The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-07-04
CONTRACT SYSTEM OPPOSED
VOTE FOR STREET
 SPRINKLING BY THE CITY.
Orders Recommended by the Special
 committee Passed Last Night by n Vote or I9-3-A Committee of Mine to- In- vestigate Supervisors in tho Public SchoOIs-A Movement for Rand Con-

| SupCHVAbufS lh tho Public
 schools-A Movement for Band Con-
 certs-Other Business Transacted.
 The board of aldermen held regular
 meeting last night and considered sev-
 eral important matters, among them
 the report of the special street sprfnk-
 ling committee with the accompanying
 recommended orders providing that the
 director of public works purchase
 sprinkling carts and hire horses and
 men so that street sprinkling done by
 the city, and not by contract, may begin
 at once
 After the reading of the committees
 recommendation Alderman Donovan
 moved that they be adopted and the
 orders passed. Alderman Gruener said sI like all other municipal work, should
 be given out by contract. Alderman Donovan said that the city could save
 $1O,000 by doing the work without lett
 ting 1t out by contract. Alderman Hall
 spoke strongly in favor of the contract
 system. Alderman Williams also spoke in favor of letting the work out by con- tract. He said that the people wanted the streets sprinkled at once and that
 for the city to buy the required appara-
 tus would take considerable time. He
 thought that 1t would be better to make
 a contract for this year and then be
 ready for the city to do the sprinkling
 next year.
 l Alderman Donovan thought the ap-
 paratus could be purchased in as short
 time as would be required to adver-. | tise for bids for contracts and let the contract to some favored contractor.
 He said that the move for contract
 was deliberate attempt to beat the l city out of $10,000. Alderman Baldwin said that sprinkling could be secured | quicker by contract than by the city doing it. Alderman Staub did not think that the contractors had carts enough 1 to do the work, and that it would take them as long to get the necessary ap- paratus as it would the city. Aldermen | Chillingworth, Walsh and Madden spoke in favor of the city doing the sprink- ling Alderman Williams moved to amend the order recommended so as to provide for contract this year and the city doing the work next year. Alderman Hall spoke for the amend ment, saying that the city could not be- gin to do the sprinkling before the mid- dle of August, while the director of pub lie works could have bids within twen- ty-four hours after the mayor signed the order if it was voted to let the work out by contract. Alderman Cooley thought that if it was contracted for the same persons who are doing the sprinkling now for private property owners would be the only ones to bid, and that they could charge what they wanted to and bring extra cost on the city.
 Alderman Wallace opposed the con- tract system, and Alderman c. F. Bren- nan, chairman of the special commit- tee, explained the reason why the orders were recommended. He said that all the citizens who appeared before the committee favored the city doing the sprinkling, and that Director Beecher had told the committee that the best way to do would be to have the city do the work, passing his opinion on his past experience with contract sprinkling during his term of office as director of public works. Alderman Brennan said that he would vote against the amend ment offered by the member from the Second, because he did not approve of squandering $10000 of the citys money. He was going to vote for the best in terests of the city, regardless of fear or favor.
 Alderman Corcoran hoped the board would give the citizens what they want by breaking up the contract system. He said that if the sprinkling was let by contract the sprinkling companies would combine and charge what they wanted to. Alderman Madden said that he would prefer to have no sprink- ling for two months rather than see contractors take from the city $lOOOO which could be saved. A vote was then taken on the amendment for contract- ing this year and resulted as follows:
 Nays-Cooley, Baldwin, c. F. Bren- nan, Corcoran, T. Brennan, Whitaker, O'Connell, Weiss, Staub, Donovan, Un- ger, Chillingworth, Wallace, Farnharn, Walsh, Dickerman, Davis, Rose, Mad den--19.
 Ayes-Williams, Gruener, Hall-3
 The amendment having been defeated vote was taken on the orders as rec by the committee and they were passed.
 Alderman Staub, chairman of the committee appointed to consider the transfer of $7,S00 in the department of stated that he was in doubt as to whether or not the duties of that committee included the investigation of The supervisory system in the city schools, and offered the following reso- ution:
 Resolved That a committee of three aldermen and three councilmen be ap- pointed by the presidents of the respec- tive boards. and also three citizens. tax payers, to be appointed by his honor the mayor this committee of nine to investigate the present system of super yisors as now established ill the depart nent of education, and after full irl- yestigation they shall report to the com non council on the advisability of re- aiming or discharging the said super Jisors'
 This resolution was unanimously