Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1907-11-01
FACTS THAT
ARE FACTS
About the Letting of the Con-
tract for the New Jail.


issue there appears an article enti led
statement of Facts with regard 10
the letting of the cCntrct for the new
Jail, 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 paper TO reply.
First, / wish. TO say that "Tax
payer, 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 facst, 1 quote, both my bid,
and what Taxpayer Sc VS. il was.
An exact copy of my bid is as fol-
lows:
Tazewell, Va, June =, 1905.
To the Board of Supervisors and
Building Committee, For the County
of Tazew ell, State of Virginia.
Gentlemen Beg To say, L will do
the stone work on Jail building. ac-
cording to specifications, for So. 90 per
cubic-yard. Concrete for S6. 90 lamp
ing and eXcavating for % cts, each
per. cubic yard. Brick furnished and
laid in the walls for $l4. 90 per thous-
and, measured in the walls. This is
with understanding committee fur
nish Cn ground, any dirt which amy
bc needed for filling, i'm excess of
what may be excavated,, if any. IL
Is further understood, that l propose
10 do stone and brick work at above
prices, if | can be allo wed 10 do the
wood work, furnishing the materials
for same, which l will do at fair
price. If committee thinks bid for
wood work and material too high, or
refuse from any cause TO award me
That part OF the contract, this bid TO
be void. Would give bid as sum
total, if [ could have gotten plans
from which TO figure.
Yours, ETC.,
A. G.. KISER.
What Taxpayer" says was my bid
is as follows:
THE board adv er. ised for bids for
the entire work, an only one bid was
filed-by A. G. K'ser. That bid was
for the carpenters or woodwork. His
bid, however, was conditinal upon
getting brick and stone work, also
without stating in the bid at what
price the stone ahd brick work would
be done TO-. The board could not ac-
cept the indefirite and uncertain bid
made by Nj. Kiser. At the same time
bids were received 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 of any of the severalothers
offered. 1t was then determined TO
build the Jail with mechanics and
labor paid by the day, TO be super
intended by competent mechanic,
etc."
do not quote the whole of tie
article, because il has nothing sped-
al 10 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 periodicals that / read, and /
have interviewed the editors of both
papers publi she'd in the town of
Tazewell, and neither of them can
point me to such advertisement as
having appeared ip either. paper. If
il was, i will give a handsome sum
for copy thereof.
In my communication of ofDec. 26th,
1906, | stated 1.-THE facts" with re-
gard to what passed between myself
and the chairman of the board.
He stated to me that they had
made up their minds not TO let it To
contract. That is another evidence
that it was not advertised, 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 bid
der. MIC. +. Kits was awarded the
brick contract, at first, but frcm some
cause (which L do not know threw
it up, and then the work was given
to James cousins. According to"TaX-
payers" statement Kits would be
the lowest bidder, and it is to be pre-
sumed that he was lower than Cous-
ins, or else Cousins would have got
ten it at first. L wrote Mr.. Kittss bid
and should know whether or not he
was lower than myself, and Cousins
tells me that he received $7.25 fol
furnishing the sand, lime, cement
and labor. The brick cost $7.15 PEI
!, thosand, f. o. b. Tazewell, and dray'
age $1.O0 per thousand, making 4
J total of SIS. 40 per thcrsand. My b.C
was $40. 40 peEthousand. Kincer
, Vermillion advise me that they go
So. 90 per cubic yard for the stone