,
commissioners furnish statement of al
brokerage paid anu all moneys paid out
lncluqlng the advertising and sale o
securities in their hands purchased from
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