Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-01
PUBLIC WORK BY DAY LABOR
County Commissioner 0'Kssfs Insists that
it il Vast fdl.
TRIES TO INTRODUCE CONTRACT SYSTEM
Resolution TO Let CuIvert work Out
by Contract Fails to Secure
votes of other Commits
sioners, However.

ne question Of whether II is more eco
nomical to have construction and improve
ment work for the county done by con-
tract or by day labor under direct super
vision Of the county officers was presented
before the commissioner at their meeting
Of yesterday in a rather f~orceful manner by
Commissioner O'Keeffe and provoked con-
siderable discussion.
The subject was called forth by a report
from the county surveyor as to the con-
dltion Of brick ~culverts throughout the
county and the repairs and new work that
in his opinion are necessary.
When this report had been read Com
missioner O'Keefe introduced a resolution
providing that in future all work Of the
class recommended in the report be done
by contract, and in support Of the resolu-
ton he said that the county had under its
custom OF having work done by day labor
been paying very much more than the work
was worth and more than 1t would cost to
have Il done by contract. He cited one Job
Of filling which be said had cost the county
81 per yard, when as a matter Of fact so
cents per yard would have been a liberal
figure and any contractor would have taken
Il at that. He declared it had taken six
men a whole week to hll in 100 yards Of
SAOhNh ASNhH az 4NNhNASH WNe
pro and con at some length and finally the
resolution was put to a vote and was lost
Connolly Enters "a Protest.
Considerable controversy was aroused
among the members by a protest on the
part Of Commissioner Connolly against the
action OF some OF the other members in
authorizing John Hoy to substitute two
ring brick work for thlrty-inch pipe in the
construction Of a short sewer north Of the
Military road. It was explained to Mr..
Connolly that Mr.. Hoy had been unable to
secure pipe Of suitable quality and had so
reported to those of the members Of the
board whom he could find. There had been
no meeting of the board since that time,
but the members to whom the question had
been submitted authorized Mr.. Hoy to make
the change in material. Mr.. Connolly did
not so much object to the change in the
terms of the contract as the manner in
which It was made, and declared that 1t was
a violation OF the rules and customs OF the
board for individual members to change a
contract without action of the board. When
a resolution was presented authorizing the
change in the requirements OF the contract
Mr.. Connolly voted in favor OF II, as did
the other members.
Bids we're opened for the construction of
q seventy-fve foot culvert sewer near Ben
nington and II was found that in the six
bids there was a range in price from 1913
per lineal foot to $29.55 per lineal foot.
The contract was awarded &c Robert
Houghton. whose bid was s1S.13.
Bids from G. b. Ravens & Co. and the
Nebraska Fuel company to furnish soft
coal for use at the county charitable institu-
lions were opened and referred to the COM
mittees on poor farm and charity for tabu-
lation and report.
Coal for County Buildings.
4 resolution by COMMISSIONS ostrom in
structing the clerk to advertise for bids to
furnish anthracite coal for the court house
and jail was withdrawn in favor of a reso-
luton by Mr.. Harte. instructing the CLERK
to notify the Omaha Coal and Coke com
pany, with whom the county has a contract
still In force, to all up all the coal bins al
the court house and Jail. This resolution
was adopted. In that connection Mr.. HartS
explained that the contract with the Omaha
Coal and Coke company called for the de-
livery Of coal upon order OF the clerk al
the price of s9.15 per ton at any time within
q year from the date Of the contract. The
agent Of the company. he said, had beer
before the commissioner not long ago tc
uiS0 enom " At tue OOhPanJ HI W lut
bins and the order had been given, but the
coal had never been delivered. He though
he could see the reason for this in the fact
that anthracite coal had gone up to SIS &
ton and he thought the commissioner
should compel the Omaha Coal and Coke
eompany to carry out its agreement.
The pay rolls, amounting to S6,077.01
were approved and appropriation sheets
were passed covering the bills for current
expense.