The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-15
WANTED BIDS CALLED FOR.
MIR, KEHoE THINKS GRAVEL MAY
BE COSTING TOO MUCH.


Right to Purchase II Without Call
ing For Bids-CommissiOner Kehoe
Insists That the County Engineer
Shall Have His Technical skill
RecOgnized-SOme Lively Discus
sionS started AMI Others Prom
ised in the BOard-Half the Con-
xicts TO De Taken From the
suburbs-New Road to Be Built.
There is a little discussion brewing in
the board Of county commissioners which
bids fair to bubble over at any moment,
and give rise to some interesting features.
Commissioner Kehoe has made the in
curry as to why the commissioners have
allowed the superintendent of puolic
works to purchase $4,000 to $4,000 worth
of gravel for road Improvements without
advertising for any bids.
The regular meeting of the board was
about to adjourn yesterday afternoon
somebody having made a motion to that
effect. when Commissioner Kehoe said:
tsIf YOU are through with the other busi-
ness. there are some things that / want
to say. and you cannot choke me off by
adjourning."
THAT is a very queer expression to use
to this board" remarked Chairman Dale.
'eMr. Lathrop and myself. and I presume
the other members of the board, are ready
to meet at any time and hear what you
have to say. There is no desire on any
bodv's part to choke you off, and ths
motion to adjourn was made because or
the lateness of the hour"
ssrbere are certain things" Mr.. Kehoe
said. TO which attention should be call
ed. The superintendent of public works
has purchased for the county from $40,0O
to $4,000 worth Of gravel for improving
the roads and I understand $1,000 worth
more is to be bought, and no bids on This
material have ever been called for. do
NOT think even this board, much less the
Superintendent of public works, has any
right to purchase this material in such
amounts without first calling for bids.
well, I am willing to stay here until
u o'clock if necessary" remarked Chair
man Dale.
'oThen there was member
Kehoe, "who told "a news
paper that all the trouble in the board was
due to the fact that L was prejudiced
against Mr.. Chaplin"
Il made that statement" said Commits
eioner West, land I make it again now
Commissioner Guckenheimer interpolated
a remark saying if Mr.. Kehoe knew
where he could get the Augusta gravel
for less money, he should tell the board
about it..
I'm not in the business" remarked Mr..
Kehoe.
Nor am t. retorted Mr.. Guckenheimer.
AIf the meetings of this board were
not conducted by the star chamber meth
cd" Mr. Kehoe said 1T would be greatly
in the favor Of the taxpayers"
Just here somebody relieved the situa-
ton by another motion 10 adjourn, which
was put and carried, and the discussion
along this line was ended at a point where
It looks as if il will be brought up again
the next time the commissioners get to-
gether.
The board caucused for more than two
hours before the regular meeting was held
1t is presumed all of these interesting
matters were discussed first in caucus and
then brought up again in the open meet
ing.
After the board took up the regular
meeting and reached the point of mis-
cellaneous business there was another in
teresting discussion on the subject of the
county engineer 1t came up as the result
of this resolution to which Commissioner
Kehoe entered serious and emphatic OBJ
lection:
Ordered, That all orders from this board
directing the public works of the county
shall be given to the superintendent OF
public works, and all reports to this board
shall be made through said superinten-
dent"
Commissioned Kehoe wanted to know il
that order made the county engineer sub
ordinate to the superintendent Of public
works.
ut requires" Chairman Dale said
''that the engineer shall report to the su
perintendent. and the superintendent t
this board"
"Then 1 will have to vote against 1t,
Mr.. Kehoe said.
This order does not make the enginee
any more subordinate than he was be
fore" Mr.. Dale said. ITO use a common
expression, he has always been a secont
fiddle, so to speak,
'Then that Is undoing the work of on
former meeting" Mr.. Kehoe stated. "A
that meeting the engineers title was re
stored and il was provided that he SHOULD
report to this board 1t was stated a
that time that he was to be made directl,
responsible to this board for his work.
at will not affect Mr.. Browns position
whether he reports to this board or to tn
superintendent" Commissioner Lathro
said. 1T will save us the trouble o
having TO deal with two reports, if all tn
reports come through the superintendent.
II want to understand" said Mr.. Ke
hoe, whether the county engineer sha
make his plans and submit them directl
to this board, or whether he shall sub
NIT them through the superintendent
my idea" Chairman Dale said, lis tina
the superintendent should be held respor
sible for the county work, and that h
should hold the engineer responsible. Tn
engineer must do the work under tn
supervision of some one and that som
one must be the superintendent"
Mr. Kehoe made the point that MI
Brown should be recognized as an inds
pendent officer on account of his engineer
ing ability, but the other members of tn
board seemed to think that the engineC
should report to the superintendent an
act in accordance with his instructions
The resolution was therefore passed. Con
missioner Kehoe voting emphaticall
against It.
The commissioners decided to take ava
one-half of the convict force now workin
under the direction Of the city authorize
on the drainage around the city, and pJ
them back on the county works. The az
ton is stated in the following order:
THE emergency under which the able
bodied convicts were put at the dispose