The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-10
The Council and the Gas Works.

5IR J. nc %SOu1lSlA c1A4 tAAS 40 ~ ~ 49,
fSSasj Three months ago Richmond decided. to
and rebuild her Gas WORKS 7.r
bslt the city Is still struggling With; the l's
y problem how to carry out that Intention 70
II i would sshn to have been u simple
thing for the Council to appoint q COM
Smittee which could have secured IN three
" months enough inf formation upon when q
to cast an Intelligent VOTE Yet that IS
exactly what has not been donxs Last Las
night the Joint Committees on Finance 1'1'1'
q and Light, by a yobd Of thirteen to five,
went back to the first action OF the orr orr
Einal subcommittee and again elected
l5 A1essrs. *. w. Hunt & Company as the
i en- gineers to whom this important work
" should be entrusted. III " IS Is
Apparently r, w. IIunt 6 Company Is g
S nam, name, to }conj,re with. This firm was
selected at first without any compe ton q
when !, fol the sake Of formnllt , bids were
advertised for and the lowest bidderSWass 8
II selected, lie was found later to have no
satisfactory referenc es--and every II d.
4 cation pointed to his close afilli ation
& With r. w. Hunt & Co nnpally Having wing
4 made this smisstep the commit teet prompt
w retraced its course and to repair the
error again elected r. ". II Hunt g. Com
y pany. It was noteworthy that Mr. VI F.
Nv. & Miner, who was the chattt cham-y
sptionf Of this firm, could give no answer to
q Colonel Grundy's request for some specei--8
fic Instance OF successful gas cheering
e done ny Ndessrs. r.. ". Hunt & Company
Il 10 Mr. Miner it seemed quitN sufficient
2Ethht&the general freputa ton OF the firm RI
{ he was supporting was good. NJ
Il Alderman Dabney urged that; a eon-i
4 mission of citizens be given charge Of
i this work, ana his proposal was incon--
4 tinenty tabled. " M 55i " !.
s Alderman Blair said he wanted more
3 light before voting for q firm tina t would
Sdisb,lrse over half a million dollars. and
4 suggested commission of nye but heI
Il too, got no sympathy. Alderman Grundy
Z Offered a motionfthat n committee Of Ave
citizens be elected, who should only nomi-
& ma e Id consulting engineer, and his mo-
4 ton went the way of everything that
4 ssFor three months the Council commit
lee has dilly -dallied with this proposition.
* 1t has not followed such a course MS any
"A business man would have pursued, and
il now, at the end Of this long period, tho
Council finds .il5Glf. eehfronted with the
alternative Of either,taking firm whose
own champions can give no account OF
Its capacity, or going over the whole
tedious process of delay for another in-s
y definite period, So u far. tho committee,
has woefully bungled the whole affair
Not II man on the committee Ia compo-
tent to decide whether any set Of plans
Il Is suitable or scientifically correct. Not
!. a member Of tho committee understands
u the practical construction OF a. modern
gus plant, and no steps have been taken
10 secure an expert who can supply tho
!. committee with this information. Any
4 man engaged In his own business would
u have sought out by personal Interview q
consulting engineer to advise him in such
y matters. But the committee took the
! stStnan that offered, on his own recon-
4 mendntIon. No wonder Alcssrs Lynch,
White, Dabney, Grundy and Pollock arc
not willing to stand for any such nN,th-
DDS, When the report comes TO the Coun-
is Gil the first step should make provision
u for the selection of a consulting engineer
OF recognized ability, experience and
standing.
& Though tabled. Alderman Dabneys sug.
gestion OF a special commission 10 the hes.
solutlon that has yet been offered
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