Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-06
CITY REJECTS
VOTING MACHINES
COUNCIL FINALLY DECIDES TO
REscIND CONTRACT WITH
UNIVERSAL COMPANY
Purchase Was Made Over Two Years
Ago-Negotiations Have Occupied
Intervening Time-History of the
Case.

From Tuesdays Daily
No voting machines for the city OF
Ottumwa! Last evening the city coun-
Gil adopted a resolution rejecting the
seven voting machines purchased from
the Universal Voting Machine Col
October 10. 1904, resembling the con-
tracts, and calling for the returning of
the machines to the Universal COM
pany, its successors or representatives.
After more than two years of com
promise delay and negotiations be-
tween the city council and the voting
machine company, the council has at
last taken definite action, refusing toll
retain the machines.
What result this step will have isl
not known as yet. 1t is the opinion OF
City Solicitor M. G. Gilmore that the
city cannot be compelled to retain the
machines, and they were refused after
the council had accepted his opinion on
this subject
Jaques & Jaques, who have acted asl
the attorneys for the voting machine
company during the negotiations with
the council stated this morning that
they had not heard from their clients
for some time, and that they had no.
statement to make in regard to the
councils action.
On October H. 1904 the city council
of Ottumwa purchased seven voting
machines from the Universal Voting
Machine company, Of Bloomington, Ill.
The machines were guaranteed to give
satisfaction. In the city election held
in the spring of 1905, the new machines
We're given their first trial In most Of
wards their work was fairly satisfac-
tory though some difficulty was ex-
perienced in counting the votes. How
ever, in the second ward, the machine
broke down and a large number of vot-
ers were prevented from exercising
their franchise in this manner.
June IL, 1905, the contract between
the company and the city was so modi-
fed that the company was given until
October l, to demonstrate that it's ma
chimes with new attachments that had
been made was up to the guaranty.
Time of Settlement Extended.
Again and again following this the
time for the final settlement was ex-
tended, the company being finally given
until June /, 1906, to perfect the ma
chine.
On July 3, w. A. Barr, secretary of
the company, proposed to the council
to purchase a thirty-six key machine
instead of the thirty key machine called
for in the old contract. The proposition
made at this time was referred to
committee of the whole meeting. On
Mr.. Barr had proposed that if no ac-
ton was taken in regard to purchasing
thet larger machines that nothing sbe
done at that time in regard to the old
| contract.
Present Counter Proposition.
| The committee of the whole present.
ed a counter proposition in which they
agreed to take no action for a year in
regard to refusing the machines, if at
the end of that time the voting ma
chine company would allow the city 10
accept or refuse the machines as the
council saw fit.
At meeting of the. board of direc-
tors of the Moline Voting Machine Co,
the successor to the Universal COM
pany, the proposition was refused. Mr..
Barr wrote to Alderman Keyhoe, chair
man of the committee of the whole, an
nouncing the refusal of the proposition.
This letter Mr.. Keyhoe read last
evening and announced with it the ac-
ton Of the committee of the whole,
taken July g., which had been that in
event the proposition then made was
refused, the city should fatty refuse to
accept the machines and should rescind
its contract.