The Saint Paul globe., 1896-12-11
THAT BID REJECTED
AID. DONAH0wER MAKES A HARD
FIGHT ON THE AMERICAN
DEVELOPERS
AND VICTORY REWARDS HIM.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN DECIDE TO
READvERTIsE FOR LIGHT
ING BIDS.
AND VICTORY REWARDS HIM.
SUSPICION OF A wooDcHucx
Attaches to the Bid which Was
Originally Sent In by the
New Company.

ance of the single bid for lighting the
city with gasoline during the coming
year. The members of the committee
on gas, of which Aid Donahower Is
the third member, recommended that
the bid be accepted and the contract
for lighting the gasoline district be
awarded to the American Development
company at $1-04% per lamp per month.
Aid. Donahower did not submit a for
NAL minority report, but when the time
arrived he took the floor and vigorously
argued against awarding the contract
and urged the board to readvertise for
bids. His reasons for advising this
course evidently impressed the major
ity of the aldermen for the resolution
to accept the bid was lost by a vote of
seven to three Aid. BigeIow and Shep-
ard and President Markham voting in
the negative. Thereupon the board
adopted a resolution instructing the
clerk to readvertise for bids for gaso-
line lighting under amended specifica-
ticns.
The assembly convened first with
Vice President Craig in the chair. Pres
ident Arosin raised the point Of order
that the gasoline bid was not before
the assembly, as the bid was opened by
the board of aldermen and referred to
its committee on gas. Moreover, at the
last regular meeting, the minutes show
that the consideration of the bid was
postponed until. the next regular meet
ing of the assembly on Dec. II. Accord
ingly the assembly adjourned without
delay.
President Markham then called the
beard to order and the contest be-
gan, Aldermen Shepard, Bigelow and
Donahower doing most Of the talking,
while the remaining seven aldermen
listened attentively and silently. Aid.
Lindahl was the absentee.
Without any delay the clerk read the
report of the committee on gas, recon-
mending the acceptance of the bid and
the awarding of the contract to the
American Development company. Then
Aid. Donahower rose to explain, say
ing:
Il desire to state that this is not a
unanimous report of the committee on
gas 1 voted against recommending the
acceptance Of this bid, because, as /
have repeatedly said, 1 do not believe
in this one bid business. 1t strikes me
as very queer that only one bid was
received for a $4,000 contract in a
city Of this size. There certainly
ought to have been more"
Aid. Shepard moved the adoption of
the committees report, and Aid. Bige-
low seconded the motion. In support
of it Aid. Bigefow said that he agreed
with Aid. DOnahower that things were
iii a deplorable condition If the city
| was compelled to knuckle down to one
company or contractor, and he was
| equally sorry that there was only one
| bid
"Butfif the bid is rejected what will
we do? inquired Aid. Bigelow. L have
heard many people say that others
| haven't heard anybody mention the
names Of the prospective bidders, and
| there is no assurance that we will re-
| eeive any lower bids There is little
| time left, and 1 believe it to be the
/ duty of the board of aldermen to ac
cept this bid, If it is deemed a reason
| able bid, and award the contract"
! Aid Bell followed with speech In
| the same line, in which he advocated
| the acceptance of the bid and the
| award of the contract to the American
| Development company.
| 81 think the bid is reasonable" con-
I cluded Aid. Bell "and ought to be ac
| cepted I can't see any woodchuck
| in this"
| Aid. Donahower returned to the en-
/ counter with renewed spirit. 81 would
| like to ascertain" said he, ''how the
/ members know that this is a reason
| able bid What data have they? There
| Is no OCH0T DIQ COHIEdIC IL WILL L
! say there is no reason in the world
| why this bid should be forced upon
| U.S. There is plenty of time to re-
advertise for bids and award the con-
| tract
! Aid. Shepard insisted that there was
no reason to believe that the city
| would receive more than one bid. II 1t
| readvertised If others wanted to bid
| why didn't they bid in response to the
! first advertisement? They had all the
| chance in the world.
Aid. Shepard called attention to the
amendments of the contract which the
American Development company had
agreed to accept, If 1t was awarded
/ to them. Under the proposed amend
nents, provision was made for the
| city's testing without notice from ten
| to fifteen gasoline lamps in each ward,
and If the general average showed that
the lights We're below fourteen candle
/ power, a penalty of three cents a lamp
on the entire 5000 lamps would be i'm
| posed. Furthermore in case a second
| test of the same number or lamps
showed an average of less than four
teen-candle power, the penalty was to
be increased to twenty cents lamp.
| At this stage, Aid. Donahower re-
quested the president to inquire
! whether there was any body present
| who would submit a bid If the city
readyertised. President Markham made
the desired request.
In response, George Warren, who was seated
| in the rear of the chamber, arose and an
| swered: 1.s 90
/ the council will prepare schedule so that
| a contractor might bid on any single item,
without bidding on ALL
| Then Aid. Donahower proceeded TO dlsciose
a peculiar feature of the American Develop
| ment company's bid. He pointed out the fact
that while the company offered TO furnlsn lne
| hIIrr and all other necessary equip
ments for $1.O4al per lamp per month. yet in
case the city furnished the burners the com-
pany wanted $1.25 per lamp per month. Aid:
! Donahower couldn't understand tne cause o.
| the excessive difference. The company had
| explained that it would be obliged to charge
| more il the city furnished the burners, be-
cause the burners might consume more gaso-
Iine and 1t was therefore necessary TO pro
| vide margin OF leeway to cover possible
| greater consumption
stNow the difference in consumption of gaso-
| line" pursued Aid. Donahower, amounts. &C
| cording to their calculation, to $40, ,900 This
| is very queer not to say absurd. Why, there
| is no gasoline burner In the world that would
| consume that excess. might add that the
| company has admitted that 1t never intended
that the S125 bid should be accepted"
| Harris Richardson, one of the representa-
| tives Of the American Development company.
replied to Aid. Donahower. Said Mr.. Richard-
son:
| "a man who makes such fat-footed state
rnent regarding the capacity Of gasoline burn
/ ers must have been In the gasoline lighting
business, OF. at least be quite familiar with
| it."
| ''I haven't been In the gasoline lighting
| business" retorted Aid. Donahower, 'tbut
have been familiarizing myself with It since
this solitary bid came in.'' This sally caused
| q emile to circle around the chamber. Aid.
| Donahower reiterated his conviction that the
| difference between the bids would not be
eaten up by the difference between the burn
ers.
The discussion closed here ana some Of the