The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-07-08
ATTORNEY WESTFALL
IN PERTINENT QUESTION
Says His Clients Have Instructed
Him to Institute Foreclosure Pro
ceedings Against the City of East
Chicago Unless Tod Avenue Sewer
Coupons Come Up Soon.
(special 70 THn T1MEs.l


East Chicago, Ind. July s. - What
has become Of the special assessment
fund raised for the building of the Tod
avenue sewer?
This question arose before the adj
journed meeting of the city council last
night when Attorney J. E. WestfaIl of
Whiting, in behalf of certain bondhold-
ers. announced that his clients had
waited long for the taking up of their
coupons, and had waited in vain He
further announced that he had been in
structed to say that if the money was
not forthcoming very shortly. foreelos-
ure proceedings would be instituted
No One Seemed to Know.
No one present seemed to know ex-
actly what had become of the money
collected in from the special ass essment
levied to pay for the Improvement. and
there was some talk of paying the
bonds out of the general fund. It is
believed that through some error the
Tod avenue sewer fund has been di-
verted into another channel. The mat
ter was finally referred to the finance
committee who are to inquire of the
treasurer what, If anything. he knows
Of the whereabouts of the missing fund.
ProudfOOt Gets Job.
The contracts for the main sewer in
One Hundred and Forty eighth street
from McCook avenue to Alder street,
together with that for the laterals con-
Meeting with the big drain, were let to
F. G. Proudfoot of Chicago. The fig
ure on the former was $6l,I75, while
the laterals go for s35, 24S.SO The Fed
eral Improvement company was the
lowest bidder on the laterals. offering
sented at the council, and it was deem
ed advisable in any event to let the two
contracts jointly to the same contract
or When the attorney drew up a reso-
luton awarding the job to Proudfoot
as the lowest and best bidder, La
vene brothers of Hammond who also
had bid on the laterals. and whose fig
ure on this work was next lower to
that of the Federal people, took excep-
lions to the wording of the resolution.
Lavene Brothers Except.
Mr. Lavene called attention to the
fact that his bid on the laterals was
the lowest of any firm represented at
the session, and stated that while he
did not mind the loss of the contract
he did take exceptions to the reflection
cast upon the name Of his company by
the inference IN the resolution that
Mr.. Proudfoot, whose figure on the lat
erals was several hundred dollars high
er than was that of his company, was
/ better" bidder than was the Lavene
Brothers company. He said that as a
matter of right the contract should go
to him.
Mr. Lavene was becoming a trifle ex-
cited over the situation, when Alder
man Schock inteposed:
Alderman >chOcIx Intervenes
You have bid on work before in
East Chicago, Mr.. Lavene?"
Yes"
You We're awarded the contract on
the Block avenue severe"
Yes"
You threw up that contract, did you
not-got a better job somewhere else
and dropped the work here?"
Yes"
Well that'n be about all for you"
Mr.. Lavene wished to say that there
had been a technicalitv discovered
which made it undesirable that he
should continue the contract.
Mr.. SchOcIx With Comeback.
Mr.. Schock retorted that the discov-
cry was not made. however. until Mr..
Lavene had repudiated the contract
Alderman Lewis interposed that all of
this would get Lavene Brothers moth
ing before the East Chicago city coun-
ell. and the matter was dropped.
The Calumet Kennedy Land com
pany requested the council to order
water mains in certain portions OF
Kennedy avenue, and the ma tier was
referred to the water and light com
mittee.