Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-03
Woodward Charges Failure to
Get Moneys Worth in Hose
Purchases.
DlSAPPROVES CONTRACTS
FOR ENGINE AND ALARMS
Asks Pointed Questions as to
Business Methods Employed
in Buying Apparatus.

Vetoing the ordinance authorizing the
beginning of work on the new 100000
police and fire alarm system and criti
cising the contract for the purchase OF
$4,000 automobile fire engine for the
Tenth ward, Mayor James G. Wood
ward sent a singing message to coun-
Gil this afternoon, which concluded with
the charge that the city has not been
getting its moneys worth in the pur-
chase of hose for the fire department,
He minated secret conditions that cali
for investigation
Citing specific Instances, Mayor
Woodward asserts that when q voucher
recently reached his office for 1000 feet
Of hose at the fiat price of $2,00c, he
had Grahapa--SEest. chief clerk to the
| comptroller, TO try the market, with the
result that 10 per cent rebate and a
? per cent discount for cash Were Sc
cured. This, he points out, effected a
saving of $2SS in one transaction.
Discrimination Charged.
He continues with the statement that
he has information in his office that
much smaller cities than Atlanta 10
per cent rebate on all hose purchased.
He declares that the agent of the
Fabric Fire Hose Company has in
formed him that his company has not
had an opportunity to bid on Atlanta's
supply for the past six years.
Mayor Woodward then wakes warm
with these pointed questions:
What is the secret OF such business
methods? Why is Atlanta not getting
the benefit of such competitive prices
and rebates@ The new machine for the
Tenth ward is supposed to be furnished
through the same agency. What is the
secret Of all this business going through
the same channel and inAuence?"
Disapproves Street Permit.
Mayor WoodWard's message begins
with the explanation that he has dis
approved the ordinance granting a per-
NIT to cut twenty streets for the laying
of conduits for the alarm system be-
cause it might mean a repetition of the
torn up conditions of streets last year.
Stating that the alarm contract is
another one of those Illegal. so-called
moral obligation contracts" he con-
tinues:
Il am informed that it was 81 combi-
nation bid between two companies that
secured that contract and that the city
is to pay much too great for the i'm
provement she is to received
Il put all interested parties on notice
some time ago that il would be we'll not
to push work on that contract until the
matter was thoroughly investigated.
and now repeat that notice"
Referring to the automobile purchase
he says;
The strange part Of this transac-
ton is that the company making the
city the best test-Doth as to machine
and price-did not get the contract,
and yet they have had machine IN
service here for the past two years
that has given undisputed evidence OF
its ability to pump water
mot One Line of Record"
Let it be remembered that there IS
not one line of record i'm the city hall
that carries this transaction
Touching upon the system of pur-
chasing general supplies for the fire de-
paftment. ne asserts tndt practically
no attention has been paid 10 the char
ter provision requiring that every de-
partment shall make requistion on the
comptroller for supplies and that the
comptroller shall receive prices through
competitive bids. He makes this COM
parison Of records in the fire depart
ment:
During the years from 1901 through
1905. under chief w. r. JOINER. the
city bought from the Fabric Fire Hose
Company S,l00 feet of fire hose At
$L577.jO. with a rebate Of $3.50.
During the years 1908 through 1912,
under Chief Cummings the city bought
from the Eureka Fire Hose Manufac-
turing Company 1900 feet of hose a
the at price of $3.50.
Il have in my office papers and rec
ords verifying all statements made in
this connection and more than ! have
stated ana ! am willing Go take UP this
r,a.-.,. with tA, tagvT of .fr.Yng-t ,afu