Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-29
enough out of them to evade our pat
ents," sand Sinnek.

others NOT Afraid.
President George Foulkes, of the
Foulkes- Forbes Company, was inclined
to make light of Mr.. Sinnek's patents,
and said .that if there We're any pat
ents covering concrete work he would
not dare put down a sidewalk or an
alley crossing. If there are any pat
ents covering this work l am willing to
go out of the contracting business"
said Mr.. Foulkes. TN take the chance.
I'm not low bidder, but we can make
good on the patent business as far as
we are concerned. We have been lay
ing concrete work under practically
the same specifications for fifteen
years, the only difference being half
inch in thickness
Mr.. Ely said as far as he was con-
cerned he was not afraid of Mr.. Sim
nek's patents.
Ought to Have $3.50 Paving.
Mr.. Jackson, who represented NJ.
Ford, Cedar Rapids, on the bidding,
said to a s-Republican man after
the meeting, that this city ought to
have $l.50 paving, and could have if
it would get it's specifications in such
a shape that they We're not prohibitive
LIZ SpAiSiu0iS llielI lliS SIlN DS
willing to assume some of the respon-
stbility and not place all of it on the
contractor, especially as to the time of
having the work finished. Put the
specifications where they will be easier
for the bidder to comply with the re-
quirements, and put an inspector on
the work, and you ought to have $3.50
paving here"
Mr.. Jackson said he had tackled on
the 25 cents for "Blome construction"
to his bid more as a joke than any
thing else. He said he did not expect to
get the work, and Sinnek had told him
that he would be compelled to pay a
royalty if he got the contract. He add
ed the amount of the royalty before
handing in his bid.
Another Contractor at $3.50.
Orville U. Miracle. of Minneapolis,
of the Miracle Pressed Stone Company.
who is doing great deal of street
paving in the far west was in the city
to look over the specifications, but did
not put in bid Mr.. Miracle felt a
great deal like Mr. Jackson, and COM
planned more particularly of the fact
that the city had fixed Oct. as the
date when the work must be finished,
and that he had been told that if all
the work was not done by this time the
contractor could not get hold of the
assessment certificates until the entire
contract was done.
This puts contractor up against
it on this work. said Mr. Miracle.
Take Jerome street. for instance. You
have big I'LL there, and in fact the
work should not be done this season
at all. The fill should be made this sea-
son. and the paving done next year, so
as to give the street a chance to set
tie. Yet your specifications call for the
completion of this work when a con-
tractor know. that it should not be
done.'
you can see where it places a con-
tractor who perhaps has $4,000 tied up
in the work, and because he can't fin
ish all of the work has to do without
his money until he can get the entire
contract completed. have done work
in Iowa and have got my certificates
as soon as 1 had one street, or one
block finished"
Mr.. Miracle said that he thought the
work here under proper specifications
should be let for around $50. using
crushed pebbles for the top course Mr.
Miracle was of the opinion however
that the specifications We're faulty IN
not calling for cushion of either sand
| or cinders.
Sinnek Also Talks Cushion.
! In an informal talk to members OF the
council and the mayor after the meet
| ing Mr.. w. j. Sinnek called attention
to the fact that the specifications die
not call for any cushion, and that if he
We're to have the contract he would rot
sign up without calling the councils
attention to the fact. Mr. Sinnell saiG
this was important. and Mr.. Northur
said he believed that the specification:
should be so changed to call for {
cushion. Mr.. Sinnek says paving o
any kind is not success when laid or
the bare ground.
On the other hand this morning, Mr.
Ely said he did not think a cushion
was necessary, and, in fact. he though
paving was better when laid witholl
a cushion and that the cinders or SAM
retained the moisture, then when thu
frosts came there was trouble. FL
said this had been his experience IL
walks, and that those laid on the barr
ground were better than those laid d
cinders or sand.
Northup Thinks There is Question.
Mr. Northup was asked Monda,
night by the Times Republican wha
his opinion was of the apparent defec
discovered in the notice to bidders. MI
Northup replied that he hadn't locke;
into the matter fully, but he was In
clined to thing that as long as Their
was any question at all, the bids ha
better be rejected and readvertised.
Mr.. Northup said that paving al
ways invited more or less litigation a
Ibest, and If there was any chance 70
a doubt, even tho it might be on
technicality the city had better TAX
the safe side.
Mr.. Northup said that he did not be
lieve Mr.. Carney's citation of 104 low:
. 100, was case in point, but even
this case was not in point there Nigh
be technical violation of the law. M
Northup said that the notice to bidder
!, should have been proof read. He wa
|. sure the copy from his office was RICH
as he took it from the specification
and the specifications read all RICH
setting forth the amount of the certifie
check. in the sum of $1,000.
In reference to Mr.. Northup's state
ment about the case in point, as quote
, !, by Mr.. Carney in an opinion furnishe
the T.-R Monday, Mr.. Carney toda
said: II must beg leave to disagree
. with Mr.. Northup While the case ma
not pass upon this question exactly,
does hold that there must be stri,
. compliance with the statutes in settir
! forth the amount of the certifie