The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-10-11

Improvements mostly occupied the
attention of the Gary aldermen last
night and when the majority voted to
award a contract to the highest bidder
at a loss of more than $4,000 to those
who pay the bills, the taxpayers, there
were grave doubts in the minds of some
of the spectators whether those who
voted to make the award were quail
fed to sit in a law making body which
handles more municipal improvements
than any other city in@the state of In
diana. A
VIII Cost Taxpayers Money.
1t was in the matter of the trans
river walks. The Cain Construction
company with bid of s10,5235o as
compared with the O'Brien bid of s1o,-
067.96 and the Englehardt bid of S.
521.19. was awarded the job despite the
fact that its figures S<ere 20 per cent
higher than the lowest bidder Walks
are to be laid on Broadway from Ridge
road to Forty first avenue and the
property owners having lots along that
thoroughfare will. of course. foot the
extra bill!
| The Cain Construction company was
| also lucky the Ridge road Broad
way to Harrison sidewalks This time
|
at s4,6S1.S5 and the lowest bidder al
| $4,12S.4S. Yet 1t received the job.
Cas.Ieman for Highest
Alderman Castleman led the fight tc
give the $4,000 Broadway job to the
Cain company and he was assisted b,
| Simiasko and Castleman. The fight tt
! give it to the lowest bidder was taker
up by Aldermen Rowley, Feuer anc
Bowser Alderman Walsh was absent
so this made it a tie vote. Mayor
Knots voice was then called IN t,
settle 1t and after much hesitancy ant
chances about the building he votet
With Castleman
Envelopes Are "IIIeEaI.-
The OBJECTIONS offered by Alderman
Castieman to awarding it to none blu
the highest bidder was that "one en-
velope covered two bids" and although
the certified check was for $4,000 whe
the other bids total checks were 70
$3.50. the south end statesman wa
just wary of two envelopes cover
ing one bid, lest it not be in conform
ity with the statchews," or lest it i'm
| peril the city. Despite the opinion @
l City Attorney Curtis that the envelop
| matter was, of no moment, whethe
one or three thousand envelopes shelf
Simiasko, .Szymanski and the mayor.
III Experimentation
City Engineer A. P. Melton reporte
to the city council that the Van Bure
street improvements-fAm Fifteent
/ avenue to the Pennsylvania tracks
have been completed Completion
also reported on the Twenty-third ave
nue. Improvement project-from Mad
II son to Delaware.
III Improvements-Want
II Residents of Hart street in Tollesto
| want the city council to improve tn;
II thoroughfare from Fouth street to II
| | Pennsylvania tracks.
II Borman and Waldron and other p
tftioners want the council to make COZ
1 tinuations on the First street improv
| ment project
II Improvements-BtdsO Opened.
II For the Fourteenth avenue improv
ment project-Madison to Broadway
there was but one bidder and action {
| this bid was deferred until the ne
| meeting of the council. This bidder
4 the Cain Construction company and 1
hgures s12.167.90
III On the Sixth avenue cement sidewal
| Cruetz James bid s1501.44. and f
| the Eighth avenue walks s1,477.06. F
| the cement walks on the west side
| Washington street. from Fifth aven
| to the Wabash railway. Creutz & Jam
bid 1886 per square yard. while c.
/ Chairman put in bid for 80 cents.
| ton on these bids was also deferred.
Other Improvement Notes.
| The city engineer acting upon t
| pleas of south end residents east
| Broadway. recommended TO the coun
that a ditch be dug east of Connectic
| street and to run from the Penns,
vania tracks to the Little Calun
. river.
II Nineteenth avenue which was
dered widened and opened by the {
s. town board. again came into prom
hence when City Attorney Curtis ]