The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-06-16

admitted that the Second South bid
was reasonable considering the engin-
GERS estimate.
Lost on Tie Vote.
The roll was called and the Rock
lidge motion was lost by tie vote as
follows:
Yeds:--IaIIOran, ROOkHdge.
Nays.-BaTlOw, Leonard.
The other three bids were then taken
up separately. Mr. HaIIorap inquired
if the bide came within the estimates
of the engineer. Mr. Kelsey said he
had not made the estimates for three
jobs. and ne did not Rave the former
engineers estimate with him.
Moran had been moving around tho
room restIessly. and here he cut in.
I'm 1000 lower than the estimate
of the engineer on these three jobs"
he declared.
L haven't the papers here" retOrted
Mr.. Kelsey, but I am inclined to ques-
ton that statement"
well, 7 have them here" came back
Moran, and 1 know what I'm talking
about. You may fool the board Of
public works, but you can't fool every
body
After Mr. Barlow had severely Criti-
cized the council FOr rejecting the pre-
viOus bids the vote was then taken on
each of the three contracts separately,
and the bids were rejected in every
case After awarding Hanley g. Ritchie
the contract for matchmaking Sixth
East street from South Temple to Third
South street fdE S2O919. Mr.. Leonard
suggested that the board readvertise
for the paving bids. Mr.. ROokiidge op-
posed this motion, claiming that it was
no use. The motion prevailed. how
ever
Council May Award.
City Engineer Kelsey and Mayor
Thompson claim that the action Of the
board Of public works in rejecting the
bids IS final; that the council cannot
award the contract over the boards
head. Lawyers who are familiar with
city affairs. and who were asked about
the matter last night. declared that
board acts only in an advisory capacity
il the matter. and that the council can
award the contract despite the board.
If the latter contention be true. Nor
an is still likely to get the contracts.
In a square test on the matter over
two weeks go, he had ten votes in the
council and the opposition had only
five. This IS enough. provided the
council has the power not only to
award him the contracts but, if neCes-
sary, to pass them over Mayor Thomp-
sens vote.
Each contractor stated in his bid how
many days II would require TO do the
work. Moran specified that it would
take him 800 days. OF until a year
from next August to complete the
Second South street paving.
Outsiders Refuse to Bid.
One peculiar feature of the bidding
vas the fact that Roscoe D Farmer.
representing the Cleveland Trinidad
Asphalt company Of Cleveland. O..
spent a week in Salt Lake. figured on
the work. and put in no bid man
named DUbbs. representing the Globe
Asphalt company Of Pittsburg. Pa. had
specifications sent to him to Provo
early this week. He arrived in Salt
Lake Thursday and refused to bid.
Whether these outsiders felt that
Moran had the contracts sewed up or
whether they were taken in on a COM
binatiOn by Moran and the trust no
body knows. Both left town yesterday
The new bids viii be opened July
g. It was decided to insert the adver-
tisement in eastern trade papers to see
! if eastern contractors cannot be in-
dUced to bid. OF course should tbs
council award Moran the contract
willy-nilly this action viii nullify the
new advertisement.