Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-06-12
Council Stands on Strict Tech
nicality and Will Have to Pay
S162.25 More For Poles
AWARD TO kREuTzER & wAsEM
But Bid on Thirty-five Foot Poles. of
Which City Uses Greatest Number,
is Higher by 1888 Than on Private
Sale Bid = Herman Declares That
Poles Are No Good.

The council Monday night settled the
electric light pole controversy once and
for all, awarded contract to Kreutzel
& Wasenn, and stands to lose $162.2'
by not accepting the same firms bid al
private sale, made to the committee
The council has stood on strict tech
nicality, but will lose money. Four bids
were received by Clerk Derby, but only
t.so of them, Kreutzer & Wasem and
c. "A. Buchwald, were In accordance
with the specifications.
AT the last adjourned session of the
May meeting the council reconsidered
its action of the meeting before, in ac-
cepting bid of kreutzer & Wasem for
the poles, made to Chairman Clark, OF
the waten works and electric light
committee Mr. Clark snapped UP the
bid because he knew the value of poles
and knew that the firm was away un-
der the present market price for poles
of which the city would need the
greatest nurnber. Mr.. Herman object
ed because the committee had taken
upon itself the responsibility of buying
the poles, and not submitting the con-
tract to advertised bids, as is techni-
cally correct. He insisted on this be-
ing done, and the council granted his
wishes.
kreutzer & Wasem's old bid was 81
for twenty-five foot poles So for thirty
foot and $3.50 for thirty-five foot poles.
Their bid opened Monday night was
$1.75 for twenty-five foot; $2.75 for
thirty foot, and $3.50 for thirty-tive
foot poles The committee estimates
that it will need during the remainder
of the fiscal year twenty-five of the
shortest poles, a like number of the
thirty-foot size. and seventy-five of
the thirty-five foot length. This num-
Der under the old bid would have
amounted to s3S7.5o. Under new bid
they will cost $549.75. or difference of
$162. 25 in favor of kreutzer & Wasem
and against the city. Mr.. Wasem says
that the only reason he quoted the thir-
ty-five foot poles lower in the first
place was that he had bought them
when the market Vas down, and had
not been advised of the advance when
he made Mr.. Clark a bid at private
sale
Herman Says They Are No Good.
Mr.. Herman took exceptions to state
ments published at the time of the last
meeting to the effect that the city
would probably lose $150 or more as a
result of not letting the contract on the
original bid. He said that because the
twenty-five and tllirtyfoot poles were
now purchased at lower figure, they
would average up with the longer var
iety, and the city would not be out Of
pocket. The committee, however, can
not possibly figure it that way.
Mr. Herman was plain and outspok-
en- in paying his respects to Kreutzer &
Wasem. He said that they didn't
have a pole in their yard fit to use, and
that the thirty-five foot poles were rot
ten from top to bottom"
The committee took short recess to
go over the bids before reporting the
award On adopting the committees
report all voted aye.
Bids were also received Monday
night for electric light supplies, but
the committee was given until the next
to report the lowest bid The
Western and Fort Wayne
Electric companies, the Electric Appli-
ance Company, and the Barker & Blu
chanan Plumbing Company were the
bidders on the supplies.