The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-22
STAGGERED THE HOsE AGENTS.
The Fire Departments Purchase OF
0.OOO Feet of NarN Hn.r

me hre commission met yesterday aft
ternoOn at the Office of Chief Mcguire
and awarded contracts for furnishing the
department with GOO feet OF hose. There
were thirteen bids before the commission.
This number proved exceedingly unlucky
FOR the majority OF the bidders.
The successful bidders were as follows:
New York Betting and Packing Com
pany. represented by W. b. Nell & Co.
1900 feet at 20 cents per foot: Revier Rub
Der Company. represented by Palmer
Hardware Company. 1850 feet of MAS
TIM hose at 70 cents a foot: Chicago Hose
Company. represented by 5. =. Shotter a.
Co, 100 feet Improved National Jacket
hose at 81 cents per foot; Boston Woven
Hose Company, represented by Andrew
Haniey, 1000 feet Bay State Jacket
hose at Y cents.
Ii will be noticed that all Of the ac-
eepted bids are from companies having
local representa- tives. The commission
had this in view in making the selections.
All the companies whose bids are accept
ed are required 10 give guarantee upon
their hose for five years, with minimum
OF oNi pounds pressure, backed by an IN
uemnity bond, and in addition thereto TO
keep in stock in Savannah an additional
amount of hose equal TO ten per cent. Of
the amount furnished by them TO the city,
which additional amount is to be kept in
stock here Tor the purpose OF Immediately
replacing any hose which may burst dur
ing the nVe years time for which the sup
ply is guaranteed or which may otherwise
fail to come up 10 the contract.
Several agents for hose manufacturing
companies were present andNappeared be-
fore the commission in the interest of their
styles of hose. The announcement of the
requirements, as stated above. filled them
with CONSERVATION. some of the older
agents who have been selling hose here
for years, almost tainted when confronted
with these conditions. They declared that
such conditions We're uuheard of. that
never in all their experience, as hose
agents, had they met with such far-reach-
ing requirements. The commission held
TO its requirements, however.
The reason for these requirements. as
stated by Chairman Grayson TO a Morning
News reporter, is that while all hose pur-
chased by the department heretofore has
been purchased on "a hve-year guarantee,
considerable trouble has been experienced
in securing the replacement of hose which
burst IN service. the companies requiring
the broken hose to be forwarded to them
and taking their own time in replacing IL.
BY requiring the companies TO keep an
extra supply of hose on hand In Savannah
and to give AN indemnity bond trouble
on this score Is done away with. The rep
resentatiOn of the manufacturers by local
firms gives additional security. Most of
the agents caught on 10 the fact that the
commission was Drejudiced in favor of
local representation and secured repre-
SentatiVes here before putting I'm their
bids. This explains how il is that some
houses mentioned above appear to be deal
ing in new lines.
Bids for hose We're received by the COM
mission two weeks ago, but all bids were
rejected on account of a mistake in the
advertisement, the effect of which would
bids, only one style of hose being adver-
tised for.