The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-17
TOPICS OF THE TOWN
A Start on the Improvements to
Higgins Avenue.
AN UNSETTLED CONDITION.
The Bids for Grading and Guttering
Were Unsatisfactory to the Com
mittee-The Result Of Alder
man Herzog's Fight.

has been made toward the improve
ment of Higgins avenue. 1t is queer
sort of a start and it leaves things in
rather an unsettled condition. But one
contract has been awarded and that is
start. There was considera BILE sur
prise manifested when the result of
the deliberations of the committee on
contracts was announced and the re-
port of the committee contained no ex-
PLANTATION whatever regarding the ac-
ton. 1t may be that the consideration
of the bids showed that there was
something more in them than appeared
to the outsider. but those who had
read the figures contained in the sew
eral bids that had been submitted for
the work on the avenue had looked for
a different report from the committee.
The bids for grading and guttering
We're reported as being unsatisfactory
to the committee and the council &C
cepted that statement as satisfactory.
1t would have looked better, though if
some explanation had been made as to
why the low bids We're ifot satisfac-
tory. The bids for the manholes and
catch basins, as announced at the last
meeting of the council, were as follows:
Harrington & Reilly, 81 $50; George Dill
dine, $3.50; NJ. Jennings, S1.395; Willis
Broadbent, sl,65O. 1t may be that the
committee had good reasons for reject
ing the lower bids, but there has been
considerable inquiry on the street to-
day as to the cause of the action. All
of the other bids were rejected and it
will be another week before the con-
tract for the grading and guttering is
awarded.
The matter of the award of the con-
tract has been generally discussed to-
day and it has been decided by some
of those interested to apply for an in
junction against the performance of
the work under the present conditions.
The injunction will be asked for in the
name of William Noll, who owns prop
erty on the avenue opposite the San
dard office Those interested in the
seeking of the injunction are other
property owners and Reilly & Harri-
gan, the lowest of the local bidders.
Contractor Jennings, whose bid was
the lowest. has returned to Butte dis
gusted with the manner in which the
affair has been handled. The objection
that is chiefly urged is that all bids
should have been thrown out If any
were, and that the singing out of a
single bid for award and the rejection
of all others without the assigning of
any reason whatever looks bad. As
stated above, there may be good rea
given. When the injunction applica-
ton is made these reasons will prob
ably appear. Tonight P. NJ. Reilly
and his partner, Mr.. Harrigan, said
that they had decided to apply for an
injunction and Mr.. Noll says that he
has given them consent to use his
name.
The ways and means committee will
have a busy week of it between now
| ha ttt,,t of
the council. The mayor instructed this
committee last night to have ready to
present at the next meeting the figures
for the tax levy for this fall. The com
mttee has really not much basis to
work on. as there is no tabuated as
sessment of the city and it is only by
a careful scanning of the books of the
| county assessor that the assessed val
uation Of the city can be arrived at.
This is slow work. Last year the as
sessment was about S2,250,000 and this
year it is probably little more. The
committee knows how much money has
to be raised, but it is not so easy to
tell how much property there is upon
which to raise it. If the work is prop
erly done, the members of this COM
mttee will have little time for fish
ing this week.
The light committee will have to do
some good work, too, if it has ready
the report that is asked for by the
council from it, This is to contain a
recommendation as to the renewal of
the lighting contract of the city with
the electric light company. The pres
ent contract will expire this year, and
in order not to be taken unawares the
council has decided to get to work on
the problem early in the season. If it
takes as long to do this as it has taken
to award the contract for the Higgins
avenue work. the council ought to have
started upon the consideration of the
problem at least two months ago. Then
they would not have had any too much
time.
1t looks now as if the good fight that
Alderman HerZog has made for the
people of his ward in regard to a wat
er supply would soon show results. The
recommendation that the alderman
from the Fourth introduced so many
months ago has been considered and
reconsidered and changed and substi-
tuted till it is no wonder that Mr. Her
zog protested last night that he is not
getting now anything that he asked for
in the original resolution. But he
showed his wisdom in announcing that
he would not oppose the matter in its
present form, if the council would only
pass it and get it finally disposed of.
1t was, he said the only show that
there was for his constituents to get
water. and water was what they want
ed. The present arrangement would
not give water to as many people as
would the plan at first suggested. but
he was willing to accept what he could
get. The water company has already
good portion of the work done and
the Fourth ward will soon have wat
er supply as good as any other pOr-
| tion of the city, as far as it goes,