Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1907-10-31
FACTS THAT ARE FACTS

FACTS THAT ARE FACTS
About the Letting Of the Contract for the
New IaiI.
Editor Tazewell Republican,
Dear Sir:-In your last issue there
appears an article entitled: State
ment of Facts" with regard to the let
ting of the contract for the new iail,
and as my name is connected Herewith,
and as Taxpayer, whose name is
signed to this article, fails utterly to
deal in facts, desire space in your pa
per to reply. First, wish to say that
Taxpayer" instead of giving facts,
has given exactly the reverse, so far as
the letting of the Jail is concerned, and
in order that the people may have the
facts, quote, both what my bid and
what Taxpayer" says it was An ex-
act copy of my bid is as follows:
"Tazewell, Va, June I'd, 1905.
ITO the Board of Supervisors and
Building Committee for the County
of Tazewell, State of Virginia,
Gentlemen
beg to say, will do the stone work
on Jail building, according to specifica-
tions, for $3.50 per cubic yard. Con-
crete for $3.50. Tamping and excavat-
ing for 25 cents each per cubic yard.
Brick furnished and laid in the walls
for $l4.00 per thousand, measured in
the walls. This is with understanding
committee furnish on ground any dirt
which may be needed for filing. in ex-
cess of what may be excavated, if any.
1t is further understood that | propose
to do stone and brick work at above
prices, if can be allowed to do the
woodwork, furnishing the materials for
same, which will do at fair price.
If committee thinks bid for woodwork
and materials too high, or refuse from
any cause to award me that part of the
contract, this bid to be void. Would
give bid as a sum-total if I could have
gotten plans from which to figure.
yours &C.,
"a. G. KIsER."
What Taxpayer" says was my bid,
is as follows:
THE board advertised for bids for
the entire work, and only one bid was
filed--hy A. G, Kiser. That bid was
for the carpenters or woodwork. His
bid, however, was conditioned upon get
ting the brick and stone work also,
uithouf otof;por - fbo hid 30 ,,,L.A -.
the stone and brick work would be done.
The board could not accept the indefi-
mite and uncertain bid made by Mr..
Kiser. At the same time bids were re-
ceived for the brick work, but none for
the stone work. The brick work was
awarded to the lowest bidder, whose
bid was much lower than any of the
several others offered. 1t was then
determined to build the Jail with me-
chanics and laborers paid by the day,
to be superintended by a competent
mechanic, &C."
do not quote the whole of the arti-
Gle, because it has nothing special to do
with the bidding. Now, let the reading
public say whether or not Taxpayer
is dealing in facts. In the first place,
the board never advertised for bids for
the entire work, if they did it was in
some foreign journal, for make it my
business to look for such things in all
the periodicals that read, and ! have
interviewed the editors of both papers
published in the town of Tazewell, and
and neither of them can point me to
any such advertisement as having ever
appeared in either paper. If it did, ]
will give a handsome sum for a copy
thereof.
, In my communication of December
26th, 1906, stated ''the facts" with
regard to what passed between myself
and the chairman of the board. He
to me that they had made up their
minds not to let it to contract. That is
another evidence that it never was ad-
vertised, for why should they, when
: they had already made up their minds
to do something else?
Now, Taxpayer" claims that the
brick work was let to the lowest bidder.
Mr.. c. F. Kits was awarded the brick
contract at first, but from some cause
(which do not know threw it up, and
then the work was given to James
Cousins. According to Taxpayers"
statement Kits would be the lowest
bidder, and it is to be presumed that he
was lower than Cousins, or else Cousins
would have gotten it at first. I wrote
Mr.. Kits bid and should know whether
or not he was lower than myself, anc
Cousins tells me that he received ST. q
per thousand for furnishing the sand