The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-03
COUNTY
CONTRACTS.
Freeholders Rush to Ex-
tremes in Awarding to
Lowest Bidders.
BOOMERANG IN COAL
New Bids Forty Cents Higher
Than the First Ones-Big
Kick in Shoes
BOOMERANG In COAL

The reform which Leader Robert Davis
insisted Upon in the matter of receiving
bid and awarding contracts for the sup
plies for the County. Institutions IS
evidently about to be accomplished
There will be no more unbalanced BIDS,
whereby a man who is on the ground
floor, although not engaged in any ousl-
ness legitimately except that OF getuhg
contracts, can underbid merchants IN
their own lines and secure the contracts.
In the bids received by the Board Oh
Freeholders, last night, a price was put
on eachsitem in the specifications and the
lowest bidder for any particular article
was awarded the contract for that arti-
Gle. This method insures honest blddlng
and enables legitimate merchants to en-
ter into the competition.
No benefit was derived from reaaVerlisI
ing the coal contract. The same coal
dealers who bid at the previous conpetl-
tlor.J Jam en, Soy SIda enu 5 sadne sheir Prices
were. forty cents a ton higher tnan pc
fore, consequently the countys coai 5 oo6
the year is liable 10 cost about s9.yVo
more than it would have cost under the
original contract.
-Four members were absent when the
roll was called at eight o'clock. TIL bids
were at once taken up 10
When Clerk Egan started to read lhe
QTN ROOuS OluS i'll ICtdlls
dan suggested that rime would be saved
by reading the aggregate. -
1.-THE bids were called for in detali anu
for the nformation of the pubic tney
should be read that way responded the
Director. -
After Clerk Egan had completed the
reading of the bids the Board adjourned
and Immediately reconvened as a commit
Tee of the whole with Freeholder simon
Kelly as chairman. -.
Freeholder Heating moved tnat me p'os
IT think that is out of order" said Free,
holder Riordan. Il have been informed
by the counsel of this Board that the
action of the Board in resembling an
award previously made to James Coyle
has been certioraried and will pc con-
sidered by the court on Saturday nexl
i think it would be premature for US to
take action now in view of those pro-,
ceedings. Besides, the bids received
amount to about 40 cents a ton more than
before and it would put this Board, par
ficularly some of the members, in a rather
peculiar position If the award was maze
at this time. Without going into iurdner
tract be deferred until after the decision
of the court in the pending proceedings.
This motion was carried and plds LOT
the other supplies advertised for were
Creamery Butter-Thomas Muson, l6ls
bidders 5 wRere:1Geo: c. -Eicke. Is cents ata.
$500: Hess & Malloy, 1917 cents, u' yS;soo;
Dennis Ids, ReaT 1S ni-i ~ cents eenfs. ss S'sis: w Henrg
". Kuhi. liz cents, $500; Henry Plate.
total, $3.50. The other bidders Were:9e
George C. Eicke, 16 cents, $500; Hess &
Malloy, I. cents, $3.50; Dennis Kioc oos1n1
cents, sS49.5O; Henry w. Kuhl, 16 cents,
Notions-Furst Bros, 1872; Other bids
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Noonan. $, 800. Other
bids were:-Furst Bros. s~1,Ss1.5O; Flana-
Bids for hosiery and notions were also
received from Edward j.. Cavanagh but
were rejected because they were not sign
The aggregates of the bids received for
dry goods were:-Furst Bros, SlSS1; Elan
agan & Co., S., 420-50; John J. hehy, So,ilo'
Edward J. Cavanagh, 5000;
Freebooter Heating moved to award the
dry goods, contract to Furss Bros, rney
Freebooter Riordan wanted to know on
what items the other biddsrs were low.
Clerk Egan explained that Furst Bros.
had only been underbid on a few items,
Riordan amended that the awards pc
made in every case to the oWest BIDDER
on each item. Freebooter Scott second
at is at the discretion of this Board
whether to award in detail tall, or ~ IN i. the fb Az
Furst Bros bid is a fair one and as II IS
the lowest, we will obtain better results
by awarding the entire contract to them
the bidding down to an honest basis, .
said Freebooter Riordan. This has not
now been done, but if we are going to
economic let us economic all along the
line. Therefore, / insist that we should
award each and every item to the lowest
Il am not playing to personal favorites."
said Freeholder Heating, but in fairness
and justice to bidders I think the award
should be made in the aggregate. I think
fhat Messrs. Furst Bros. are entitled to
the whole contract; Not one OF the pias
II am in favor of cutting it up If It VIII
save one penny. That's where l stand"
said Freeholder Kelly Of B aIaalI e ,,,aer-
standing their business" said Freebooter
Riordan. IF they don't, they should be
h hebaI Te5p9qsf bids we e should any d not l1f'n cater to
II do not want to cater to any bidder,
but I am satisfied that some of the ar
ticles cannot be purchased at the prices
bid retorted Freebooter Heating.
r echo Freeholder Riordan's senti-
ments,', said Freeholder Fallon. The
contracts should be awarded on a rock
bottom basis
IN explaining his vote on Riordan's
amendment. Freebooter Clements said
IT vote no because the next lowest bidder
on some of the items is Mr.. Kelly, who
sent a communication at the last meeting
asking to be relieved of the contract
which had been awarded to him. II we
do SO again he may send in another sucn
request"
Inc dInenulHeul was W soeS
on motion of Freebooter Clements the
contract for articles on which the bidders
were tied was awarded to Flanagan &
Co.
On Gotion of Freebooter Fallon the low
est bidder on each of the other items was
awarded the contract for the same
The dry goods contract was finally
awarded as folloWs:-
Furst Bros.-3,00O yards striped cheviot,
at s cents a yard; 3 yards Indian Head
unbleached muslin, 81a cents; 2,OW YARDS
Hamilton awning stripes, 3 cents; 5,UW
yards Hamilton stripes CHickory), Z cents;
5000 yards Kentucky Jean, 9h cents; 5W
yards prison flannel, Is cents; 800 wards
rubber .sheeting, "A cents; LOCO yards
bleached muslin, 36 inches wide, AZ cents
100 Marseilles bed spreads, 81 cents each
SO dozen hand towels. S1.33 per dozen
1000 yards calico prints. 3s cents.
Flanagan & Co.-3,000 yards ticking, y
cents a yard; 500 blue cotton spreads, So
cents each.
John J. Kelly-3,000 yards, blue denins,
Z cents per yard: 1000 pairs 7 pound,
navy blue blankets 81 per pair.
Edward w. C-avanagh-2,500 yarcs
crash. 6 cents a yard; 5000 yards canton
flannel. I cents a yard. 5000 yards ging-
When the Board ~reconvened all OF lne
above awards We're c~oncurred IN:
S-torekeeper O'Neill notified the Board