Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-08-06
CITY STREETS and SEWERS
Tuesday Nights Session of the
Board of Directors.
CONTENTION REGARDING A BID
Mr.. Simmons Opposition to a
Bidder.
Opposed the Awarding of Contract to the
A. 5. Reed & Bro. Co. Because, He Al
legged. They Had Made u Botch of the
Pavement at the Garfield Monument.

Three bids for laying, 10, 600 square
yards of vitrified paving brick were
opened by the Board OF Directors of
the Street and Sewer Department at
the meeting Tuesday. The first bid
read was that of Simmons & Bro,
| whose bid was 51s cents yard. This
seemed pretty low, but the next bid
was lower by three-fourths OF a cent,
| and that was the bid OF the A. s.,
Reed. & Bro. Co., of 47l cents square
yard. The other bidder was Davis &
Bro, at cents.
When the board came to pass upon
the bids Directors Chambers and Pratt
were clear that the contract should 40
to the lowest bidder. Director Sim
mons, however, opposed awarding 1t to
| Reed a. Bro. He held that they had
made botch OF the pavement at the
Garfield monument. Mr.. Pratt thought
they had done that work as we'll rs
could be expected, he thought the
stated that he had been there and
showed the Contractors man what TO
do, but he had not done II. MIR. Pratt
suggested that be might have given
directions different from tho engineers.
MIR. Simmons declared that he nevor
would vote TO award contract to Reed
d Bro. He held that the directors did
not have to award the contract to the
lowest bidder Mr.. Pratt thought ths
Reed Co. would be able to get US good
PAYERS as anybody else. Mr.. Chambers
thought that with the force OF engi.
naers, inspectors and street commis-
sioners the department has. and the oc-
casional visits of the directors, il il
their own fault If they do not get good
work. N 81 W n.
On motion of Mr.. Pratt, seconded BIZ
Mr.. Chambers, the contract for putting
down, the brick was awarded to the A.
S. Reed & Bro. Co. For the total of
10, 600 yards the Reed bid is Sll2 80
less than the Simmons bid,
Bids for lighting the city were re.
eaived from the Wilmington Coal Gas
Go. and the Wilmington City Electric
Go. The gas company bid as follows,
For one year. sl7o4 lamp; for term
Of three years, SIG SO, lamp year;
for five years. e16.7 IA a year. Should
the clause causing forfeiture for lamps
not lighted be omitted the company
would reduce each bid - cents
The electric company's bid was much
more detailed. For 500 or more moan
to1'Shb t6hts thoy WYNN ChhtBc nv tDd
rate Of slS. II for one or three years.
For five years. contract the com pany
bid as follows: l6 candle-power, sI6. III;
20 candle-power, SIT. II; "a candle.
power, s1S.71. For 2, 600 candle.power
arc lights the company bid as follows:
100 or more, Sl25 each; 15c or more,
Sl20 each; 200 or more, Sl15 each; $50
or more, S1l0. On three and five.year
contracts the company made the follow
ing bids: 100 or more lights, s115 for
three years, or $l05 for five years 100
or more lights. sll0 for three years, or
S95 for five years; 200 or more lights,
sl0o for three years, or $50 for five
years; 250 or more lights, 800 for three
years, or sS5 for Ave years; 300 or more
lights, sos for three years, or $50 for
five years; 400 or more Iights, $50 for
three years, or s75 for five years; 500 or
more lights, $50 for three years, or $40
for five years The monetary agitation
was partly reflected in communication
from the electric company, which de-
sired, in case of long term contract.
to have provision made that in tho
evcnt of general disturbance OF values
whereby prices become much inflated,
augmenting the expenses Of operating,
the contract might be modified to meet
the changed conditions, or on thFee
months notice from the company new
contract might be made The COM
pany suggested l0-year contract un-
der which it said the city would have
IA saving on, 200 Tampa OF Sc, 900 an
nualy. Under prospective money agi.
tation the directors might prefer short
contracts. The lighting bids were not
finally passed upon. Gfc
Mr.. Chambers announced that the
Delmarvia Telephone Co. had not
signed the franchise, there being some
hitch on account OF the bond. Under
the bond the city solicitor has power
of attorney to confess Judgment. The
company wants this stricken out. Mr..
Pratt thought it all right that the
clause should remain. He did not
want to begin modifying franchises
right away.
W. I. Westbruok of the Delaware &
Atlantic Telegraph and Telephone Co.,
requested a copy OF the franchise grant
ing the company tho right to lay con-
duits. He will be furnished with
copy.
Council ior tho departments check.
The weekly payroll Of $7i7.23 was
passed. Tho secretary reported cnllec-
tlOnb oI EOIb, Oos q" lDe Glbfk Ui inc mar
ket had collected si4l. rs, and the city
engineer, s26 The balance IN bank
was s96, e96.s2. =
Engineer in Charge OF Sewers Hattou
presented plan and estimate for sewer
to drain houses now building by
NJ. Field on Riddles Road.
He proposed to drain them by Ia-inoh
sewer built down the-road and running
in to the i1tercenfinP -seN6f IJal aati-
mated the eest at $l,o1o. The revenue
from the Field houses will be s640 and
other probable revenue would bring The
total to 81, 800. In the future, branches
may be. built to drain other houses on
the Bancroft tract If Mr.. Field will
agree to pay the liens -7en the abutting
epposite The heasesnow build
Ing the department will build the
sewer. ~
Cppture of Fugitive -NfurdHrers