The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-16
A PAVING PROBLEM
MOBILE BOARD or PUBLIC WORKS
 HAS TWO BIDS.
Question of City Bonds Makes the Pro- posals UnaYailabIe and Matter will Be Submitted to
 Property Owners.

Mobile, July 5.--{Speciai. )--No award swas made by the Board of Pub lie Works today of the fifth paving contract.
 The Board met at noon with full attendance to consider the bids made by nineteen different firms On the con' tract for the next paving venture.
 It was stated by the city engineer that the two lowest bids on the pay. ing work here were those Of John B. Turner & Go. of St, Louis. and the Jett Contracting Company of Mobile. J.. B. Turner & Co. bid ss.2o5. 70 lower than did Jett Bros but made no bid for the paving bonds. It was stated that as the city had no funds with which to carry on the work. 1t wass necessary that the bonds should be sold before the contract was let. Jett Bros. bid at par for, the 'hphd issue of $i45,oo0. but their bid was conditionals on their getting the paving contract.
 City Attorney Boone. who was pres ent. stated that under the law it would not be legal to award the contract to other than the lowest bidder On the other hand, the Board could not award 1t to the lowest bidder inasmuch as he had not bid on the bonds, nor sny one else unconditionally. In short, the contract could not be awarded to Jett Bros. Because another firm had un-
 
 be given to Turner & Co. 2
 J. T. Jett. who was present. ad- dressed the Board. brjefiy. stating that his company had. bid about .37. 900 un- der the city engineer.s estimate of what the work would cost ;@that they were prepared to proceed at once with the work and thought 1t only fair to his firm and the other bidders that the Board take action at this meetingl
 After discussion, the Board, on mo- tion of President Brooks, decided to call meeting of property owners along the streets to be paved and submit the situation to them It was decided that these property owners should be in vited to meet In the Council cham Der at s o'clock tomorrow afternoon and confer with the Board as to wheth. CT or not it is better to allow MT. Tur. nor to withdraw his bid and accept thai | of Mir. Jete. so that work may proceed at once or wait until efforts have ,hesf made to get private parties to take tho bonds, thus opening. . way; to allow | the acceptance of the lowest bid. Mfr. Turner stated that in his esti' l mate he did not figure on taking tht l bonds. and that with this fgured in. hs l had beat the Jett bid only about 3200. President Brooks stated that he hat been informed that the Asphalt Paw, | Ing Company of Georgia had failed and the receiver. was willing to buy the city off on their bonds if the city would purchase one of their portable cement plants.
 The matter was referred to the en. gineer with instructions to investigate and report back 10 the Board On ths feasibility Of the idea.
 A communication from George Fearr | & Sons was read. aekfng the Board tC | condemn certain property known a. | the Dawes property. in order that ( l partway 100 feet wide may be extended | from Catherine and Monterey Streets to the old, Shell Road. along the lin. ! of the present drain. The, Fearns offel | tb pay the e&penses of the condemna, | ton proceedings.
 The matter was referred to the CitS | Attorney with instructions to under, | take proper condemnation proceedings