The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-10-26
SCHOOL BOARD UNCERTAIN AS
 TO PROCEDURE IN LOW BID ON
 EXTENSION OF NORMAL SCHOOL
City Attorney Gomley Will Give Advice on Request of T. O'Brien & Son for Per- mission to Amend Its Low Bid.

Untib City Attorney Comley passes on the legal status of the situation the board of education will take no action concerning the application of T., 'Brien & Son, contractors for permission to withdraw their bid on the additions to City Normal school the Clinton avenue. The Contractors bid S4S,381 and were the lowest of several who desired to do the work. Afterward the firm found it had fail- ed to hghe in cost of marb1oid floors and walls in the corridors and it asked permission to amend the bid and add $3,058. Even with this ad- ditions the bid of the firm would be $1,336.10 below the bid of Martin & Son of Bridgeport, the next lowest bidder
 Timothy O'Brien, senior member of the firm appeared at a special meet ing of the board last night and ex- plained that the error in his figures was due to talks with sub-contractors and his failure to list the cost of the marb1oid work after talk over thk | telephone with firm which furL g certified check for S1,907.90 with it's bid and this check is forfeited if the board so decides.
 Commissioners Challenger. Bishop, Bell and Goddard were opposed to returning the check or allowing the
 
 Commissioners Hurley, Cullinan and Osborn favored either allowing the contractors to withdraw their bid or to amend it. After much discussion it was voted to leave the matter for the opinion of the city attorney and in the meantime the work on the school will not progress. Mr. O'Brien was allowed to take his ori- ginaI bid to explain hiw the omik- sion was made. After he had told his lI-- to discuss the matter it was discover ' ed that he had taken the bid with him. j.
 However John J. CuIlinan, vice. president of the board said that this made no difference as a copy of 1.-the bid had been made in the minutes of the session when it was accepted and the bid was now a matter of Irecord.
 It was thought that MT. O'Brien must have taken the bid by mis- take as a number of his private papers which had no relation to the matter were found lying on the big table in the board room after MT. O'Brien had left. MT. Cullinan ex- I,plained that by holding MT. O'Brien's check nothing could be gained, but If the firm was allowed to carry out 4he contract at revised figures. work could be started <t once and soon completed.
 William B. Boardrnan, secretary of the board and also a lawyer went to MT. Comley's office and then tele- phoned his home but was unable to locate him at either place. A mo- ton by Commissioner Challenger i that the opinion of the city attorney be obtained later, then prevailed.
 At the suggestion of Architect Leonard Asheim the board voted to rescind it's former action in awarding to Richards & Chard of New York, the contract for to furnish vaceuam cleaners for the Clinton avenue school The firm bid $8S9 which was l thought to be low but MT. Asheim discovered that John J. Scanlon of this city had bid $840. The board awarded the contract to MT. ScanIon but later Comnissi oner SchwerdtIe discovered that George E. Gibson & Son of New York had bid $609 which was S231 less that MT. Scanlon's bid. However no change was made.