El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-09-12
Locked Horns.

city engineer and open the bids which
had been called for by the engineer.
They met, that is, the mayor, the
city engineer, and Chairman Clifford
of the finance committee, and the mat
ter before the committee was to open
| the sealed bids.
Only two bids had been sent to the
city engineer. and one was from the
local firm of Fassett & Kelly and the
other was from ST. Louis firm known
| as the Blackmer Post Pipe company.
The bid of the local firm was 1918
lower than the bid of the other firm,
| that is, it was that amount cheaper
| than the bid of the St. Louis firm which
| had been filed with the city engineer,
but at the last minute the mayor pull
led a telegram out of his pocket from
| the ST. Louis firm which was still lower
than the bid of Fas5ett and Kelly by
1857, making a reduction on their first
bid of 1910. This last bid had not COM
piled with the advertisement of the
special committee as that advertise
ment called for the bids to be in the
hands OF the city engineer by five
o'clock on Saturday afternoon, and
this telegram, while the mayor claims
to have received it by twelve on Satur-
day, ne had not given to the city en-
gineer and therefore it had not legally
complied with the official advertise
ment for bids.
When the time came for the award
ing of the contract for the sewer pips
Alderman Clifford said that the
awarding should be given to the local
tirU and the mayor didn't think So
Then there was fun between the
two.
No settlement of the matter was
reached on Saturday night so as a COM
10
laid over until this morning at ten
o'clock when the whole of the special
committee met at the Office of the city
engineer and then the whole wrsngle
came up again.
At the meeting this morning there
were present Mayor Magof1in, Epgin-
eer Win berry, and the entire finance
committee, which is composed of AL
derman Clifford, AldermanB Badger, and
Alderman Stewart.
The mayor called the meeting to-
gether and stated the case and also
told the committee that the telegraph
&c bid which he had received was re-
ceived by noon on Saturday and that
be had kept it in his possession until
that night when he presented it and
that Alderman Clifford has objected to
it.
Then Alderman Clifford told the
committee that the reason he had OBJ
jected to it was because it was not
legal, for it had not complied with the
advertisements, and the other bid which
the city engineer mad from the same
firm had, and that the bid from Messrs.
Fassett and Kelly was the cheaper and
he thought they ought to have the con-
tract.
Alderman Clifford said he under
st Cd why the ST. Louis people had
made the last bid by Telegram h. 1t
was because the mayor had been
monkeyiug with the railroads and got
them into the scrap. He said the
whole matter is fight between the L.
z. and the Southern Pacific, as each
one OF the roads is interested because
of the good freight money in it to
them.
AT this point in the meeting Judge
+. E. Hunter came before the commit
tee as representative of the Blackmer
Post Pipe company and told them that
he had had talk with Mr.. Fassett
and that while he was really in favor
of giving all the contracts to the local
firms who bid on city work, still as
private citizen he did not feel as if he
could conscientiously see the city pay
out Sl57 when it was unnecessary. and
that as representative of the ST. Louis
firm he thought they ought TO have
the contract.
Alderm an Clifford at this poi found |
a copy of the Times, and read the call |
TO the committee. He laid stress on |
the poirt that the bids must be har ded |
to the city engineer by the hour of |
5 y. m.
Here there was lull in the meeting |
as all sides had been heard and |
the next thing to do was to award the
but nobody seemed to want |
-,
the matter, as he thought that the
last bid received from the St. Louis
irm WAS legal.
After few moments OF silent prayer
among those present, Alderman Clifford
said, II move, as Messrs. Fassett and
helly's bid is the most advantageous
10 the city, it having been the lowest
Dne received under the official call of
,he city engineer, that they be given
The contract
Mr.. Fassett, a member of the local
irm bidding on the pipe, asked for re
which was granted him.
Mr.. Fassett stated to the committee
hat at first the prices given for this
amount of pipe were all so high. that
by taking up the fight he had already
aved the city somewhere between five
md six thousand dollars, and that he
thought his bid deserved some consid
Il oOlOu even IL IL was DlOI nlgQer IMAM
his illegal bid which had been placed
~ the st. Louis firm: he didn't think :
he committee ought to consider the ,
'ther Did TT all. Mr., Fsssett also ,
tated to the committee that he had :
many times before saved the city :
money on sewer pipe snd this statement :
he city engineer substantiated.
Another spell of silence, then Alder :
nan Stewart seconded Alderman Cliff
ord Is motion. Before the motion was
'laced before the committee for vote
Alderman Badger said: Before you
ote on the question, your honor, |
'ould like TO understand the bids a
title more. The matter wassexplained
o theualdermsn anG then ensued au-
ther quiet spell, after which Mr. Bad 9
er SAID, 81 am ready TO vote" 9
The mayor then placed the question 2
efore the committee, but he didn t
ord it as Alderman Clifford had, SO
he alderman corrected his honor and
laced the question himself The 3
layor said, Gentlemen you have heard 8
he motion that Messrs Fassett and :
ely be awarded the contract. How do
on vote" and he began to call the
Badger, Aye: AL
art h., | -