The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-06-16
Board of Works Refuses to
Award Contract for Paving
and VIII Readvertise.
Contractor Makes Break With Ameri-
can Organization but May Yet Get
Contract From the Council.

BY forming a combination with the
Barber Asphalt company, P. J. Moran
yesterday outbid that concern on four
big paving jobs. Last night the board
of public works. at the diCtatiOn of
Mayor Ezra Thompson. rejected Nor
ans bids and decided to TeadVertise.
The break between Moran and the
American" administration is com
plete, though there is still a prospect
that MOran's majority in the council
composed of a minority Of the "Ameri-
cans" the Democrats and the lone Re
publican-will still attempt to award
him the contracts, Notwithstanding the
action of the board of public works.
On three of the four streets Moran
and the asphalt trust bid once before.
Then the trust was the lowest bidder.
Yesterday the new bids were opened;
Moran was low bidder. and the trust
was high bidder. Moran's low bid on
the three streets was S11,459.40 higher
than the trusts low bid the last time.
That means that his bid on the paving
with a 10-year guarantee and with
reinforced concrete cuTbing was that
much higher: his bid on a five year
guarantee and plain CuTbing varied
somewhat, but throughout his bid was
higher than Of the trusts low bid be-
fore.
Trusts Bids Are Very High.
The trust OH the other hand was far
and away higher in it's last bids than
it was in it's first bids 1t is this
fact which caused Mayor Thompson
and his satellites to charge Moran and
the trust with collision. and to deter
mine that Moran should not have the
contracts. As an example of the trusts
bidding, it's bid on paving State and
I Fourth South streets. which are incfud-
/ ed in one contract, was S10,00S.30 higher
this time than it was before. Moran's
bid OF the work was s9344.50 lower
than it vas before. but it was still
S4796.90 higher than the trusts bid be
fore when it Outbid him.
This same rule prevailed or each
and every bid. The figures here quoted
are on the basis of reinforced concrete
Curbs. and the other figures differ
somewhat.
Only three of the four streets bid
upon yesterday were bid upon in April:
but taking the same basis for the
fourth street-Second South from Third
! to Tenth East-and MOran's bids yes
terday were S23, 282 higher than had
the trust been awarded the contract
for the four streets in April.
Thompson Declares War.
The bids were opened yesterday
morning at 10 o'clock. Mayor ThOmp-
son was present to look on. After they
had been opened an adjournment was
taken until o'clock last evening to
/ give City Engineer Kelsey time to
| tabulate the bids The mayor knew,
however, without waiting for the tabu-
/ latiOn, the condition of affairs and he
/ stTaightway got into consultation with
/ his board of public works, the members
/ of which are his appOin tees, and issued
/ summary orders that when the board
met again the bids of Moran should be
/ rejected.
/ The board met at o'clock with
/ Chairman Fred J. Leonard presiding.
1 All were present except c. P. Brooks.
/ The mayor sat at the right hand of
/ Chairman Leonard. He was there 10
/ see that his orders were Obeyed. and
/ they were Obeyed.
/ The tabulated bids were read. and
| S. NJ. Barlow. the mayors brother-in-
/ law, moved that all bids be rejected.
/ There was no second for awhile c. D.
/ RCOklidge said that Second South
street, not having Deen bid upon before.
should be awarded to the lowest bidder.
/ He made a motion to that effect and
/ W. J. HaIlOran seconded it. City En-
| gineeT Kelsey. in answer to a question.