The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-03-22
NOW FOR OPEN COMPETITION.

Now that Judge Brents has decided
that the city council has no legal right
and open competition, the most sens
ible thing for the council to do is to
submit gracefully to the decree of the
court and throw open all contracts for
paving in the future to the widest COM
petition. To appeal to the supreme
court would be an outrageous waste of
the peoples money to uphold a con-
tention that is not approved by a ma
jority of the taxpayers. If the Warren
Construction company wishes to have
highest court of the state, let that
company guarantee all the costs of the
appeal. The company would certainly
display unlimited gall if it should call
upon the city to make an expensive
fight for the privilege of awarding con-
tracts to the Warren company. OF
or financial interest in the awarding of
the contracts except as a taxpayer, and
there would be no justification for the
use of money from the city treasury to
fight the battles of private, patented
monopoly.
The city of Portland has had much
the same experience as Walla Walla
with the Warren paving monopoly.
For several years no other company
has been able to get contract in
Portland The taxpayers have been
loudly protesting against this favort-
ism, which many have denominated
graft. and the city council is at last
beginning to give heed to these pro-
tests.
The following editorial from We'd
nesday's Oregonian will throw light on
the situation in Portland and it should
be read with profit by Walla Walla's
city councilmen:
THE city council will do an act of
simple justice to property owners and
street contractors if it shall pass an
ordinance to be reported tonight
throwing open to competition all street
paving which comes under the generic
title 'bituminous- macadam' The stu
alton in brief is this: One paving COM
pany has for several years enjoyed a
complete monopoly of this class of
paving. because the city ordinances
make provision for "bitulithc" pave
cadam pavement laid by the 'bitulithic'
company. This concern has given its
trademark to the work done and ma
terials supplied by it. and therefore no
other company can lay bitulithic pave
ment. But any other can lay bitumin
ous-macadam pavement. if the council
council has already manifested an in
tention to do it by directing that an
ordinance to that end be framed and
submitted for it reconsideration. |
There is no branch of public work |
subject to so much abuse and wrong as
street paving. There is no form of !
contract into which the city enters that |
should be so free from all suspicion of
Juggling. or favoritism. or trickery /
There should be open and full compe-
tition in all kinds of street contract
work; there should be no combinations
among contractors. no collision with
city officers. no schemes for defrauding,
the taxpayer by cheap materials or in
efficient work All these varieties of
swindling Portland has had to contend
with. in one form and another. in times
past; so that all measures that are de-
signed to put contracts for street work
on a correct basis will be regarded with
favor by the public. The bituminous-
macadam or bitulithic is a very desir-