The age-herald., 1900-05-03

proposed to furnish the folIowink we'll known brands of fire hose, made by the New York Betting and Packing company. at the prices named:
 Dragon Brand Fire Hose. 80 cents per foot.
 Ajax Brand Fire Hose, 70 cents per foot.
 Guarantee, years.
 ''rest pressure, 450 pounds.
 ''Terms, 36 months without interest.
 Guarantee made by the New York Belt ing and Packing company, with the May x Thomas company's endorsement.
 ''T Milner & Kettig company proposed to furnish the following brands of fire hose, made by the Eureka Fire Hose company, which is the oldest and largest manufac- turer of fire hose in the world:
 Eureka New Surprise Jacket Hose, 70 cents per foot.
 Eureka New Peerless Jacket Hose, 70 per foot
 Guarantee, years.
 Test pressure, 45o pounds. Terms, to suit the city. '"rhe Milner & Kettig Co. proposed to replace any hose that should prove defec- tive within four years from delivery. The said guarantee to be given by the Eureka Fire Hose company, and endorsed by the Milner & Kettig company.
 'HThe fire committee, with the aid, advice and consent of your chief of the fire de- partment, decided to reject both of the above named bids, and to accept in place of them a bid from the Fabric Fire Hose company of New York as follows:
 "400G feet of fire hose, made by the Fab ric Fire Hose company, which the latter claimed to be as good as their Keystone Brand, which is the brand of some Of the hose that was recently purchased. The price purchased at is 80 cents per foot.
 "Terms, six months without interest ana interest at per cent. for three years 'hele- after. Test pressure, 45o
 Difference of s4OO
 'You will note from the above that the May and Thomas Hardware company or fered hose at roc, which they guarantee for five years, and the Milner and ketting company offers hose for roc which they guarantee to replace within four years and yet your committee decides to purchase a hose from a foreign corporation. at 10c per foot more than the home bidders of- fered.
 Mot counting interest. there is clear difference of $400 between the New York corporations bid and the bid of the home people. Computing the interest, the dif- ference would be considerably more than $400.
 ''Your petitioners are residents of Bir- mingham, own large property interests In this city, and consequently pay consldefa- ble taxes into your treasury. We cannot understand why your committee deliberate ly discriminates against your petitioners, and it seems to us that the fact that we are residents of this city ought not to bar our proposals from being considered In a spirit of fairness and justice
 ''We are informed that in the letting Of public contracts, it is customary to award the same to the lowest responsible bidder vet it appears to us that your committee has reversed the usual order of things, and awarded this contract to the highest bidder. Bs
 ''XYe understand that the chief of the fire department advised your committee not to buy our hose, notwithstanding the fact that all the brands that we proposed to furnish are, well known all over the United States and Europe, and notwith- standing the further fact that the Eureka Fire Hose company is the largest fire hose company, and has sold over 20Oo,OOO feet or their brands of fire hose to the leading fire departments in the country. 2l6,SoO feet or Eurekd hose is now in use in the city Of Philadelphia alone. -1t
 'It is claimed by some of your commit tee that the hose we offered is known as cheap hose and that the hose purchased from the Fabric company is a higher grade and higher priced hose. We submit ocu- lar proof to your honorable body that the hose just purchased from the Fabric Fire Hose company, known as their Keystone brand or it's imitation (we understand that the imitation was purchaseD at soc per foot is not known Soc hose, but is 59c hose. We have the following proposal in our possession. addressed to the city coun- cil of Americus, Ga, and signed by the same gentleman who represents the Fabric Fire Hose company, in which the Genuine Iy of Americus at 64c per foot in lots of 800 feet, and with two play pipes and one dozen spanners, and the repairing of an old play pipe, thrown in gratis
 Copy of Proposal
 ''We submit a copy of the proposal as follows, and have the original with us if you wish to see it:
 Office of Fabric Fire Hose Company,
 '6S Murray Street,
 New York, May 13 1899. Honorable Mayor and City Council, Americus, Ga:
 'Gentlemen:-We hereby allow you a dis count of 1G cents per foot on the 50o feet of Keystone fire hose this day quoted you at 80 cents per foot. Consequently this hose will cost you GA cents per foot, net deliv- cred, coupled complete as per cooperating proposal The sundries quoted as being furnished gratis as stated
 Sincerely hoping you will find it consist ent and to your interest to avail yourself Of this offer we remain, very truly yours,
 FABRIC FIRE HOSE CO,
 (Signed) By P. O. Hebert.' "
 'The gratis thrown in with the above offer amounts to about $25. This makes the genuine Keystone Hose cost the city of Americus 59 cents per foot, making a difference between the price made the city ot Birmingham and the price made the city of Americus, Ga, of SS40 the 4000 feet purchased
 "The Americus proposition mentioned above was read to your council some months ago when fire hose was purchased, and its genuineness was admitted by Mr. Hebert, who represents the Fabric Fire Hose company before you today. This proposition was made last May, but we are informed that little or no advance in the price of this class of goods has occurred since that time.
 If your honorable body desires to pur- chase the Fabric Fire Hose company S hose at the regular market price, which ap- pears to be 59 cents per foot, we do not object, but citizens and taxpayers, your