The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1914-05-15

last evening. Is accepted aud acted
upon by the couuoll. the only street
lmnrovement that will he put into
effect this year Ia the grading and
curblng with concrete curling those
streets which ~ @ council has planned
to improve.
The meeting OF the taxpayers lea
que, which Mayor Muloahy had re
quested he called to consider the
bids aubmitted, Was held in the new
High school auditorium, hetwesn
sixty aud seventy being present when
MIR Kulmau called the assemblage
10 order.
lie called the city engineer, J.. b.
Sargent ir. to read the bios aud such
other data as he had for the intor-
nation of the Taxpayers.
ssslt had been rumored about the
streets that the street aud alley oom
mittee had found "ioker" IN the
Two Merricle 90. bid which rendered
'it void ana thst Mulliean q Cos
lid was above the estimate leaving
only Mitchell a payne's bid thai
onuld he considered, 80 everyone
present paid strioteat attention while
the bids we're being read.
Mr Sargent read the lump sum
bids uf eaoh of the bidders for the
various propositions submitted and
the Two Merriole oompany's bid was
found to be lower than Mitchell a
Payne's in every instance except
their bid for grading, rocking, curb
ing and putting la retaining walls ,
which was about three hundred dol
lars higher.
On several of the propositions
MulIlgan & 90. had the lowest bid
Of all. This company had tried to
withdraw It's bid and pull down its
certified check but the city treasurer
had refused to return the check until
the council had aotodon the bids
After reading the lump bids Mr.
Sargent stated that the Two Merriole
Did contained "joker" that made
1t void aud that the MulliRan bid
WIS above the estimate aud therefore
these two bids could not be consider
ed. lie then proceeded to read the
alleged Joker" Those present could
uot see how this affected the bid ex
oept that II the engineers' specihca
lions we're too high OF TOO low or 4
the council should have more or ies
work done than the specification
called the difference shonld be flgur
ed on a unit basis at the unit prinl
submitted aud the amount added o
subtracted as the Ease might be, frou
the lump sum.
All of the bids contained rimila
provision aud those present soul
not SEQ how the clause which tn
Two Merricle company had write
In made any material ohauRe
Mr. Sargent stated that Mit.heil
Payne said that the clause made th
hid void aud that they would sue th
city II the contract was asarded {
the Two Merrieles. No one SCENE
to take this threat seriously and }
Hunt remarked thst some of the of
oials seemed nightly Interested
the Mitchell & Payns bio, q rtmaI
that brought the city eng lueer to b
feet with vigorous denial that
was IN any way Interested or red
any way whioh man got the contrac
o Mr. Sargent wss asked to give
) statement as to the cost per lot
O the work lie then proceeded TO Ri
j. the Uost per front foot on the diff
II rent streets Il varied somewhat b
s It was practically Eve dollars p
q fuot which would make two dolls
d and a half per foot on each side
J the street lie stated that md
the direotiuus Of the committee Il
y had been figured under the NJ
a chell & Payne bid
u A consideration Of the bids show
10 that the biR cost Of the work was
d the rocking and at tnat Il Was to
only six Inches deep
y Many thought that putting on OF
six inches of rock WIS praotioa
throwing away the money Mrs Y
son suggested that Instead OF 10,
ing It would he hetter to 60 to
= additional expense of paving a
I, have the work done for good
a large majority Of those pres
no wete opposed to rocking and favo
ma grading and onrbing only, hut Il
considered the bids on grading
curbiuR rs being too high A mot
was fsally carried to reoommend
on the council that all bids be reieo
lh and that new bids be advertised,
lys grading and curhiug only This \