The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1902-07-14
The Fire Committee Now Against
Accepting the Anchor Brand Hose
Has Found Out q Few Things Since
the Investigation Began
Meets Today.
MAY PAY A LOWER PRICE.

The fire committee Of the general
council is meeting at the city hall this
afternoon, and will refuse to accept
the hose recently ordered from the
National Inaia Rubber Company, of
New York, which has been the subject
Of much discussion in the city for the
past two weeks.
The public is probably familiar with
the facts connected with the hose deal.
The city bought $500 feet of Anchor
Brand at sl.05 foot, and one of the
stipulations in the contract is that the
hose is as cheap as it was ever sold to
any other city.
About June IS, Mayor Yeiser and
the committee were informed that the
same hose had been offered to Cairo at
80 cents, and quietly began an inves-
tigstion.
They did not want Paducah to have
to pay more than other places could
obtain the same hose for. The inves-
tigation has proceeded slowly, but
surely, since then, portion of it
being public, and at present the con-
clusion that some Of the committee
seem to have formed is that there is q
those trust" and that hose companies
seem to have q general understanding
with each other about prices.
The committee sent out to many
cities circular letters making inquiry
regarding the hose, and has received
quite q number of replies, and as one
of them stated this morning, they have
Learned a great deal about hose"
and one thing is that the prices are
likely to he most anything.
''Much Of the hose" declared one
OF the committeeman this morning,
I'VE have learned since we began this
investigation, was offered to Cairo at
from so cents to 81 foot, while none
of it was offered here at anything I'M
der a dollar, scarcely"
This morning Councilman Mills Of
Bardwell arrived in the city and ap-
peared before the committee. He
stated under oath that tine National
Rubber company made Bardwel an
offer of the same hose purchased by
Paducah at 90 cents, with an under
standing with one Of the councilmen
that the company would knock off 10
per cent more, if necessary, bringing it
down to SO 1-2 cents.
The committee is also satisfied that
the same hose was offered Cairo at so
cents, although it has no positive
proof, as the samples, bids and all are
gone, and the only thing they have to
rely on is the memory or opinions Of
the city officials there.
Chairman Hummell will according
ly recommend that the city reject the
hose at the price agreed on. si.o5. and
will probably be sustained by the
other members of the committee. II
the company is willing TO make the
city the price of SO cents, the hose
may be accepted.
The committee has not been able to
find any place where the hose was
sold for less than sl.o5, and it is not
known whether the hose concern will
make a fight on this or not, the con-
tract specifying that the price shall be
as low as that "sold" to any other
city. and not simply as that Offered"
some other city.
Later-The mayor shortly after U
O'Clock this afternoon after a star
chamber session of the committee, tel
egraphed the National India Rubber
Co. cancelling the order for the hose.