The herald., 1897-11-06
NOT SETTLED YET
That Hose Contract Will Cause Fight
in the Council

in the Council
Instead of being settled, it appears
that the fight over the award Of the
contract for 5000 feet of hose for the fire
department has only begun. When,
three weeks ago, the bids which were re-
ceived were rejected and new bids ad-
vertised for. that action was taken so
that the provisions of the law with ref
erence to home products might be COM
piled with. The result of the advertise
ment for new bids, the coming of the
small army of hose agents here and their
battle before the fire commissioners, ere
among the events of this week. The
commission made the selection of the
hose in the following order, each brand
securing 1000 feet: Paragon, Bay State,
Mastiff Jacket, Victor Jacket and
Dragon.
At the time this choice was announced
it was supposed that the order in which
the several brands was mentioned was
not significant, but it has since been
learned that in making selections the
commission reported the hose in the
order of merit as they believed it to be.
The Paragon was considered the best
hose offered, and the Bay State brand
was second choice. The others followed
in the order named. This will have it's
effect upon the final disposition of the
matter in the council, for it is now GER
tain that there will be a fight over the
approval of the report of the commits
sion. One councilman who has stated
that he will not vote for the approval
of the award as recommended is Mr..
| Nickel. 1t is also reported that Council
man Hutchison will oppose the matter,
but it is not known positively just what
he will do.
The fight in the council will be based
upon what some of the councilmen con-
slider the inconsistency of the award.
1t has been pointed out that if the Cali
fornia product the Victor Jacket hose,
was worth taking at all, the law pro-
vides that the entire contract must be
awarded to the makers of this brand
the Bowers Rubber company of San
Francisco; and if this hose is not equal
to the other brands, the commission had
no right to recommend the purchase of
any of it. 1t is the intention of some of
the councilmer to request the presence
of Chief Moore and Assistant Chief
Smith at the meeting, for the purpose
of telling the record of the several brands
in service here. If this action is taken
and the firemen tell what they are said
to have told the commission, the Bowers
award Is in danger, as both may testify
that within four years the department
has lost 450 feet of Victor Jacket hose.
In the same length of time $50 feet of
Bay State has been lost, one section of
this having been ruined by being struck
with an ak. leaving 100 feet which burst
under pressure. The other brands, with
the exception of the Paragon, have not
been tried here.
Another point that will be advanced
in the council will be that if the Dragon
brand is worth accepting in a lot of
2000 feet three weeks ago at a bid of so
cents, then when the price is reduced to
75 cents, as it was on the last bidding,
that brand should get all the contract.
The argument used by the commission,
that their award was in the nature of a
test before the larger award which is
probable next year, is answered that the
time is too short for fair test as to the
quality of the material. Some of the
members of the council will support the
commission, but it would not be surpris-
ing if the result of the whole matter
would be the readvertising for new bids.
The several agents for the hose COM
panies left yesterday for San Francisco.
Mr. Chapman goes there to endeavor to
sell the fire department of that city
three new steam fire engines.