Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-21
BOARD OF WORKS
Furnishes FOUR
CONTRACTING FIRMS ARE IN
HOT WATER
PETER KEENAN, DECLARED TRRE-
sPoNSIBLE BIDDER"
Officials Take Drastic Action Against
Several Men Who Have Neglected
City Work or Withdrawn
After Bidding

Drastic action in the cases Of four
city contractors was taken by the
board of public works yesterday. One
of these contractors was declared an
irresponsible bidder and can never
again compete for city contracts, and
three others are likely to be treated the
same way unless they toe the chalk
line.
The irresponsible bidder is Peter
keenan,. This is the first time the
board of public works has taken such
drastic action since Stansbury q Pow
ell were declared irresponsible bidders
when they defaulted on the outtah
sewer contract over three years ago,
Stansbury & Powell have not done any
city work since.
peter Keenan, is known around the
city hall as the civil service carpen-
teri because he does so many CITY Jops
in the building and repairing line. he
has practically lived off city contracts
for many years, but now he Will nave
to find a new field for his endeaVor.
Several months ago Keenan, was
awarded the contract for building lock-
ers at Hazard park playground be-
cause his bid was the lowest. lie
signed the contract, but refused 10
hegin the work, claiming he had bld
too low and would lose money on the
lob. The board was forced to read
vertise for bids, and the lowest BID
submitted on the second advertisement
was higher than the one submitted by
Keenan,. To make UP the difference
between the Keenan, bid and the con-
tract price at which the work was
finally dane, the city attorney viii be
instructed to proceed to collect the
amount from Keenan's bond.
The case of J. II. Melville is neat
turning of the tables. Melville was
+he lowest bidder when the board re-
Gently received proposals for the
sprinkling wagons and teams. lie
proposed to furnish wagons and teams
in any number the city might require
for 81. .32 a day each. There were sew
eral other bidders, but MelVllle's pld
was much the lowest. Melville Is
booklxeeper for Ramish & Marsh, other
wise known as the Metropolitan Con-
tracing company, and it was readily
understood Melville was bidding for his
employers. But when the contract was
awarded to Melville he refused to sign
it on the ground that the board would
not permit him to use vertical sprlnk-
ling wagons.
"Biter Is Blt'
The board had to readvertise for bids
and the Metropolitan Contracting COM
pany, otherwise Ramish & Marsh, en-
ployers of ]. II. Melville, were the low
est bidders. They proposed to furnish
teams and wagons at 81 a day each.
They were awarded the contract. But
the board of public works has asked
the city attorney to proceed 10 collect
on Melville's bond. and 1t VIII prac-
tically mean that Ramish & Marsh
will have to take money out OF one
pocket and put it in the other, and the
city will get its sprinkling wagons at
81 32 each after all
The board has asked the city attor-
ney If it can declare Melville an ir-
responsible bidder as well as collect
on his bond.
Bryan & Austin are given thirty
days' grace before the board declares
them irresponsible bidders, and If they
finish certain work in the meantime
according to specifications they will
escape this action. Bryan & Austin
laid some asphalt on the south side
Of Fifth street, between Main and
Spring, The work was under private
contract, but in the public street and
subject to the supervision Of the board
of public works
While the work was being done W.
M. Humphreys, inspector of public
works, notified Bryan & Austin per-
sonally that the asphalt binder they
were using was not up to specifications
and they would have to stop work un-
Ill they complied with specifications.
They refused to do so, and few days
later were notified by letter that work
would have to stop. They still con-
tinued to work with the inferior ma
terial and laid the surface.
Mr. Humphreys says that, as far as
the surface is concerned, the work
presents an excellent appearance, but
under the surface the work Is not up
to the required grade. The board of
Eublic works yesterday notified Bryan
q Austin to tear up the work and do
it according 30 specifications within
the next thirty days or that they would
be declared irresponsible bidders
D. M. Leary, who aefaulted on sec
ton three of the South Los Angeles
main sewer, was the fourth person on
whom the board vented its displeasure
yesterday. Leary refused to sign his
contract because his bond was $14 short
Of the required 10 per cent Of the con-
tract price. He declared his attorney
advised him that the shortage made
the bid irregular and he would have
difficulty in collecting his money. The
city attorney ruled otherwise, but still
I.eary refused and the city attorney
was instructed to collect on Learys
bond.