The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1906-07-09
Special Meeting of East Chi
cago City Council to
Reconsider Bids.
BIG -FOUR ON THE ROCK
Taxpayers Only interested in Seeing
that Work is Done Cheaply
Quickly and Well.

The East Chicago city council viii
meet this evening at the city hall.
The meeting is TO be a special one,
called by the mayor under the stat
utes, to consider remonstrances on
the proposition to pave that portion
of Michigan avenue lying between
Indiana Harbor and Pennsylvania
railroads in Indiana Harbor This. is
the piece 'of paving on which five Of
the biggest and best paving con-
tractors in this section of the coun
try were influenced to offer bids at
the meeting of a week ago, at the
close of which meeting they all with
drew their bids, manifestly because
of their disgust at the manner in
which the O'Girr-Lewis clique are
trying to force their ideas upon the
other members of the city council
and the residents of East Chicago
and Indiana Harbor. their constitu-
ents
This is a matter in which the tax
payers of the sister town are vitally
| interested. The improvements are
desirable and those who eventually
1 viii have to pay for them, have no
interest further than to see that the
contracts are let TO the lowest bid
der, who guarantees to live up to
the specifications They the tax
payers, are on the verge of losing
patience with the councilmen who
in the direction of this or the other
firm of contractors for personal or
other reasons. 1t is generally con
ceded that the letting of contracts
torily if the taxpayers would take the
matter in their own hands or take
steps to see that their representa-
tives in the council do their duty by
those who elected them.
To the taxpayer, the only issue is
this:
Let the work be done as quickly,
as cheaply and as well as possible,
no matter who gets the contract.
Since the three years of work of
the people of Indiana Harbor in get
ting contractors to bid on the paving
job was thrown to the winds by the
hasty action of Alderman O'Girr in
causing the meeting to be adjourned
before these bids were considered, it
would seem foolish to hold the
special meeting scheduled for to-
night, but this explained by the fact
that, if there are no remonstrances
from the property owners along the
route of the proposed improvement
at the meeting tonight. the city car
again advertise for bids and award
the contract for the work without
the formality Of hearing the protest.
of property holders at that time.
There is no doubt that the "Bis
Four" of the council have lost mucl
Of their former prestige and follow
ing among the people by their rasl
actions at the meeting the Other
: evening. The people of Indian;
, Harbor are especially incensed a
: aldermen in the counciletaointaoil
. the modus operandi by which thes
aldermen have sought to run tn
council and the very business mel
who put these aldermen in the coun
Gil are now their most out-spokel
critics.
Not the least among these is J.
Mailing. who, as vice president an
general manager of the East Chicag
I, company, wields no small infiuenc
d among the business men of both tn
y cities of East Chicago and Indian
+ Harbor, which are under the sam
q municipal government.
It Mr.. Mailing is justly indignant a
s the actions of the O'Girr-Lewis fac
It ton at the last council meeting an
z for more reasons than one. Not onl
d was Mr.. Mailing one of the leader
e in the recent election fight which pu
o the present aldermen in their seat
"a but it was ne who approached tn
CONTINUED on page p