The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-11-21
BET on FLOOR OF COUNCIL
Aldermen Have an Exiting Time Be-
fore Final Vote to Award the
Contract is Taken.-C1aims
Taxpayers Save Money

a. bitter struggle and in fact on the
first vote taken on the matter a large
majority of the aldermen voted to turn
Jones down, but after bitter argu-
n1ent of the question in which per
sonalities were dealt in by both Mayor
German and the members of the City
Cor neil, the Council voted to re.
cous.4er the matter and the contract
was given to Jones by unanimous
vote.
The matter was first brought to the
notice of the Council by the com
munication from Rasmussen & Sons
which was published in the News on
Monday and when this letter was pre-.
sented several of the aldermen were
on their feet to explain the reason
why the contract should be let to
Jones. The contractor himself was
also present and he addressed the
Council and stated that he had gone
ahead with the work on Fremont ave-
nue. only at the orders of the street
assessment committee and that at
first he had declined to start the work
until after the contract had been
regularly let to him.
! He stated that the members of the
committee had explained to him that
he was the low bidder for the contract
and that the Council would undoubt-
edly award it to him and that in order
to save for the taxpayers the gift
offered by the Chicago Brass Company
it would be necessary for the work to
be done this year. He stated that at
the urgent demand of the committee
he had started work, acting in good
faith and with the understanding
that he would certainly get the con-
tract for all pieces of paving he had
bid on. #
The city engineer and the alder
men stated that an examination of the
bids would show that Jones was by
far the lowest contractor so far as the
| taxpayers were concerned. 1t was
stated that the railway company was
to pay for large amount of the paw
ing on Market street and Grand ave-
nue., but that the railway company did
not pay anything toward the curling
of the streets and that the bid of Jones
was so much lower on the curb than
the bid of Rasmussen that the tax
payers would be saved fourteen cents
lineal foot by giving the Market
street contract to Jones. The matter
then went to vote and Jones lost by
decisive vote.
Then Mayor German took the floor
and declared that Rasmussen had
stated in the Council chamber that he
would not accept any part of the
contract unless he got it all. Here
came real funny incident. Alder
man Pirsch, who had opposed the
letting of the contract to Jones, de-.
clared that it was customary for Coun-
ellis to split up contracts and referred
to the fact that he had been low on a
bid for twenty-five wagons for the
Chicago Fire Department and been
given contract for but fifteen of
them.
Alderman Truax questioned the
statement and Pirsch at once said,
swell I'll bet you $40 to ST. that the
statement is true''. 1t was no time
for backing up and there in sight of
all the members of the Council the
money went up (no trading stamps or
certificates went). Pirsch will now
prove to the alderman from the Third
that his statement was correct.
There was all sorts of sorts of argu-
ments in regard to the contract IN
hand and the talk went back and forth
until finally the matter was recon;
sidered and the contract awarded to
Jones. Even Alderman Pirsch voted
for the contract on the last ballot but
he qualified his vote by stating that
he knew the Council was going to
give the contract to Jones regardless
OF his vote. This will permit Jones
to resume the work on Fremont ave.
nue. at once and it is expected that he
will complete the work between now
and the middle of December.
Alderman Tully and Mayor German
who went to Aurora to examine into
the use of the Sarco filler for paving
brought back such glowing reports of
the value of the filler that it was de-
cided to give it trial on Fremont
| avenue.
There was little business of interest
at the Council outside of the paving
fight. Engineer Afford, who is to
| have charge of the work of cleaning
up the kenosha river, made a short
talk to the Council but as he had
made no investigation the address
was of a preliminary nature. He will
begin work this morning aud get
plans for mprovements ready by the
next meeting of the Council.
The Council was asked TO grant per-
mission for the use of lunch wagons
on the street but this matter was re-
ferred to the committee On streets and
alleys and it will be taken up later.
Several ordinances providing for the
annexation of property in the town Of
Pleasant Prairie were brought before
the Council and they will be taken up