The San Francisco call., 1895-07-20
Says He Wants to Answer "The
Call" Before the SUI
perViSorS.
THINGS HE MIGHT EXPLAIN.
Who Is Now Getting the 4" Rake orr
Above His OLD Van Ness
Avenue Bid?

-NA@- O-A-A
hat"
Let US see.
Mr.. Mcdonald. besides being very in
fuential contractor, is also a politician. 1t
is he with whom the Superintendent OF
Streets is directed to center into private
contract to pave some five blocks OF Van
Ness avenue at cents per square loot Tor
the City's half-the property-owners to
pay the other half
THE CALLS story of show that Job was
done" seems to have so worked upon Mr..
Mcdonald that he went before the Street
Committee of the Board of Supervisors
on Thursday and said that some
one has been talking through his
hat: that anybody who said II
cents was a high figure for the work
contracted for on Van Ness avenue did not
know what he was talking about" ETC.,
and, further, he asked permission to make
a statement about it all before the full
board at its next meeting. The committee
gave its assent.
Now The CALL is opposed to gambling in
every form, but it Will just make little
side bet Of a good cigar-a first-class blue
label. home industry, Half-million Club,
California make, all-American cigar-that
Mr. Mcdonald will not avail himself of
this permission.
1t is true that Mr. Mcdonald, Fire Com
missioner, politician and street contractor,
does not often talk through his hat, but
THE CALL has something OF a reputation
as a prophet to lose, since it so exactly
foretold what the Board of Supervisors
and each member of it would do at the
meeting of July s. when the Market-street
Company was practically presented with
an omnibus franchise, and it does not care
to risk this reputation so soon by declar-
ing absolutely that Mr.. Mcdonald will not
make the statement that he seems so
anxious to make; but here is a little
Wager of a good cigar that he will not
Why? Because rs both politician and
contractor his judgment, which has prob
ably cooled off somewhat by this time,
teaches him that he has already said too
much. Silence on the part of Mr., Nc
Donald is the better policy.
If he does make a statement, however, it
is to be hoped that the Solid Eight will
call off its Gordon OF police open the doors
and allow the people to get in and hear it.
IL cannot be otherwise than exceedingly
interesting. There is certainly a whole lot
of spicy things to say on the subject, but.
THE CALL will be pleased to buy the cigars
for the pleasure of listening to these reve-
lations as coming from Mr.. Mcdonald.
In the meantime here is something of
it-something of the other story that was
intimated yesterday remained to be told:
Mr. Mcdonald in his declaration before
the Street Committee said that this price
OF IA cents square foot for paving Van
Ness avenue was established by the last
board. That was true. Clerk John A.
Russell said this was correct, and further,
that BIDS had been called for for the paving
of the avenue from California to Pacific
streets at that time, and IA cents being the
lowest bid it established the price for the
present board and its transactions.
Technically that is the exact truth, but
this is what happened. The bids as
opened September II last year were as
follows:
Warren & Malley. cents.
Santa Cruz Rock Paving Company, 101S cents.
John 7. McCroSsan, ID cents.
City Street improvement Company, AZ cents
Warren & Malley's bid was for only the
City's half of the work and was put in
under misrepresentation of the conditions
and, for that, was not considered. 1t was
based, as will be seen, upon an estimate of
10 cents for the entire works cents to be
paid by the City and by the property
owners.
The bid of the Santa Cruz Rock Paving
Company at 10% cents was in due form
under the specifications and was strictly
the lowest bid, and under the law the con-
tract belonged to that company-but that
company knew an easier way of getting it
than by going to law.
The bid Of McCrossan, IA cents, was ac-
Companled by a condition binding him to
keep the street in good repair for seven
years. This was not a part of the speciica-
tions, but seems to have found favor with
the committee. Mr.. Denman thought
this condition made this the lower bid and
moved that it be accepted. 1t was done.
Now, 1t should be especially observed
fhoG 60 TO ~
now joined with the City Street Improve
ment Company-which latter is J. K. Nc
DonaId-in the bid for paving Van Ness
avenue. bid, at that time, 1917 cents
J. T. McCrossan, who secured the con-
tract last year, is not q contractor
a practical contractor. He got the
contract. He sold it to the Santa Cruz
Rock Paving Company 'for consid-
Grafton" The assignment stands of record
in the office of the Superintendent of
Streets. That consideration-not stated in
the bond-was a division of the receipts
above 101I cents. 1t would have amounted
10 a neat sum to Mr.. McCrossan, and the
Santa Cruz Rock Paving Company would
have realized out OF 1t considerable more
than if it had secured the bid al its own
figure. But the Santa Cruz Rock Paving
Company seems to have known even an
other and better trick.
Only one block was paved under that
contract-from California to Sacramento
street. The price was duly established by
that transaction, however, at IA cents.
A new board comes into Office, the ma
iority of which is fond of evil precedents,
and the Superintendent of Streets is
''directed to enter into a contract" with
these two favored companies, the Santa
Cruz Rock Paving Company and the City
Street Improvement Company, alias Nc
Donald, to do the balance of that work, as
well as some six other blocks. How the
margin above their legitimate bid of 10H
cents is distributed now is not stated.
J. K. Mcdonald is a member of the Fire
Commission. 1t is very well known that
superintendent Ashworth owes almost
solely to him his nomination for the office
he holds. AS a contractor it was to Mr..
McDonald's interest to have a friend under
a heavy obligation to him as Superinten-
dent of Streets.
As first payment on that obligation
Mr.. McDonald's son was made cashier in
the Superintendent of Streets office, which
berth he now holds.
Now, as stated, Mr.. Mcdonald is in
position to tell some very interesting
things if he will just throw back his shout
ders, lift up his chin and speak out at the
next meeting of the board.
Will he do it? Here's the cigars that he
xyi1l MT