Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-08-27
Effort Will Be Made to Amend
State Law Permitting Cities
to Bid on Public Work
WOULD BREAK UP COMBINES
Contractors Frequently Pool Issues
When Municipal Improvements Are
to Be Observation-Disclosures De-
partment Anxious to Preserve In
dian Names-state Capital News.
Special to Times-Republlcan.

Special TO Ifmes-Republlcan.
Des Moines, Aug. 27.--It is thought
likely that the Iowa League of Munich
palities will become interested in the
attempt to amend the state law as to
cities so that a city can enter bid
along with that of contractors for it's
work. In that way it will be impos-
sible for the contractors to combine
when contractors get in huff because
a city makes them live up to their
contract and refuse to bid at all, the
city can then go ahead with the work
anyway.
The city of Des Moines especially has
had trouble in this regard during the
last year, which is the first year un-
der the commission plan of govern
ment. Under the old order of things
contractors We're allowed extension of
time on every pretext and could finish
a job of work whenever they saw fit.
Superintendent MacVicar, of the de-
partment of streets and improvements,
began by requiring the contractors to
finish their work on time. Then when
he advertised for bids on new work
no one bid on the work. The con-
tractors were determined to punish the
city.
Furthermore, there is always sus-
picion that in bidding on city work
there is more or less of agreement
q ,,,opc tho confraptors aS In the nrice
that is to be bid and a proper division
their own account.
Mr.. MacVicar's remedy is to allow
the engineering department of the city
to bid against the contractors. Plans
and specifications will be furnished the
contractors. When the bids are all in
if the city's bid is the lowest it will
do the work. If it makes money out
of doing the work in paving jobs and
the like where the property owners
pay for the Improvement, the profits go
into the general fund, and If the city
loses, it takes the deficit out of the
general fund.
1t is Furthermore proposed to amend
the law so that the various kinds OF
paving will come into competition. 1t
is claimed for instance that there is
combination on brick so that the price
is held up, but on asphalt and creo-
sote blocks there is competition. AT
present the city must decide the kind
of paving to go on a street and then
ask for bids. 1t is now proposed to
ask for bids on all kinds of paving
and the city take its choice after 1T
has the prices on all kinds before 1t.
There has been some talk of en-
deavoring to set this amendment made
at the special session Of the legisla-
ture that is expected may be held, but
that session may refuse to consider
general business.
How to preserve the Indian names is
question that is bothering Acting
Curator Harlan, of the historical de-
partment. j. d. Edmundson, of this
city, has given fine statue of Ma
haska to the people of Oskaloosa to be
placed in the city park there. 1t is the
work of Sherry Fry, of this state, and
captured a gold medal in the Paris art
exhibition. Mr. Edmundson is greatly
interested in the matter and maintains
that the Indian names are not only
euphonious but that the Indians are an
inseparable part of the history of the
state and because of the fact that the
Indians are fast disappearing and may
become an extinct race greater care
should be taken in preserving their
names in the state.
Mr.. Harlan believes that an excel
lent method for preserving these names
would be to name the public parks OF
the state. after noted Indians. This is
particularly adapted to Des Moines
where the names of the parks represent
nothing in particular tho very pretty
names. The principal parks here are
called Waveland, Greenwood, South
Park. Grandview and Union park. They
are names that are not identified with
ANYTHING particular. Many towns are
named in the same way.
1t may be that an attempt will be
made to get the names of some of the
Des Moines parks changed to those OF
famous Indian chiefs and then adorn
such parks with statues of these chiefs
by famous artists.
]. D. Edmundson, of this city. has
left with the state historical depart
ment diary written by his father
when he crossed the plains in 1850. He
left Oskaloosa, May 20, 1850, and
camped that night one mile west of
Fort Des Moines which would be along
the Raccoon river at about Twentieth
street. The diary is filled with import
ami historical matter 1t took him six
months to travel to Oregon. Mr. Har-
Ian is making an effort to get other
early settlers to leave such diaries with
the department as they a6e original
sources for historical information.
Along with the diary Mr.. Edmund
son has left a badge of the Wide
Awakes which he wore during the Lin
coin campaign. 1t is red ribbon bear
ing cut of Abraham Lincoln.
Mrs NJ P. Turner, of this city. has
given to the department an oil paint
ing of her late husband who was