Fergus County argus., 1906-05-11
GRAFT CHARGES
IN DUBLIN NOW
LETTING OF CONTRACTS FOR IN.
TERNATioNAL EXPEDITION
CAUSES TALK.

Berlin, May 1O.-A lively contro-
versy is going on over the manner in
which the contracts for the interna.
ttonal exhibition to be held in Dublin
in the near future are being let. Just
at present the trouble appears to be
between the Dublin branch of the
Electrical Contractors association
and Mr.. Shanks, chief executive officer
of the international exhibition. 1t ap.
pears from the reluctant and evasive
answers of Mr.. Shank that the electric
work of the exhibition has been hand
ed over without competition to Mes
srs. William Coates & Son, of Bel
fast, who, by constantly recurring
coincidence, happen also to be large
guarantors of the funds. The build
ing was handed over in the same fash
ion to Messrs. Humphries of London,
and the advertising and number of
minor contracts are also said to have
y.
The question is naturally being raised
as to how the profits of those con-
tractors are to be checked in the alb
sence of tender and competition. and
how the interests of the ordinary guar
antors are to be protected. In the
closing of spirited correspondence
between the Dublin branch of the
Electrical Contractors association and
Mr.. Shanks appears this statement: ::
"A system of awarding important
contracts, without competition, to
large guarantOrs is not one which can
commend itself to the commercial
world"
Fine Exhibit Of Art.
The exhibition of modern art which
has been held recently at Belfast ri
vailed in interest the much talked of
Dublin exhibition of 18 months ago.
The idea of the exhibition arose when
the Watts pictures were in Dublin and
when it was hoped that the collection
might afterwards have been shown in
Belfast. This, however, was found to
be impossible, and it was proposed as
an alternative that the Watts pictures
be secured from private owners, and
to supplement these with a representa-
tive collection of modern pictures from
London and Paris along with the $780,
Of -
Mr.. Lane has offered to present to the
city of Dublin gallery. The result has
been really fine collection, all chos.
en- with the greatest care. and con.
tanning examples of the work of J. F,
Millet, Monet, Manet, Forrain, Degas,
Renor, Baron Legs, Purvis, Stevens,
Rossettl, Sargent and many other we'll
known names.
Within a few months, about July,
Dublin will see the Inauguration of
another remarkable undertaking
sprinSing from the philanthropy of
Lord Iveagh in the area which has
already benefited so largely from the
Ii. "A
of substantial buildings, or to be more
accurate, several blocks, are being
erected off Francis street on the site
which was formerly occupied by Sweet
mans brewery. They Will be employ
ed as a fruit, fish and vegetable mar
ket, an old clothes market, and as a
public wash house. The markets are
intended for the accommodation of
those humble traders who have hith-
erto piled their trade in the open air
in the adjoining neighborhood or in
small houses very i'll suited for the
purpose. The wash house is intended
FOR the use of the poor residents of
the district who may bring their
clothes there. and, enjoying all the
advantages of a frst-class laundry
pursue the various cleansing process.
es, including the final ironing. The
buildings when completed will be
handed over as a free gift to the Dub
lin corporation who, by a special act
of parliament passed in 1901, are EN-
powered to maintain them
Say the Gas is Poor.
Dublin, like many other cities, has
been having trouble over its gas. On
behalf of the gas companies, however,
w. F. Cotton, the manager, makes
the following statement:
Regarding the report that the gas
company is now actually giving it's
customers a gas inferior in quality
by the introduction of the Welsbach
ncandescent burner, l would say that
no alteration whatever has been made
IN the Illuminating power of the gas
supplied during the last 80 years. The
mode of testing is identically the
same. The burner used for testing is
the ordinary fiat flame burner which
has been in use for years. The test.
ing OF the gas is made with this fiat
flame burner by the officers appoint-
ed by the corporation and the board
of trade, and not as suggested with
the Welsbach incandescent burner. II
Is manifest that the present mode of
testing under the company's acts can
not be altered or interfered with in
any way without the intervention of
I'll;