The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-31
With Guarantee.


 Mayor Henry Lee received a. letter hom William Lamb, a civil engineer of Norfolk, West Virginia, in which the latter protests against the award of the contract for wood blocks to the American Creosote Company. He claims that the award should have been made to the Wyckoff Company. The latter company gave no guarantee with it's bid. MT. Lamb takes the ground that the bid of his concern was nearly s6, 900 lower, and that the value of a. guarantee is less than this sum.
 It now appears that the Aldermanfc committee OH Streets and Sidewalks could have saved nearly S6,OO0 Tn awarding the wood paving contract II it had considered the lowest bidder for the contract without a guarantee, aet alone $500 by awarding to the U. s. Wood Preserving CO. which was the lowest bidder with a guarantee. MT. Lambs letter follows:
 t.I have just returned from the sad duty of burying my father, Col. VII liam Lamb, of Norfolk, Va, and learned that while my principals, the wycaoff Pipe and Creosoting Co.,, were the low bidders, bidding upon a super for block and having an example m your city of as fine pavement as is in this country. that the contract was awarded to Silliman & Godfrey CO, who bid for the American Creosotmg
 sarhe difference between our bid and the bid of the parties to whom the contract was awarded amounts to $o,- SO, or about one-sixth of our bid.
 'sI recognize the fact that the city reserves the right to reject any and all bids. That is most always done, but when a preference is given to higher bidder, at least to one in which there is such a great difference in the za4<7 fx cause for the, same.
 eff the officials awarded the contract on the ground that a guarantee was giYen for a period of five years by the American CreoSoting Co., they should consider the fact that the specified t1ons said that parties could bid either with without guarantee.
 Any practical engineer in creoSote wood block paving business knows that a five year guarantee means nothing' that. the wood block without creosoung would last that long.
 ssTIis is evident from the fact that all of the bidders that bid with guar antee charged the same price Tor guar unteed as for the non-guaranteed de- and guarantee company will give you a. five year bond for a few dollars, to pay q, ,S90 for @ guarantee would be out of all reason.
 blocks are inferior to the American if they are posted in regard to the vari- ous manufacturers Of wood paving block enter a formal protest against this award and would ask your honor Iff there Is any redress other than the courts dn this matter.
 [ Very Truly Yours,
 RICHARD LAME,
 Civil Engineer,
 136 Liberty St, New York City.
 The writer Of the letter is a son of Col William Lamb, the Confederate hero of Fort Fisher, and a brother-in- 1ox &% <y,o srxyffa Of George Ix ter of this city.
 Mayor Lee will call the attention of the committee to the letter.
 Relative to the bringing of an in i junction against the signing of the tcontract there will be a conference this afternoon between the largest property owners in Main street? One iof these owners said to a Farmer re- lporter this afternoon: we do not know just what action we shall take. .We believe that all conditions being dealers, but the bid of Silliman & God frey to furnish American Creosote wood blocks was $500 more than the Ibid of the U. s. Wood Preserving Co. equal. It is the principle of the thing we are interested in and on top of it tan comes to us the startling fact that tthis committee was in way to save the city nearly $6,000. Everyone knows tfae Wyckoff block laid in Fair field avenue is the best in the city, if not in the State We should take in consideration the statement of MT. Lamb that any block without treat ment will last five years It is the principle of the thing we are interest ed it. If it was absolutely necessary flor the city to have guarantee then the contfsct should have gone to the .U. 8. Wood Preserving Co. If the committee Aad used judgment in the matter as they would have done if they were paying for the work out of fheir own pockets. they would have at least considered the Wyckoff bid' Among the Main street property owners who are anxious to see the -cn-z- l tract go to the lowest bidders and | business principles carried out in the | letting of the contract are: Samuel H. | Co, Samuel S. Sanford and the heirs | of Nathaniel Wheeler. Mayor Lee, when asked what he | thought of the proposition, said: ''It bears out what I have always said in favor of a paving commission. These l paving material concerns have men | representing them who are too slick | for the aldermen The aldermen are | not capable of letting a paving con- | tartc-when I say this I have no dis | respect for the members Of the Com 1 mon Council But men who have had | no experience with paving matters, | cannot become qualified in the matter | within year. paving commission CT would be appointed for a longer | time and several years experience would help him to famiHar1ze himself | with the question" The mayor agreed | that aldermen would be capable to let contracts if they were returned to the council year after year and were re- appointed to the street committee each | year"
 The street committee will meet to- Ing the contract