The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-02-07
GUARANTEES TO
CUT BID BY So 900
Allis- Chalmers Co. Still Hot on Trail
of Contract for Installing Pump
ing Machinery.

There is another big fight coming in
this weeks council meeting over the
contract for installing machinery in
the new sewage pumping plant at the
foot OF Park View-ave. The battle Is
between the Allis-Chalmers Co.. Of
Milwaukee,, which has had almost >
monopoly OF the building OF such mu-
nicipal machinery, and X. d. Wood x
Co., OF Philadelphia, concern which
Is breaking in on this line and which
has the low bid on this job.
| II is expected that before the time Of
the council meeting. the Allis-Chal-
mers Co. will put up a big certified
check to guarantee that It will ma
terially underbid the present low bid
IL there is a second advertising
Public Works Commissioner Haarer
believes that 1t is good public policy
to uphold the first victor in the con-
test, and the aldermen are divided,
with the prospect that a positive as.
surance OF lower bid would cause a
readvertising, despite Hearers advice.
Aid. Konkel now has a new plan,
that OF changing the specifications and
securing electrical instead of steam
pumps. He declares that an electrical
plant will be cheaper in the end. The
current for ordinary service could be
secured from the public lighting com.
mission, but emergency power would
have TO be had from some other
source.
II think that 81 il is the Allis-Chal.
mers Co. that is trying to get a re-
advertising, they are not entitled to
4
Their representative stated in my
Office that their bid was the Lowest
they could make Now they have
changed their minds, 1t seems. II
they are making q spite bid to drive
another firm out OF that line of bust
ness, II does not seem to mbe fitting
that the city of Detroit should help
them"
Aid. Korte, chairman OF the sewers
committee, is opposed to the Konkel
plan Of having an electrical plant.
THAT was thought of at the very
state, but the fact is that the public
lighting plant has not capacity to sup
ply the current" says Korte. What
we might save in building the sewage
plant would be made up by the amount
required for installing extra dynamos
and generators In the public lighting
station. That station would have TO
be ready to give 1000 horsepower Of
energy at any time for these pumps"
Boiler Inspector McCabe states that
II would require about five-eighths as
much expenditure to install an cleo
trio pumping ylant as a steam plant.
The economy in an electrical plant
would be a much smaller working
force and also that an electrical plant
would not have to be kept running
constantly, while a steam plant would
have to havei is fires going constantly.
consuming much more coal than need
ed for the actual pumping.
A check of the Allis-Chalmers Co.
for $4,000 to guarantee that that con-
Germ will bid at least $4,000 lower than
the r. d. Wood & Co. bid of $112, 800
on second advertising is said to be
on the way from Milwaukee. 1t will
be placed in the hands OF City Clerk
Nichols.
In case the city should install an
electrical plant. getting current from
the Detroit Edison Co. instead of the
public lighting commission, It would
be necessary to pay a service charge
on account OF the obligation to the
electrical company to furnish all the
power required at any time, this in
addition to the charge for current
actually used.