The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-09-22
is AGAIN SUCCESSFUL
Kinds Of Butte Awarded the Con-
tract for Constructing
North Side Sewer.
ONLY TWO BIDDERS
for the .JOb-WOrk tn Com.
mrMcr ut Once-EX-City I'm.
gineer Roasted.

."#
The city council met Wednesda.
afternoon for, the purpose Of awardin,
the contract for the construction Of til,
north side sewer. All members wer,
present excepting Alderman Clement
who was absent from the .eity. Sxit
nick reported Nor the. sewer coMmitte,
to tho effect that they had compared
the two bids ApA favored that Of 4. r,
Kinds ~ being the lowest. Bennig,
hoff moved the acceptance Of the com
mittee's report, which carried. Beu
Hager, acting for Mr.. Kinds. the sue.
cessful bidder, asked permission to
commence work the next duy aud II
was granted h,m, he agreeing to file
tho bond for the faithful performance Of
the contract that afternoon.
salary to be paid the city engineer.
He il allowed by law ~ per day for his
services, but Witl0m was Of the opin.
ION that Engineer Morris could open
his heart and let the city ,d0wn easier,
III view Of tho fact thpt'he was to have
from 100 TT 1870 days steady work.
Mr.. Morris AatsAt that be thought ~
was not M unreasonable salary when 1t
was considered that he had to look
after the expenditure OF $a5, 900. The
matter was not discussed further, ex.
cept that the city engineer should be
the judge Of what assistance he should
need in carrying OIL tho work on the
sewer surveys.
Tie city clerk reah II communication
from the assistant secretary Of the Ma.
tional Irrigation congress. which meets
in Missoula next Monday, asking the
mayor to appoint delegates. Being
advised that Hon. A. l.. Babcock and
Fred II. Foster would attend, the
mayor appointed them to act AZ dele.
gates and represent Billings. TIE up.
pointments were confirmed by the
council.
There has been more or loss street
talk concerning the present sewerage
system, to the effect that 1t was not
constructed according to the contract,
but the first reference ever made in the
council chamber was at this meeting,
when Alderman Witham spoke on the
matter. He said that the street talk
had probably reached the ears Of every
member Of the council and that there
was no doubt the system had not been
constructed according to the contract.
The pipes had been raised above the
grade designated first, the manholes
and fiushtanks did not give the salts.
faction required aud the cement used
was not az good AZ specified. He fur.
said he did not want to blame any.
one separately. He did blame u con.
who would not fulfill his con.
tract, but moreover he would and did
blame u city official who would not
make a contractor live up to the requir.
ments Of his contract. He said he
that II the city had any re.
course 1t would take 1t against the x
CITY engineer, and he for condemn.
ed that OK .0ffioial's actions. In onclu.
sion, Mr.. Witham said that, without
rejecting upon the work or character
Df City Engineer Norris, he thought
council, not az q body, but sepa-
should inspect the work Of the
new system every day and II they nee
one thing that IL being done contrary
70 the specifications, they should report
II to the council for immediate action.
Alderman Spear spoke on this matter
slso. Last year there had been u pro.
ile Of the work, while this year there
He said he called the city engi.
,eer's attention TO the work last year,
,ut 1t was like blowing up against u
It0ne wall, The city engineer last
'ear had changed tho contract, OF had
he work done to suit himself, but this
viii be overcome this year. as the con.
ract states that the specifications an
lnt be changed except by permission OF
he city council,
This completed all business and the
ouncil adjourned sine die,