The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-19

AS a result of the board of public
works having. five weeks ago, rejected
the bids for the construction of the
distributing reservoir at the head of
First South street to hold 5000 900 gal
Ions of water and calling for new pro-
pOsals, the city is ahead nearly s., 000
Last nigh proposals were received
from four contracting firms and all
were lower than those submitted on
April Il.
When the reservoir proposition was
up before only P. J. Moran and A. C,
GiauQue put in bids, the former offer
ing to do the work for $34S23 and the
latter for S36,263, whereas the city
engineer had estimated the contract
reasonably worth $4,000. 1t was
thought by the city officials that a
combination had been formed against
the city, and on recommendation of
Engineer Kelsey, the board of public
works, with the concurrence of the
city council, rejected the two bids and
advertised for new proposals. Copies
of the notice to bidders were sent to
eastern contractors.
The four bids considered last even
ing were from the Excelsior Wooden
Pipe company of San Francisco, repre-
sented by F. L. King in this city;
Stamson g. BlOme Of Chicago, repre-
Sented by the junior member of the
firm who brought his bid with him;
the n. p. Clam Construction com
pany of Chicago, represented by p. J.
Moran of Salt Lake, and by Mr.. Ear
hardt from the comDany's headquar-
ters, and Gillette. Hay & Gillette Of
Rochester, n. Y, represented by Judge
Mckay of this city, whose son is
identified with the firm. Each bid was
90. oV1sa oh on
a local bank for 81, 900. All four are
rated as responsible contractors.
When the board had the engineers
abstract of the bids read an air of
satisfaction illumined the cOuntenances
of the members and Engineer Kelsey
The alleged combination of local bid
ders had been broken and by calling
for new bids from outside contractors,
although a delay of thirty days was
necessitated. the city is really the
gamer by the operation So 907, COM
pairing the lowest bid then with now.
What adds to the advantage of re-
fusing to be held up is the fact that
the lowest bidder now guarantees to
complete the work, which will do so
much toward increasing the pressure
in the water mains and add to the
city's fire protection, by July IS, the
date guaranteed by Mr.. Moran over a
month ago.
The board practically decided to ac-
cept the bid of the Excelsior Wooden
Pipe company, but deferred awarding
the contract till Monday in order to
give the company time to arrange for
local sureties on the required bond OF
$4,000, guaranteeing the fulfillment Of
the contract according to the city
engineers specifications. No wooden
pipe will enter into the construction of
the reservoirs connections with the
water main system.
After dispOsing ,of the reservoir
problem the board took up the ques-
ton, left over from the previous meet
ing, of letting the contract for sewer
construction until the end of this year.
For laying 1900 feet of eight-inCh,
1 500 feet of ten-inch and 1900 feet of
twelve-inch sewers, the city furnish
ing &le pipe A. G. Giauque had pro-
poses S10,573 and Parry & Swenson
had bid SIS, APO. The contract was
awarded to the low bidder, but he was
given the privilege of requesting the
council TO permit him to raise the
figures in his proposed contract about
81, 700 in order TO make up for his mis-
take in figuring his bid.
The engineers first and final esti-
mate of $545.52 to Keifer & Rush, con-
tractors. on account of the completion
of the work of laying a vitrified pipe
fiume for conducting irrigating water
across Capitol hill. was approved and
transmitted to the city council for
payment.
When the board was informed by
letter that the council had directed the
board to proceed to sell to the highest
bidder the old sewer pump and electric
motor at the sewer stump on the east
bank of the Jordan river, Chairman
Dooly provoked a smile by remarking
that the council had no authority to
order the board to sell any city prop
erty.