The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-09-16
POWER AWARDED CONTRACT
BY VOTE or a 70 3
Unsuccessful Bidder Hints Of
Cabal 10 Freeze Out Other
Contractors

''"N W. r. fVWtE mas ODL1lu0Q
through the city council an unshak.
able monopoly OF the storm sewer bus
mess in Guthrie and that he put In
the two high bids on Job he last
night pulled down was charged be-
fore the city council last night by
Mike White. of Smith q White. the
Irm which put In the low bid on tho
East Side sewer, No. 3.
Power has recently completed tho
West Side sewer. $4,000 Job, and
inc Oak street sewer. $4,000. Tue
East Side Job Is $4,000. Te ag
When committee composed OF
Councilmen Morrison, Hartshorn and
Meyer and City Engineer Hooker. re-
ported In favor OF awarding the con-
tract TO Power at s9.005, Councilman
spnrlock wanted to know how the
committee reached the Conclusion
that he had the best bid. That sof
Smith a White was $50 lower. The
committee gave its opinion: that the
Power bid was the best. Meyer d.
luded TO trouble experienced with 9th.
er contractors and the Inability, OF
somo OF them to carry out the WORK.
Spurlock showed decided signs Of 70
pellion He said he did not want the
impression TO 80 out that Guthrie
would not consider bids from others
than Power The object OF bidding
he declared to be to arouse competi.
ton, and he could not see the sense
In letting 1t be known that all conIpeti.
tors would be shut out. He bad no
quarrel With the work OF either Pow
or or white. because both had nlled
all contracts 80 far as he knew.
White Rescnts lnslnuatlon
Mike white resented the lnsInua-
tion that he was not a reliable con-
tractor. He said he bid on the flrst
sewer In Guthrie and had done lots OF
work here.
They cay there are tNo other bIds
mere besides Ours | want 10 say that
| understand that hir. Power has plt
In two bids" A-N 7ttN
City Clerk Leer said Power put in
only one bid.
Power wanted to know about the
bid, saying he only had one. And
White replied that J. II Billings. who
is supposed TO have put in q third BID,
the highest, had little 10 do with Il:
that Power did the figuring. Power
eenled thls. White insisted be and
his partner had the Billings state-
ment Tho mayor wanted TO knox
about witnesses.
On the report recommendipg tho
acceptance OF the Power bid, $50
higher than the White bid, the vote
for adoption was four for. and three
against. Those yolng for Power
were Hartshorne. butcher, Morrison
and Beamer; those for White were
Spurlock, Hopkins and Meyer.
Another Mystery Develops
Another mystery in sewer work de-
yeloped Contractor Power made q
noise about a $4,000 claim allowed
on a partial estimate for the Oak
street sewer The claim seems 10
have been approved by the finance
committee. but It was lost. Finally
Councilman Spurlock agreed 10 put II
la the schedule II the city engineer
would verify IT,
Power denies responsibility In the
matter Of damage case started BY
Henry Godfrey. West Side. Dam
ages by water from a storm sewer
under construction are alleged. The
house damaged was at Warner and
Eleventh and Councilman Beamer had
II referred TO the public buildings
committee.
Tho city engineer submitted an es-
innate for a lateral sewer In Capitol
Heights addition No. 3, the cost be-
Ing si.254.