Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1909-12-16
COUNCILMAN REzAC
OFFERS EXPLANATION
Peculiar Circumstances Regarding tn
Bidding on Cement for City Gross
ings-committee Saves Money for
City.
Payette, Idaho, Dec. IL, 1903.
the Editor Payette Enterprise:

Sir:
In perusing the last issue OF thu
Payette Independent l find an arti
Gle in the editorial columns apparent
ly taking Mayor Coughanour to tasl
for furnishing the City of Payettt
y IN cement, which I feel is unjust
the gentleman, and uncalled fol
to say the least for the reason if the
author of the article had taken the
time to investigate, that it took him
to write the article 50 very obnoxious
to a large number of our oldest and
most respected residents, would have
been avoided.
l am well aware that it is not ex-
actly according to the strict rule to
allow a City official to bid for fur
nishing the City with materials How
ever conditions at times arise which
make it impossible to avert an &C.
currence of this kind The matter
of cement in question came up in
this manner AS the Editor of the
Independent will remember the cross
walks were taken out some weeks
before they we're replaced, in fact
if he will try and remember he took
occasion TO take the Mayor to task
at that time for not having replaced
them, although the weather was so
hot that they could not have been
put in as satisfactorily as they were.
On account of the article in ques-
ton and knowing there was a feel
ing existing which should not,
among men who are looked upon
to keep the City forging ahead in
stead of standing still and quarreling,
like a crowd of school boys, took
upon myself to see all the cement
dealers of the town asking them to
J Inland in their sealed bids on cement
] to be used on sidewalks in question.
I first called on Mr. Creighton who
did not care to put in a bid at all,
then on the Wright-Wilkie Lumber
company and then upon the lumber
company in which l understand Mr..
Wright is now interested. Mr.. Creigh-
ton, after l called on him twice fin
ally submitted a bid, the two latter
firms informed the writer they had
no cement and did not know when
they would have any and therefore
did not care to bid as they could not
deliver the goods if they did receive
the order With but one bid in hand
did not think it right, in justice to
the citizens Of the town to open the
bid, so conferred with Dr. Woodward,
who is a member of the Street and
Alley Committee with me, and it /
was decided that in order to create |
competition and as Mr.. Coughanour
was really the only one who had &C.
ment in town that I ask him for
sealed proposal which l did. Mr.. |
Coughanour refused on the ground .
that he was Mayor of the city and
would rather give them the cement
than have someone croak about his
selling it to the city as they did .
about Mr. Wright when he was May /
or. I finally asked him to have Mr.
Treavy put in the bid and if any
thing was said 1 would take the
blame He had the bid put. in, I ]
opened them in. the presence of (
pr. Woodward, Mr. Hutchinson, the I
Eher member of the committee be- /
- busy with his work told me what
FsTCJ in the premises suited him.
: found Mr.. Coughanour's bid was
ust 10 cents per sack less than
Mr.. Creighton's and as Mr. Creigh- I
ton was not overly particular for the
business we concluded it nothing
but good business sense to give it |
to the lowest bidder. If the Editor
Of the Independent will stop and do
a little figuring he viii find that the
Street and Alley Committee just
saved the city enough on the ce-
ment-$S9-to pay for one crossing. /
Was that not worth looking after?
l would ask in future if the editor
Of the Payette Independent wishes
to bring Mr.. CoughanOur to task not
TO bring in any destinations reflect
ing on any committee am a mem
Der Of. l wish him to understand
it viii be some moons before I will
consent to any graft that he speaks
of by any branch of the council I
am member Of
Respectfully,
GEO REZAC,
Chairman Street & Alley Com.
Get your Christmas Apples now,