The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-22
WATER AND WEIGHTS
Bids Submitted for sprinkling Streets
This Summer.
LITTLE COA DEALER TALK
City EngIneerBlackford and Others
Tell Some interesting Stories
Sugsetions to Be Made
&c the Council
LITTLE COA DEALER TALK

The sprnkling committee met last
evening q consider the bids that had
, been received for sprinkling the streets
| this yea and to decide whether the
work spuld be done by the city or by
| contrai. The bids that were received
for splnkling were as follows: p. Nc
Intee $50 per day for each team and
| drive; Winters, Parsons & Boomer,
s4.75 NJ. j. Jennings, $40. Winters.
PapDns & Boomer also offered to do
all)f the sprinkling for the year for
$50. After some discussion ii was
deded to have the work done by con-
| trct, as heretofore, as IL was the opin-
II of the committee that the city
puld not be able to hire teams and
flyers for less than S. a day.
After some further discussion il was
tgreed to recommend to the council
that the contract be awarded to Win
tiers, Parsons e. Boomer, as they were
1.-The lowest responsible bidders" A
point in their favor was that they had
the contract for the street sprinkling
in 1894 and did the work in a manner
that was perfectly satisfactory. No
changes were made IN the sprinkling
districts, as that matter will come up
before the judiciary committee this af-
ternoon.
After disposing of the business for
which the meeting was called the
members of the committee entered into
a general discussion of the city's af-
fairs, as has recently become the rule
at all committee meetings. One of the
subjects discussed in which the public
is interested was that of the appoint
ment of an inspector of weights and
measures, who would have no other du-
ties to perform and the establishment
of city scales with official weighmas-
tiers empowered to give certificates of
weight. The coal dealers came in for
a general roast on the ground that
they very seldom give 1000 pounds for
a ton.
City Engineer Blackford related an
incident which occurred only yesterday
in connection with this indiscriminate
charge. II ordered a ton of coal yes
terday morning." he said, but before
doing so 1 went to Sloan & McGovern,
who own a big scale, and asked them
If they gave certificates of weight.
They said they did and l went to the
coal Office and ordered a ton of coal
and told them l wanted a certificate
of weight from Sloan & McGovern.
The clerk told me he did not know
whether they would do that or not, but
he took the order and charged me %
| cents extra for the certificate. About
o'clock this afternoon one of the Goa
| men called on me and told me that
sloan a MCNTONeTH > SCdltS were Oul vi
order and would not weigh within 400
or 500 pounds of the actual amount in
a ton. After he left called on them
and they said their scales were abso-
lutely correct. Last evening when
went home 1 found my coal box heap
ing full but there was no certificate OF
weight. The question which is in my
mind now is whether i could be made
to pay for that coal. One of the con.
ditions of the sale was that / was tC
get a certificate of weight and i die
not get 1t. / guess / got a full ton
! though" concluded the engineer with
a smile.
IT bought ton of coal the Other
| day." remarked Alderman Vivion, "anC
l will take an oath in any court In
the United States that 1t did not weigh
more than /, 400 pounds"
That's about my fix" said Alderman
| Montgomery. 81 bought two tons Of
coal only a few days ago and l will
| swear there was not more than 5000
pounds of it,
Alderman Carder also gave evidenc,
| against the coal men and added tina
| If the men who are selling hay II
Butte are making any money they arr
also giving short weight. The matter
was talked over at considerable Length
and as no definite action could be TAX
en- by the committee, several of thu
aldermen promised to bring the mat
ter up in the council and urged tn
appointment of an inspector of weights
/ and measures and the establishment o
| city scales.