The morning journal-courier., 1908-03-20
GAR CONCERN TO
 DO SHRINKING Director Foley Springs Surprise by Awarding Contract on New Offer of S235
 a Week.
NO NEW ADVERTISEMENT
After the Rejection of Bids Received Through Advertising the Revised Blakesiee Offer Was
 Selected.

Director of Public Works Foley yes terday afternoon sprang surprise by awarding the street sprinkling con tract for the streets through which trolleys run in wards One to Twelve inclusive. Only the day before all bids had been rejected. Two had been submitted, one for S1,500 by Frank Brazos, and the other. that of the New Haven Car Sprinkling com pany for S240 a week amounting to about SS,400 for the season. The req son Mir Foley assigned for his action was that one of the bids was vague in its statements, and that the other was not made out properly.
 The contract was given to the Sprinkling Car company, which will do the watering for S235 a week. S5 a week less than they bid, and $t5 less than they did it last year. This re- duction in that concerns bid will not make their bid lower than that sub- mitted by Frank Brazos Mir. Foley will give no reasons for his action Several lawyers, when the matter was called to their attention, stated 1t as their opinion that there might be an illegallty in Director Foley's action Tt would seem that in case like this where bids have been rejected that it would become necessary n again advertise for bids. Said one of those questioned The question arises as to whether the contracts are for the season
 The advertisement specifies no defi- nite period for watering the streets The Blakeslee bid came in at $40 a week. The director extended this for the season, which amounted to SS.4S4 The Brazos bid was for the season and was s7,500. In his making the extension Director Foley inadvertent. ly gave witness that the contract to bC given would be for the whole season It seems some one must have had q change of heart for the contract wls a weekly one, One prominent law. yer said last night that the plan of putting in the bid at $40 week wa nothing but subterfuge to ge' around the law. Section 156 of tn, city charter says that bids for all con tracts of s950 or over must be aiv.r tlsed for, and the contract must 90 [, the lowest responsible bidder Tha Frank Brazos is responsible contrac tor is unqucstioned. The entire lues ton seems to hinge about the perlot of time which the contract will cover whether a week by week contract or season one. The lawyer above quote, also said that in his opinion the con tract was a continuous one. Tt is far cical to think of the city paying thu Sp~inkling Car company from weel to week What influence has oecl brought to bear on the dire .,ot
 don't know In other years the con tract has been for s950 a week, al though in truth in all cases the n ! tract has been made out for tn who'll season, thus getting around the cit l charter When l saw that Dlrecta Foley was advertising for bids. l fel l like going up to his office and con |
 i graduating him on putting his offlc out of politics. I'm glad didn't now Yesterdays procedure greatly sur ! prised me. It would be interesting t know the reason of the director { change of heart"
 Frank Brazos refused to say any thing when he was informed of tn sudden letting of the contract. H would not make any statement.
 Mayor Martin was asked what h thought about the letting of the con tract. especially in regard 10 the sud den method of putting the transactlo
 through He said that Directo Foley was running the department (
 public works, not he, but that he di
 not think there was anything out c
 the way in the directors action. "A
 understand it, the contract is but
 weekly one, and thus comes under tn
 S250 clause in the charter"
 Other persons were of differer
 opinions, however.