The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-21
Bid for Cedar River Water System
to Be Considered.
CONTRACTORS OBJECT TO IT.
They say There Was No Actual Coma
petition md That the city N"ufd
Save Money by Calling for New
Prop0saIs-Narr Payment sts-
tenn Not satisfactory tn ffaan-
cters-R1berf Moran thihs.

The city OF SEATTLE has received pro-
xosal and has asked a little t.Ene 20 thlnE
II over T0uight 81 meeting o. tae ci@F
council tho answer 70 the proposal @sil be
made veg or no" The proposition nov
Under cos consideration II tle bad Of s'aflai'
A. Eyrne FOR the construction % tne Cedar
river water system. The question of accept
fnr or rejecting the bid the Only one sub
nssired. II one OF the rlost important ever
brought pefore the council and promises 70
make tonlghts meeting one % the hyfiieat
Oh regard.
Contractors who say they intended 10 bid
on the 1ork, but did not do so. are the
principal o6tectors 10 the accepting Of t'e
bid They claim thar GaAan a. Byrne nave
inserted proviso IL their hlo when psaS-
ticasly annnIs the alleged hard conditions
Of the warrant payment clause, ana there
by obtained an undue advantage over cob
tractors. who supposlng, az they claim
that no bid not IN strict accordance "tfh
the specifications. wouid l. accepted, r.
fused to enter into the competition. Op-
posed 10 these Collectors aye citizens wta me-
Iieve that TIE BID 81 Gahan & ByEne was
made IN good faith and g.ii BE- carried out
In good faith. and tina, It's rejection. alld an
advertisement for new bids would unnec-
eesarily delay the completion OF a water
system already much needed and already
too long delayed. Aud Oh the middle ground
Is the COUNCIL.
Robert Horap's Views.
One OF tie leaders u tho opposition to the
BID is Robert Moran president ol Moran
Bros. Company. who yesterday said:
In response 10 the city's invitation for
proposals On this work only one IBID was
rendered that Of MessIs Gahan q BFrue
In the sum of 81 ~ 81 Tne authorized
cost Of the work is sl.2A0sn- Entsr s9r-
ciai notice attached TO tie specifications
fpr tf&s satFF IL r
statement.
the same ~ made strictly "a conformity
with said Advertisement. aad upou t1e form
of proposals bound herewith together NItB
specifications. general CLAUSES and form II
contract. which must be submitted unhro-
ken and unaltcred fl ans particular
In submitting ts3iT proposals. Messrr-
1ahan Il kyrne have written Ia the follow
ing condition.
"a Iroviso-ThIs bid n conditioned on the
Interpretation OF she payment clause in
these specifications meaning - per cent OF
The monthly current estimate Of tec on.
ginesr 90 be paid on the auth - he suhRt.-
Queus calendar month. that suctI months
work Is 10 Be Inspected AMI II satisfactory
TO be accepted within thirty days there
after; that = per cent IL % % paid upon
ouch acceptance and mat the remaining
Der cent, IL 10 lie paid 10 days after such
acceptance
What the Proviso Means.
The specifications do not say any ~ueh
thlng. This prov'so changes "A vital point
In the document. ard requires the city 10
accept the work as Il progress SEES from
month 10 month TIE practical result Of
this would he that the citv would become
the owner of and be responsible soT each
monthly constructed section Of tA.s great
work. and the question as . how these
various fractional parts might be connected
TO form the Shole and complete operative
plant Is open. Athough Il Is safe 80 say 1t
would be at an increased sl 90 the city
before the work was complatci
This work. as Il whoie has been a Ytry
attractive one Ia large number OF con
tractors. my company ancna Others ard
we were only prevented from submitting "A
proposal by reason Of thu fact that ~ iid
non believe the Qi.r would accent anv hid
with provso attached II proyisss were
IN order. the fact should have, be.r stated
IN the notice 70 contractors, other ~ Sc how
can competitive lids he had2 ! believe the
bid now under consideration Is much high
er tran the completed work should cost
and that wlta SEINE st Ehf changes IN IL
conditions and "a ready, rtis rnent. ih.. N6-k
can be contracted for 0n terms much more