Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-10-27
COUNCIL AGREES
ON W0RTHINGTON
ENGINE FOR CITY
Commissioner Rudgren Brings
Matter to Head After an
Hour of Discussion.
Is CHEAPEST OF THE BIDS
Entire Initial Cost Lowest, Consider
ing That Offer Includes All of
the Connections.

Northington two-stage steam pump
at its regular meeting yesterday after
noon The resolution was offered by
Mayor II. NJ. Schriver. and passed by
to l vote. Commissioner r. r. Reyn-
Odds was the only one voting against
I it, he remaining firm to his first de-
termination to aunere to the recon-
mendation of Charles Burdick. the con-
sulting engineer. on the Cameron
pump. The Worthington pump was
the sixth best adapted. according to
the recommendation of the Chicago
engineer.
The pump installed is probably the
| cheapest the city could have purchas-
/ ed. Although the price of the engine
itself is third lowest, the Cameron be
! ing the cheapest in the price offered
and the United Engineering company
next. yet the Worthington people Of
fered to install the pump and make all
connections. Neither of the other two
bids mentioned did this, and the con-
nections will run up into a figure near
81 900. This makes the bid of the
Worthington company the lowest, con-
sidering the entire initial cost.
The Worthington people were rep
resented here by ]. c. Rankin, who ex-
planned to the commissioners yester-
day afternoon that he expected to
have the pump installed within two
months ready for the initial test. The
company made a good over all guaran-
tee, and the contract will be arranged
by r. w. Sharp, superintendent of the
waterworks. and Mr.. Rankin, then pre-
sented to City Attorney James Witter.
and finally drawn up and signed by the
council.
Follows Hour Discussion.
The council arrived at the final COM
promise yesterday afternoon following
an hours discussion. II was typical
of the argument and investigation the
commissioners had INDUCED in at the
many meetings before and when the
matter was first brought up by the
mayor 1t appeared for awhile as If
there would be no get-together at the
meeting yesterday. But still there
seemed, throughout the talks, that
there was a determination on the part
of the council to get down to final bus
mess on the pump question, each men,
Der intimating in his argument that it
was urgent that action should be taken
soon.
Commissioner Rudgren probably
brought the matter TO a head more
quickly than IL would have been, when
he made the suggestion that Superin-
tendent Sharp recommend one of the
engines other than the oil, which he
advocated as first choice. the DeLaval
being Sharp's second choice.
IF Mr.. Sharp was working for a pri-
vate concern, he would recommend a
certain machine. The board of direc-
tors would act upon his suggestion, If
they thought it expedient under their
financial condition or taking other mat
tiers into consideration. If they thought
that these made it impracticable to
purchase according TO his first choice.
they would ask him for his second
choice or his third. He could not say
that all others were alike to him.
\ complete surprise to everybody
present came the following from Mr.
Sharp:
What is the lowest bid outside of
the Cameron"
The United Engineering company
bid of S6,16S." was Commissioner Rud-
gren's reply.
Then I'll recommend. gentlemen,
the VI the OIlltu
pany."
Star Chamber Talk.
But a few moments later the COM
missioners held a star-chamber session
around the desk of Mayor Schriver,
and they discussed the matter very
confidentially. II was later learned
that the United Engineering company
bid was dropped because of the fact
that the concern did not manufacture
the entire pump, but merely assembled
the various parts. The Worthington
bid was decided upon in this same star
chamber session about the mayors
desk and to those not within the little
ring gathered about his honor's seat, a
second surprise came when the mayor
offered the resolution that the Worth
ington company bid be accepted. The
adoption of the resolution was followed
by Commissioner Harris resolution
that we do now adjourn" and when it
was over, the councilmen all heaved
signs of relief. They had all spent
hours in argument and more hours in
listening to the statesmen and more
still in thought, an when IL is realized
the questions that had to be taken into
consideration by them, it is not strange
that II required the length of time that
IT did to get them together on the
matter.
The pump was saved until the last
The council knew that II would have
to get the other questions disposed of
before this was taken up, because pre-
vious experience had taught them to
expect discussion and argument of any
length upon il.
Mayor Advocates OIL.
The mayor started the ball a-rolling
by suggesting that they again consider
the oil engine. He stated that mas
much as il was Mr.. Sharp's recon-
mendation. he would like one or two of
the councilmen 20 take a trip TO some
city where the oil engine was being
used and see for themselves the econ
al