The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-11-22
PLANS Will Be CHANGED
Acceptance Of Best Proposal Leaves
Not Enough to Complete
Building.
From Wednesdays Daily Gazette.

OUT VI the OiuludIy were expected u
%eventuate. A large sprinkling of the
visitors was composed of those active
ly engaged in the building trade or it's
various branches, who were, perhaps,
more interested in the business at
hand than even the mebmers of the
council themselves, for to some of
them it meant much-bids for con-
structing the new city hall were to be
opened. Only five proposals were
submitted. E. H. Gagnon, the Bill
ings Lumber company, j. P. Martini,
Shackleton & Whiteway, Butte, and
Foley & Grow being the ones who
thought they could submit figures
that would make it an object for the
city to consider their propositions.
Before the regular business meet
ing opened the mayor and the seven
aldermen who subsequently answered
roll call held an executive session in
the little sleeping oom off the main
chamber. What the nature of the
conference was none was permitted to
know. Upon call of the names it was
found that Cothron was absent.
After the minutes had been read
White moved that the regular order
of business be waived and that the
opening of bids for construction of the
new city hall be given precedence.
Carried.
When opened the bids were found
to be as follows:
E. H. Gagnon, $50, 800.
Billings Lumber company, $31, 900.
J.. P. Martini, $31,997.S4.
S%hackleton & Whiteway, $2S.9s7.
Foley & Grow, $31,32O.
On motion all the bids were referred
to the building committee with in
structions to report at the next regu-
lar meeting of the council.
AS none of the bids is for more than
the bare building itself the council is
confronted by the perplexing ques-
ton of how it can remain within the
ILL VI PcH,OVV, OCyoAu "A1S1 IL Ado
decided not to go, and still provide
vault doors, Jail work, clock, furniture
and other i~ncidentals not entering
into the actual construction of the
building proper. Mr.. Carter, n Of
the architects who prepared the plans
and specifications, gave it as his opin-
ion that the building complete in ev-
cry respect, except the clock, could be
constructed for $4,000 and still leave
a fair margin of profit for the builder.
After discussing the matter with
the other members, Connolly, who
moved to refer the bids, now moved
a reconsideration and that all bids
be rejected because they exceeded the
limit, and that the architects be in
structed to so modify the plans and
specifications as to permit of the sub
mission of proposals coming within
the limits of $4,000.
Reynolds said that already the
council had given the archi-
tects one opportunity to modi-
fly their plans and specifications
SO that they would insure submission
of bids for the completion of the build
ing within the limit fixed by the coun
Gil. They had failed to do this, not
w~ithstanding their promise that such
would be the result of changes they
would make, and now if it was pro-
posed to give them another chance
the council should have some sort of
a guarantee that another failure would
not be recorded. If they failed again
the council would be justified in en-
ploying other architects.
This was the extent of the remarks
made on the motion, which was then
put and prevailed.
Bills were reported favorably by
the finance committee and ordered
paid. One bill, for burying a hog, call
ed forth a vigorous protest from Reyn-
olds, who said it was in violation of
the ordinances to keep hogs in the
city and he desired that the ordinance
prohibiting maintenance of such pets
within the corporate limits be enforc-
ed.
A bill for an ordinance compelling
hacks and drays to sand on the south
side of Montana avenue, between
Twenty-seventh and Twenty-eighth
streets, was read for the second time.
BY unanimous vote the rules were sus-
pended and the ordinance was put up
On Its passage.
A delegation of draymen was pres
ent and a couple Of them entered a