Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1903-08-06
1--WE HAD 4 DRAINAGE DITCH
BUT lT GOT AWAY"

BUT lT GOT AWAY"
Officials in klix-up and Contract
Award Matter May be Held
up for Several Days
1t requires the ability of a
real bright Philadelphia barris-
ter to ascertain just what the
existing conditions are today
in the matter of the awarding
of the contracts for the con-
struction of the big drainage
bitches.
Yesterday the members If
the Harrison and Pottawattamie
county Boards of Supervisors,
Commissioner j. K. McGavren
and Supervising Engineer los
tevein took issue with Auditors
Huff and Innes in relation to
the awarding of the contracts
yesterday, the bone of conten-
ton being the extension of
time granted the successful
bidders and if such permit
stands the contractors are to
have until July first, 1905, tc
complete the bitches, the OBJ
jectors claiming the extension
of the time being directly con-
trary to the specifications Of
the bids. A ten days truce has
been declared and it is thought
some satisfactory settlement
can be effected by that time.
Today's World Herald has the
following to say regarding the
matter:
The award of contracts for
the construction of the joint
Harrison-Po ttawattamie county
drainage bitches by County
Auditors Innes and Huff has
led to a deadlock between I'll e n
and the boards of Supervisors
of the two counties over the
question of extending the time
for the completion of the bitches
from July l, 1904, to July l.,
1905. The county auditors,
after canvassing the question
with the contractors who bid
on the work, yesterday after
noon came to the conclusion
that it was impractical to re-
quire the completion of the
work by July /, 1904, the date
fixed by the boards of super
visors of this and Harrison
counties, and they accepted the
bids of contractors who con-
ditioned their propositions up
on the extension of the time
one year.
When the question was laid
before the boards of supervis-
ors of this county and Harrison
county, the latter being here
yesterday afternoon, they de-
cided not to make any extern
sion of the time limit. At
least they declined to do so
yesterday, although they adj
mitted that this decision was
not necessarily final. The posi-
ton of the supervisors was
taken largely in Difference to
the desires of the property
owners interested in the con-
struction of the bitches, who
are very anxious that the
bitches shall be completed next
year. Auditors Innes and Huff
declined to reconsider their
action in awarding the con-
tracts, and when the supervis-
ors adjourned last evening the
matter stood in that condition.
Auditors Innes and Huff, to-
gether with the county attor-
neys of the two counties, met
to take up the ditch matter
yesterday morning. 1t was
found that the bid of B. P.
Wickham was the only one
which conformed exactly with
the specifications. Mr.. Wick
ham simply referred to the
specifications in making his
bid and attached no qualifying
conditions. 1t was claimed by
Auditor Huff, of Harrison
county, however, that Wickham
had not filed any bid with him,
and therefore could not be con-
sidered as having bid on the
Harrison county part of the
Willow Creek and Allen Greek
bitches. Mr.. Wickham in
cluded in his bid a proposition