The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-05-03
B. A. Kennepohl Says City
Will Not Advertise For
Bids on Street Oiling or
Sprinkling.
SAYS PEOPLE MUST
HAVE DUST ALLAYED
City Officials Declare That
1t Would Require Months
TO Do Work Under Public
Contract.

Notwithstanding the fact that at thA
meeting of the board of public works
on Thursday. April -. action was
taken by that body whereby arrange
ments could be made for having the
streets OF the city oiled or sprinkled
during the summer months. b. A. Ken
nepohl. president. declared this morn.
ing that the board would not advertise
for bids for oiling. IT.
IF the people OF Rixhmond want
the streets oiled" said Mr.. Kenne.
pohl, they should have IL done under
private contract, as il will take too
long through legal processes before
We could receive bids and award con-
tracts for street oiling under public
contract The board of works will
treat honestly and fairly any petition
for oiling which is brought In, but we
will not advertise for bids for oiling
at present"
Work Necessitated.
The action is explained by city Of
ficials. who state that the reason for
the boards refusal to act further in
the matter, after the citizens had been
promised means for allaying the dust,
the time and expense necessary TO
ascertain the names OF the property
owners was not first considered. They
assert that it would take months to
examine the records in the county re-
corder's office and determine the own
ership of each piece of property and
notify the property owners as to a
resolution on street oiling.
Although the city has not received
the amount of money due from take
according to E. c. McMahan- city con-
?, troller, IL is doubtful IL the board OF
works would have enough money to
pay the necessary expense for such
action. He stated that the board al
ready has spent for street improve
ments more than the. s19.5O0 appro-
priated for them and IL is doubtful.
with the close appropriations prepared
last year. whether or not ad-
ditional money could be transferred
from another fund Members OF the
board state that unless certain i'm
provements are not completed until
1914. IL may be necessary TO issue i'm
provement bonds.
Action Was Deferred.
] One petition has been presented to
the board for the oiling OF North Sew
enth street, from A street to Fort
Wayne avenue. Action on this peti-
ton was deferred.
Charles w. Jordan, secretary of the
Commercial Club has several petitions
for oiling under private contract. He
stated that there will be twenty peti-
tions in within a few days, and that
Charles Davis, a contractor from Con-
nersville, will be notified to come 10
this city to start work some time next
week.
Surprised at Action.
II am surprised at the action of the
board of works in refusing to act on
this matter after the statements which
were made at one meeting which I at
tended. ! understood that the board
would pass a resolution ordering the
streets between Fourth and Twen-
tieth streets oiled"
On Monday. April 81. Mayor Zim-
norman made a motion that all con.
TRACTORS be invited to the city to sub.
submit propositions to the board for
the oiling of the city streets. and this
motion was adopted. The following
Thursday Contractor c. z. Davis OF
Connersville, met with the members
of the board and asked what sort OF a
proposition the board desired. In or.
der to insure quick action in having
the streets oiled. the board at that
time ordered that special petitions be
prepared by which the streets could
be oiled under either private or pub
lie contract.
Mr.. Davis stated that he had lost
$500 in this city last year through
the refusal of some citizens to pay
for the oiling. because they had not
signed petitions. II was then decided
that any person signing a petition for
street oiling would be responsible for
: the entire square, should any resi-
dent of the square refuse to pay the
contractor. In the event that in any
; square no persons willing to stand re
sponsible for their neighbors. could be
found, these squares should be oiled
iupdar p,hHc contract