The Saint Paul globe., 1898-07-27
WALTHER MAKES A THREAT
HE SAYS HE WILL BREAK UP
THE HOSE COMBINATION

Fire Board Had a Spirited Discus.
sion as to Whether or Not the
Limitation of Hose for Fire Use
to Two Brands Was Proper or
Not-Kick of Plumbers Referred
to a Committee.
There was a slight jangle at the
meeting of the board Of fire commits
sioners last evening over the purchase
or 1000 feet Of hose. The board had
advertised for bids for furnishing the
department with the mentioned number
OF rect, but had restricted the bids to
White Anchor and Maltese Cross hose.
When the bids We're about to be
opened Commissioner Walther stated
that G. A. Bennett, Of Minneapolis,
representing the New Jersey Car Spring
and Rubber company desired to make
a proposition to the board as to the
furnishing Of hose.
Commissioner Clark raised the point
that the advertisement called only for
either of the two brands mentioned,
and that none others Ebould be con-
sidered
Commissioner Vanish was of the
opinion that there must be just as good
hose manufactured by other firms, and
favored any proposition that would al
low the city to purchase good hose be-
ing listened to. AS it was now, there
was no chance for any hose being in
troduced in the department except
White Anchor or Maltese Cross. He
favored competition, and said it was
for the best interests Of the city to not
confine the bids.
Commissioner Warner said it had
cost the city large amount of money
to experiment with poor hose and the
only reason the proposals were confined
been tried and found reliable An eX-
perience of fifteen years had proven
to the department that the two brands
of hose were the best.
Chief Cook corrOborated the state
ments made by saying the two brands
were the best he knew Of. If there
were to be any experiments with new
hose, he favored it being done at the
expense of the manufacturers, and not
at the expense Of the department. If
the New Jersey company wanted to put
in 500 feet of hose on trial, he had no
objections, but he did not favor the
purchase of any new brand Of hose
without a trial
Commissioner Clark said poor hose
had cost the city some good fires, and
while 1t might be possible for the
board to save $500 on 1000 feet of hose
a loss of $4,000 at fire would be no
saving.
The board finally decided that as the
bids called for only two kinds Of hose
that NO other could be considered at
the meeting, but Commissioner Wal
ther gave notice that he proposed to
break the combination which existed
on the hose question, the next time it
came uD."
The bid Of B. F. Goodrich & Co.,
made through Tate & Co., of Chicago,
was that 1000 feet of White Anchor
hose would be furnished at 81 per foot,
and $3.50 would be allowed the depart
nlent for a Champion chemical engine
as part payment.
r. B. Carter, of Chicago, offered 1000
feet of Maltese Cross hose at 81 per
foot, and would allow SITS for the
chemical engine.
The Western Supply Company of ST.
Paul offered to furnish 500 feet of
White Diamond hose, manufactured by
the New Jersey Car Spring and Rub
Der company, at 81 per foot, with the
understanding that the hose was not
i to be purchased until 1t had been tried
for one year. sfr ,1G@s - e-.t
The bid of the Western Supply COM
pany as to the hose was not consid-
cred, and as the White Anchor conf
pany offered $75 more for the chemical
engine the firm was awarded the con-
tract. aJ j
The bid Of the Western Supply COM
pany to furnish a twenty-two-foots sue
tion pipe at S6435 was accepted, and the
contract approved.
The contract for supplying the de-
partment with $500 bushels of oats was
awarded to Jameson & Hevener, at 25
ITO cents per bushel The other bid
ders were: j. FL. Kennedy, 2S1s cents;
Tierrey & Co., 27% cents; Wolff Ss Leh-
mann, 26% cents; Boyd Feed company,
2S cents; Griggs Bros, 271A cents.
There was but one bid in answer to
the advertisement for furnishing the
department with a first size double ver-
teal pump steam engine. and that was
from the Waterous Engine Works COM
pany, of this city. The company agreed
to build and deliver to the city an en-
gine according to the specifications sub
mitted, guaranteed as to workmanship
and material, for s4,250.
The board went into executive session
ito consider the engine bid and decided
to refer the matter to the committee
on machinery. 1t was announced that
the contract would be awarded to the
Waterous company, providing certain
changes were made in the specifica-
tions.
The financial condition Of the depart
nent fund as shown by Secretary
Owens. was that there was balance of
S79,161.12 after the pay roll for July,
amounting to $1S,301.s1 lad been ded dEct-
ed.
The communication from the Master
Plumbers association. protesting
against an empIoye of the department
doing plumbing work in the various en-
gine houses. was referred to the COM
nlittee on machinery.