The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-08
HOUSE DRAINAGE CONTRACT.
AWARDED ny COUNCIL TO MEssRs.
MILES & BRADT.

Action-The Work to he Done In
Four Sections, One of Them to BE
Completed Each Year.
Council accepted the bid of Miles &
Bradt for the completion of the house
drainage system at last nights meeting,
against the recommendation Of the house
drainage committee, that the contract be
awarded to Crawford & Co, the next low
EST bidder This action did not please
some of the drainage committee, as they
had considered the matter carefully, and
seemed to think that the bid which came
late could have been filed in time.
The bids and the amounts for which 1t
is proposed to do the work are as fol-
lows Miles & Bradt, Atlanta, sl5l,17o9o,
Crawford & Co. Brooklyn, 1854 52172; Her
bert Tate New York. SIP, 64974; Greenville
Construction Company. Greenville. O.,
SIT, 024S0; James f. NcCabe, Baltimore,
$206, %. o. and Lauer, Hagaman Brayer *
Albaugh Rochester, '$271, 7O7.60. This com
parauve statement was made by City En-
gineer VIM as the bids in their original
form Were in sections.
The report of the committee on drainage
was read when the matter was called Up
by Mayor Neldrm. 1t stated that the
committee, in conformity with the adver-
tisement, opened bids Sept. l, at u
O'Clock, at the city exchange. 1t set out
the bidders, and stated further that the
bid of Miles & Bradt was not received I'M
til Sept. 5, on account of the stopping of
the mail on the Central Railroad, but that
on reconsideration the following day. it
was decided to receive At The report con-
tain copies of kilograms sent the commit
tee by Miles & Bradt when it was known
the bid would not reach Savannah by the
time specified in the advertisement. The
report said:
1.-THE committee respectfully recommends
to Council that the bid of Messr. Crawford
& Co, amounting to S154,52172, be ac-
copied Whise the bid of AIessrs. Miles &
Bradt is lower than that of CRAWFORD e
Co by $3,S5062 stil the latter are expert
enced sewer contractors, having construct
ed systems satisfactorily that cost as high
as 100000, while Miles & Bradt have
done very little sewer work. Hence in
the light of recent unfortunate experiences
in giving the contract of 1897 for the house
drainage work to one of no experience, the
committee unanimously makes the within
recommendation"
The report was signed by Alderman Ow-
ems chairman, and Aldermen Smith ana
Davis.
Alderman Krousl1off was decidedly
against awarding the contract to this firm,
and showed with other members Of the
board that he had been in the heat of the
spirited discussion in caucus. He offered
the following resolution:
''Resolved, That the lowest bid for the
house drainage work be accepted, pro-
vided satisfactory arrangements can be
made for doing the work in four sections,
a section to be completed annually"
This placed the matter squarely before
the board, and the members discussed it
freely. Alderman krouskom said in sup
port of his resolution that he thought the
city should accept the best proposition.
He said he had no objection to any of the
other BIDDERS but the bid that saved the
city the most was, in his opinion, the
proper one to accept.
Alderman Owens, chairman of the drain
age committee, wished his position under
stood. He said in recommending that the
Did of Crawford q Co. be accepted, he did
not mean to raise any question as to the
other contractors. His sole purpose was
20 select some one who would do the
work successfully, and not the
lowest bidder The city had enough
Improbable experience to convince the
board of the importance of getting capa-
BILE contractors, and avoid a repetition of
the results last year. He urged that the
report be adopted by the board, his points
being in conformity with the position he
has taken since the last contractors fail
ed
There was considerable discussion, but it
seemed the board was i'm favor of accept
ing the lowest bid. When the vote was
taken on Alderman Krouskoff's substi-
tute Alderman Thomas, Krouskoff Dun
rafl tod Al
dermen Davis Smith and Owens voted
against the resolution.
This was a hard let down for the drain
age committee, and it is said they felt it
keenly. Alderman Owens anticipated the
result in caucus, and rendered his resig-
nation as a member of the drainage COM
mittee This was denied by some, members
of the board, who refused to say anything
when asked about the matter When
asked concerning it Alderman Owens him
self only replied:
Il have nothing to say about drainage
matters"
Mayor Meldrm was asked If It was true
that the resignation had been rendered,
but would not discuss the matter At the
same time he was surprised that such a
report had gotten out. The Mayor first
simply said that Alderman Owens had
not resigned as a member of the Council
II is said Mayor Meldrim will not accent
the resignation. Neither will Council be
willing to see Alderman Owens retire as
chairman of the committee, as the work
is of the most important character to the
city just now, and for him to retire at
this stage would have the effect of inter-
fering with its progress. A close study of
the system has been made by Alderman
Owens, who has made il a point to famil-
iarize himself with all details. He is I'M
questionably the best posted member of
Council on the matter. and in the event he
insists on the acceptance of his resignation
against the strong pressure sure to come.
it will greatly interfere with the work
1t is understood the reason for the res
ignation was on account Of the adverse
action Council took i'm regard 10 the re-
port of the drainage committee. The adj
vertsement stated that the bids would not
be received after y O'Clock, Sept. ]. and
he was of the opinion that the acceptance
OF a bid that came late was not the proper
thing Other bidders sent representatives
4 70 lt1t r.-.