Rock Island Argus., 1905-10-28
ALL IN COMBINE?
That is What Some Aldermen
Now Think of Pump
Bidders.
WINNER WAS CERTAINLY NEXT
tisine Is Further lIlustra-
ted.

NOTlu ana price so lar as the success
ful bidder in the pump deal is concern
ed, the more the aldermen who kept
themselves clear of the combine, reflect.
the more do they become convinced
that the pump that won was lit" so to
speak, from the first
Indeed the question that is entering
the minds of some is if there really
was any competition among the bidders
that were permitted TO submit propo-
sitions. After the exclusiveness thai
was thrown about the opportunity TO
bid. and the pairing down process had
been gone through with. there remain
ed but three pumps before the council
tor consideration. The representative
OF one of these had for some reason de-
serted before the final vote came. This
left practically but two pumps before
the council when the time for action
was reached. and one of these had nor
been seriously considered in a general
sense The aldermen, therefore. who
voted negatively on the proposition TO
close the deal with the successful bid.
der. recorded themselves more against
opposition 10 the pump that was select
ed. If. as has been suspected. the few
remaining bidders were in reality in a
combine. the reason is all the more
clear that the city should in the first
place have widened the scope of oppor-
tunities TO bid sufficiently TO admit OF
many more bids than were actually
submitted.
Goes Back Some Time.
The whole matter therefore goes
back TO the time the city originally
took up consideration of the pump pur
chase question. AS is known the city
some time ago adopted the wise policy
of laying aside each year a certain
amount 20 go exclusively into the wa
terwOrks fund, to be applied. when
time should warrant. on the purchase
of new pump, it being realized that
in the natural course of events such
an emergency would have to be met.
Through some means. the alert repre-
sentative of the successful concern
has known all along every move that
mas been made in the direction of the |
pump purchase, and has made frequent |
visits here. In a word he has beea |
what the contractors term nursing
the Rock Island job. Pretty good evi- |
dence of how well he was acquainted
with what it was proposed TO expend |
here, was given by one of the alder |
men quoted on the pump deal in yes !
terday's Argus. who remarked that the |
fund 10 be spent was $4,000. and that |
the successful concerns bid was just |
S24 .S90. That is what might be termed |
just getting inside the money" And
in this is afforded strength TO the argu- |
uent of another alderman for readver |
usins. IF we had advertised again |
and given out the impression that we
were only going to spend 100000. the |
lowest bid might have been S19,990."
said the alderman.
For Ia From the First.
AS is known, a few of the aldermen |
were uncompromisingl for the Snow |
pump from the first. II may be that the |
Snow is the only one on the the mar |
ket that fits the peculiar requirements |
of the city of Rock Island, apart from /
he fact that in bidding it had ground |
1oor advantages that put il below al |
)ther bidders and yet pretty close up |
10 the amount that it was proposed to |
aNpe1d. As has been repeatedly said |
he pump that filled the bill in require
nents and price. and had loyal friends |
who We're willing to go the limit for ii /
rom the first did not need to resort TO |
outside influences to make good The |
fact that ii had the lowest bid and that /
L was just what was wanted, if such |
was the case. possessed sufficient |
merit to command the support that ii |
was entitled to. 1t was the fact that IL |
lid not seem content TO stand on its |
own bottom that aroused the indigna |
ion of some of the aldermen. one of |
" nom. as referred to yesterday, came 10 |
The Argus to express his condemna |
ton of what he said he knew was be |
ing done in its behalf. 1t should be |
said. however, this same alderman |
rushed into the combine lineup in time |
for 11th-hour repentance.
Phases to he Regretted.
These are the things together with |
the haste exhibited in closing up the |
deal without permitting a readvertising |
that might have brought lower bids |
without serious loss of time. that gives |
TO the transaction phases that are 10 /
be regretted.
Sunday at Y. M. c. 4.
Rev Marion Stevenson. superintenG