Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-08-06
WILL TRY IT AGAIN.
Ditch dsat:sCk broken and eff.
Gals agree to re-adyertlSe

Gals agree Is re-advertlse
A compromise was finally eff
fected yesterday between Co.
Auditors r. V. lnnis, of Potta-
wattamie county and B. F. Huff
of Harrison county, and the
boards of supervisors of the two
counties, as the result of which
all of the bids for the construc-
ton of the Willow creek, Allen
creek and the Boyer cutoff
drainage bitches were rejected
and the auditors of the two coun-
ties authorized to readvertise
for new bids. The time for the
completion of the work on the
drainage bitches was extended
by the board from July /, 1904,
to May l, 1905.
The action of the auditors and
the supervisors, the one in re-
jecting the bids and the other
in extending the time, was
brought about after three days
of dispute over the ditch bids.
The supervisors declared that
the action of the auditors in let
ting the contract for the con-
struction of the ditch on differ
ent terms from those which had
been outlined by the board was
illegal. The auditors in retail
alton declared that no contrac-
ting firm could finish the work
lin the time named in the speci-
fications drawn by the boards.
COMPROMISE BY TELEPHONE.
The telephone bell between
Logan and Council Bluffs was
kept busy ringing for nearly an
hour yesterday by the members
|of PottaWattamie and the Har-
rison county boards trying to
agree on acourse of action. The
date, May l, 1905, as a time linn
it, was finally agreed upon.
By the compromise the bids
which were received by Audi
tors Innis and Huff and opened
in the office of County Auditor
Innis last Saturday, are all re-
/ jected. The award of the con-
tract to the Chicago Canal Con-
struction company foi. the con-
struction of the Willow creek
branch of the drainage system
at 81 cents a yard was annulled
as was also the award of the
Allen Creek and Boyer cutoff
sections to R. A. Brown & Co.,
of Washington, Ind, for the
same contract price.
/ DELAY OF SIX WEEKS.
The letting of the contracts
for the Constructions of the ditch
es is thus necessarily delayed
for nearly six weeks. The au-
ditors of the two counties will
have to agree on a form of no.
tice to the contractors, and then
by the provisions Of the drain
age laws of Iowa at least thirty
days must be given to allow the
contractors to file their bids.
This will delay the construction
of the work, but under the con-
ditions both the auditor and the
members of the board now agree
that the rejection of the bids
was a wise step to take.
t'The matter was referred to
County Attorney Killpack" sta
ted Auditor Innis in eXplana-
ming the compromise yesterday,
"and he declared that to con-
tinue with the awards which had
been made would in all proba-
bility precipitate litigation, and
delay construction of the ditch
es considerably more than a
slight delay at this time. Aud
itor Huff and myself will read
vertise right away, and will set
as early a date for the letting
of the construction as the law
i allows"
FEAR INJUNCTIoNs.
| Those who are interested in
the construction of the big drai-
mage system fear considerable
delay on account of impending
injunctions, applications for
which are now on file in the dis
trict court. The petition in the
case instituted by Logan Craw-
ford, of Harrison county will be
filed some time during the week
Attorney S. B. Wadsworth is
now drawing up the instrument,
and in it are a number of allie
cations of incompetency and
carelessness on the part of those