The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-17
COUNCIL TO DISCUSS BIDS.
HOUSE DRAINAGE TO RECEIVE
THOROUGH ATTENTION.


and MAY Also submit a Report.
Contractors Worried About the
Note QueStiOn-Nade Their Bids
For Cash and Do Not Want to Have
10 Bid For the City'n Notes Also.
MIR. Mend.I says He VIA Fight the
Issuing Of notes or III EmptyinG
of sewage in Front of the City.
The house drainage matter viii come be-
fore council tonight in definite shape.
The bids received from the contractors
Monday and referred to the drainage COM
mttee will be reported by that commit
tee with such recomme ndations as it may
see fl to make.
The committee may recommend the ac-
ceptauce of one of the bids. in which case
it will give it's reasons. Alderman Wylly,
chairman of the drainage committee, sand
last night, however. that the committee
will probably not make any recommended
tons.
The committee held a meeting yesterday
afternoon and conferred with some of the
contractors who are lowest on the list. The
committee met again last night a the city
exchange with the finance committee. The
latetr committee was in session after the
adjournment of the drainage committee.
The Joint meeting of the evo committees
is said to have been to discuss the financial
end of the drainage question. When the
council first decided to enter upon the
project of house drainage it was
with the idea that the con-
tractors who undertook the work
CHI 1a " IN
at the usual rate of interest, 5 per cent.
Later discussion developed the fact, or
the belief. that the city's notes could be
disposed of here to advantage, perhaps
at premium, and that the city could Sc
cure better terms by paying the contrac-
tors cash. Bids were advertised for on
cash basis. Now that the bids have been
received the question Of paying for the
work In notes is said to have been revived
and to be now under consideration, and
1t is said that some Of the contractors
have been approached as to the terms on
which they would accept the city's notes.
While the contractors who were seen last
night would not admit that such was the
case, there seemed to be considerable ner-
vousness on the subject, and one contract
or remarked that another contractor had
proposed to him that they withdraw their
$1,000 checks, now in the hands of the clerk
of council, and shake the whole business
the four lowest bidders in the field.
THE situation is simply this" said a
gentleman who is on very familiar terms
with the present city government If
council or the finance committee, which
ever undertakes the matter, should decide
10 demand of the bidders the terms upon
which they will accept the city's notes. it
will amount practically to a reopening of
the bids. The lowest bidders may hold
that having made their bid upon a cash
basis they cannot afford to accept the city's
notes except at par with a per cent. rate
of interest. Another bidder who lacks
considerably of being the lowest may say
that on account of the high standing of
the city's credit he considers it's
notes as good as its bonds, and,
therefore, entitled TO be tsker at
premium of say 10 per cent. This hatter-
ing offer would have its weight with coun-
Gil of course. The practical result would
be TO simply allow the successful party to
lower his bid by the amount of premium
offered. This would neither be fair nor
just The probabilities are that this mat
ter will come up for discussion at the
meeting of council, and there will certainly
be some very warm argument if any such
move is attempted"
It is not likely that there will be any
decisive action on the matter of drain
age tonight any way. Alderman Wylly,
chairman Of the drainage committee, is
opposed to haste in the matter, and be-
sides, there are several members of the
board who want to discuss the subject.
Alderman Smith, whose discussion of the
drainage plans was cut short at the meet
Ing Monday will probably have something
10 say and so will Alderman Krouskoff and
one or two others.
Mr.. Selig Mendel, who has taken a lead
Ing part in the opposition to the drainage
movement, when seen by a Morning News
reporter yesterday said that nothing Will
be done by him and those with him until
some definite action has been taken by
council, A meeting of property owners
viii then be called heasaid. TO decide what
steps should be taken. Mr.. Mendel an
nounced himself as unalterably opposed to
two things, the issuing of notes by the city
and the emptying of the sewage into the
river Immediately i'm front Of the city. A
fight will certainly be made he said, to
prevent the city from doing either of
these things.
IF council is determined upon putting
IN the house drainage system" said Mr.
Mendel, "let it increase the tax rate to
SUFFICIENT amount to pay for it next
year. If this system of giving notes is
carried any further the city will soon be
bankrupt This council has already given
about 100000 worth of notes To complete
the mouse drainage system will mean $3.50.
600 more, and with an electric lighting
plant, street opening and other matters
an issue of a least $3.50, 600 more will be
required. This will mean an is
sue, IN round numbers, of $500, eco
ia notes. AT this rate how long will it be
before the city will be bankrupt? | have
seen the city of Savannah bankrupt once
and / do not want to see it again. If
an increased tax rate is levied to pay for
the system in one year numbers of large
tax payers will have to bear their share
of the burden who, if the city should be-
come bankrupt would dispose of their
stocks and leave for other places. taking
their money with them, leaving the main
burden of these notes to fall upon the real
estate owners. There is no danger Of the
increased tax rates becoming a perma-
nent thing. / had rather pay a couple of
ghundrcd dollars more for one year than
TO see the city issue notes"
Mr. John Jerome Deery is in the city
representing the Pennsylvania Sanitation
Company Of Philadelphia. He came here
by invitation of the drainage committee
of council and was given a hearing by the
committee yesterday afternoon Mr..
Deery's company does not engage in house
drainage itself, but provides means for
the disposal Of the sewage in a sanitary
49,