Evening journal., 1914-02-10
LEVY COURT
DEFENDS THE
new CONTRACT
Commissioners Say the Change
Saved Money for. the
County
TAKE EXCEPTION TO
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

The Levy Court waxed warm this
morning over alleged misstatements
. that have recently appeared in two
newspapers concerning the manner in
which the Levy Court awarded the
contract for laying pipe under the
Christiana river at Third street bridge.
The newspaper statements insinu-
ated that the court had favored the
Atlas Bridge Company in awarding the
contract inasmuch as It had been
awarded to that company In prefer
ence to another concern whose bid
had been lower.
Mr.. Smith first took exception to
these articles this morning. He eX-
planned that the court had been de-
sirous of obtaining a rebate for old
pipe used by the contractor and said
that the combined bid Of jenkins and
Company, the lowest bidder, had been
s1s5 lower than the Atlas Company,
but that when the bridge committee
waited upon Jenkins and Company
relative to the rebate on the pipe they
! received no satisfaction,
The committee requested the COM
many TO deduct S5536 from the amount
Of their bid for the old pipe used.
jenkins and Company, said Mr..
Smith, had refused this proposition
and stated they would make rebate
/ for old pipe used, but refused 10 state
inst what amount would be allowed
I for the old pipe.
The statement on this point was so
indefinite that Mr.. Smith said the
committee made the same proposition
J nrffl
company also refused to rebate the
sum of $3.50, but they did agree to de-
duct Si35 from their bid, being the
difference between their bid and the
bid of Jenkins and Company for the
work and in addition to that they
made a definite agreement to rebate
such an addition amount as the total
amount of old pipe used would fgure'
computed at the price Of new pipe.
This proposition was so much more
definite than that made by the Jen-
kins s. Company, that Mr.. smith saio
the committee decided TO award the
contract To the Atlas Company.
Another consideration, Mr.. SMITH
declared, was the fact that the Atlas
Bridge Company already hau the
contract for building the abuttmeni
OH THIS hlut Ol AulAu GAi ~NN - -
and If the contract had been awarded
TO another contractor two sets oi
workmen would be working together
with more or less conflicton, Whict
would hinder the best results.
Mr.. Scott scored the two newspa
pers for critising Levy Court In tn
published articles without inquirinl
for accurate information on the sub
iect. He declared that II the newspa
pers had interviewed any OF tn
members Of Levy Court about tn
? subject the members would hav
gladly put them straight upon \
"But they would not teke the troupl
10 do that" he declared.
Mr.. Fouracro said he had neyei
Kuown any business Of the county L
be transacted by Levy Court behins
closed doors, but that everything has
always been done in the open. III
\ declared that whenever the news
papers were in doubt the men coulC
get any information they wanted
from the members of Levy Court.
Mr.. Gooding then repeated the fol
flowing verse, which ended the dis
cussion;
, Words are like leaves,
When they plentifully abound,
But sense of fruit beneath
: Is rarely ever found.