The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-06-18
sQUABBLE OVER A BICYCLE HOUSE.
Councils Public Building Committee
Charged With Wrong But Their Action
Upheld. New Port Wardens.

| Last nights session of City Council was
the busiest one that body has held for a
long time. Next Thursday night will be
| the last night that body will sit and in
| order that there may not be glut OF busl-
| ness at that time, all matters to date were
| disposed Of last night. There being many,
| the city fathers were kept in session an
hour and half and during that time
| there were discussions warm and interest
ing.
The business began at s o'clock, all tho
| members were present.
Chairman McNulty of the Finance COM
| mittee presented bill from the Park COM
| mission, which was marked correct by
| City Solicitor Harman and City Auditor
| Billany, for services rendered in condemn
ing lands for park purposes and the bill
| was ordered paid.
City Solicitor Harman sent letter in
forming Council that the 5000 to be paid
by the Il. Blumenthal and Company for
the use of Reed street could only be paid
to Council, as the act vacating the street
had set forth, and not to any individual.
Progress was reported in matters in tho
hands of the Law Committee
City Treasurer Adams reported the bal
ance in bank to account of current expen'
ses to be s25, 1888 80; special fund for park
purposes, SI2, ,263 63. The collections were:
Farson, Leach and Company S14,543 &c.
count of sale of bonds and premium; City
Auditor Pyle SlS account; of interest.
Edmund Mitchell, Jr., $1,000 on account
of taxes for 1896; Charles II. Ten
Wceges, $12525 account of sale OF ashes;
Eugene NJ. Sayers, s450 account of taxes
for 1896. City Auditor Pyle certified to the
correctness Of the account.
In accordance with communication
from the Board of Port Wardens that tho
tenn of Job H. Jackson as port warden
would expire in July and naming Alvin
r. Morrison Democrat, and Samuel II.
Baynard, as Republican candidal es for the
Office. Council went into an election for
Mr.. Jackson's successor. MIR. McNulty
nominated Mr.. Morrison and Mr.. Robert
son nominated Mr., Baynard, and the
former was elected by strict party vote.
An amendment to the ordinance regu-
lating the sale of milk and cream which
provided for the analyzing by chemist
Of all milk or cream as Milk Inspector
McEvilly may see fit and allowing 81 for
all such inspections, was read IL and
second time by title and feferred TO the
Law committee. The idea is to allow the
milk inspector to make the test us usual,
and wher he finds adulteration to take
the sample to chemist for analysis so
that the case can be presented i'll court.
Bids fSr the erection of five ton scale
for use at the crematory were opened and
were AS follows Howe Scale Company
Of Philadelphia $l45; Southwark Scale
Company of Philadelphia, 500; Sigler q
Woodward, city, sle5; Keystone Scale
Company Of Philadclphia,, Sll7 81; Fair,
bank Company of Philadelphia, $l2o. All
the bids excepting the last one, were for
the complete erection of the scale and were
referred TO the Cremaiory Committee with
Lower to act.
Thefact that the Public Building Com
mttee had failed to ask Council for per.
mission to advertise for bids for be erec-
ton Of n bicycle house for the use of the
Police Department., caused warm discus
lion, prrclpitated by Mr., O'Neill mem-
Der Of the committee. Uron motion OF
Mr.. Meaney the bids wolo opened and
were as follows: John e. Haley, Sll5; w.
T. Jones, $50 II, W. II. FoulE 4 Son, $12O;
5. h. Tal burton, SIP; Hubert Cassidy &
Brother, Sl5 The bid of Mr.. Haley did
not include plaster or shutter work
:nd that of Mr. Tarburton did not in
cludo shutters.
/. Icing in trder to refer the bids to the
committee with power TO act, Ar. Moanoy
arose to make the motion but before he
could DO so, Mr. O'Neill inquireta by what
authority the bids had been asked. Mr.
Meaney answered that the cOmmitLeo bo.
licvcd it could advertise for bids for the
erection Of any LuiidIng without the con-
sent Of council, aud as that committee
had empowered him to advertise he did 50
Now council Is to say whether the build
ing il wanted or not.
But his is not what Mr. O'Ncill wanted
to krow and in replying to Mr.. .Mealy
said that the matter should be done in
proper order. He, as member of the
committee, had head nothing of the
matter until he saw in the newspapers the
alyertis emcnt for the proposals. That,
Guwevcr only slightly influenced him i'll
opposing the accepting of the bids. His |
principal reasons were that tho building |
was not needed but if it really was the ex-
pense incurred by it's erection should DO
borne by the police department out OF its
$1,000 appropriation,
CGunCl's eXchrqugr at the pI eS,nt tim, |
he said, was in such state that the builu.
ing should not be orec ed. aside from
this he h Id that Council should havO been
notified hat The bids wero 10 he asked for
us has always bcon tho case.
In sply to the singing remarks Mr.
MCancy said all memo rs of the committee
(and 10 understood MIR. O'NtilI had been
i formed Of the muttel) were willing that
tie Md, should be advertised for AT this
loint Cbai man i.ealy of the police COM
Mittcc get into the quabblc.
He is not Il member OF the public build
ing COMMITTEES, but understood tho bids
were 10 be asked for He guarded against
the looting Of his committees appropria-
I ion for the erection of the building by
saying that only the public building com.
mitlup could advertise for the bids He
said nothing about who was to Fay for the
work, however.
Then Mr. O'Neill got into tho argument
again by remarkinE that Council had moth.
ing o do with bicycles and thai in short
Ii inc the police v Ould demand the erection
of qua rs for "truin" of artillery
This remark nettled the police commit
tee chairman who remarked that MIR.
O'Nrill misunderstood the matter which
caused hat gentleman to rciort 'NoJ bit
Of it, | undcrs and
At this point Mr.. Robertson came to the
reacue of his Democratic colleague taking
fhe stand that the bids could not be asked
for without the consent of Council. Mr.
Stnats another Republican and IA member
lt the Committee which had evidently
lone wrong, explained that tho matter
had properly come before tho committee
men who believed the work was necessary.
He thought Mr.. ONcll had been in
'orlncd of the action of the body, but said
aothng us to tho power of the committee
o so net Mr.. Moaney got the floor again
md after reiternting that the committee
rad ,ho pow er to advertise without asking
he consent of Council turned to Mr.
)'NGill and romarked; Something has
Iappencd Wi hiu the last few days that
las sprung a leak" The remark might
,avo isklsignlicanse 10 the member to
whom it wns directed, but he was un-
lc. we'd ard instead of enlightening any
mo rs to what had sprung the Leak"
brought tho argument to u close by say
ny TINT tho building was not needed.
Then President Haylis called for tho
otto to refer the bids to the committee
With power to act. Six Democratic mem
)ers voted yea, and four Republicans,
With Mr.. ONeill, nay. The yeas being in
he majority the motion was carried and
he bicycle house will therefore be built.
An amendment to the cramatory ord-
lanco placing plant under tho care of
ouncil instead of the Board Of Health
providing for the appointment of super
ntcndcnJ at q salary Of $40 q year and
or three assistants at 5000 each II year
vas referred to the Law Committee.
In an ordinance presented by NJ. Nc
Sulty these transfers of appropriations
we're recommended: $i5.43 from interest
o fuel; 500 from interest opublic square;
1926 from public buildings to miscellan-
GUS expenses The resolution was roferr-
d to the Finance Committee and adopted
4ter He likewise pr9seD ted an ordinance
o license auctioneers upon the payment
( nn annual fec Of 500. There has al
Ways been an ordinance to that effect,
ut there was some doubt as to tho power