The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-27

John =. erode, president of the board
of public works, in an interview, eX-
ploded the claim made by Col. F. p.
Wright in one of his political speeches
that the contracts for work for the
city are being let to friends having
connections with the gang"
Mr.. erode showed from the records
of the board of public works. which
makes awards of more contracts than
any other department of the city, the
utter untruthfulness OF the claim made
by Wright. Not only do the records
disclose that the board of public works
has no friends when contracts are con-
Sidered. but they show that in the
cases of six streets, which are taken
at random from those which have been
paved with asphalt in recent years,
that the board has effected a saving in
asphalt paving alone on these streets,
of $24439
BY readvertising for bids in cases
where the tenders did not look right to
the board for sewers and for the paw
ing of certain streets, the board has
Furthermore saved to the city $3,337.54
But the most striking reduction in
the contract price and the consequent
saving to the city's taxpayers is in the
department of street lighting. Here
the Democratic city council effected a
saving of $23.310.O5 in the single year
of 1904 AS compared with former
prices paid, these figures, when reck-
Oned as an absolute saving to the city,
are simply colossal, and it is pointed
out that had the board or council any
friends to care for in letting of con-
tracts they would not insist on read
Afe~., III
prOvements and the steady forcing
down of charges for public utilities.
Instances Are Given.
In the matter of paving, Payne ave-
nue., South Wabasha and South Rob-
ert are taken as specimen instances.
The contract for paving Payne avenue
was ordered July Is, 1901, by a Repub-
lican board of public works. Mr.. erode
being the only Democratic member of
the board. The price per square yard
for paving Payne avenue was $3.50.
Jan. s, 1902, the old board awarded q
contract at $3.50 per square yard for
paving with asphalt South Wabasha.
May 26, 1902 the board as at present
constituted. contracted with an asphalt
company at $2.3S for the paving of
South Robert street, the general av-
erage paid for the asphalt paving of
the three streets being $239 Ia per
square yard.
The council having ordered Ninth
street paved on Jan. 5, 1903. the board
awarded the contract at $1.85 per yard,
asphalt being specified.
March 80, 1908, the Democratic board
established asphalt paving on EX-
change street at $50 per yard, and on
April 81, of the same year, 1t contracted
for the paving of University avenue at
$1.88 per yard, the average for the
three streets under the Democratic
regime being $1.87 2-3 per square yard.
Applying the old prices to the new
paving, there has been saving of $24,-
439 to the taxpayers of the city.
During the life of the present board
city $3,337.54 in readvertising for bids
for the construction of certain sewers
and the paving of streets. In a number
of instances the bids looked suspicious
ly high to the board and it called for
new bids, in the case of a sewer on
East Fifth street advertising three
times before making an award of the
contract.
More Money Saved.
BY readvertising the board saved:
On paving Exchange street, from Cedar
street to Smith avenue, $1,143,53; sewer
on Central and Sherburne avenues,
$3.50; sewer on Aurora avenue, 1851;
sewer on Fairfield avenue, 1856; Stryk-
er avenue sewer system, 1872; East
Fifth street, $4,000, and on Lexington
and Summit avenues, 1929, making a
total net saving to the city Of st. Paul
of $S,937.54.
"The board of public works." said
Mr.. erode, IF it had favored anybody
or given its contracts to it's friends,