The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1916-04-19
DELAY IN
PURCHASE
OPPOSED
Alderman Hayes Thinks Council ShOEld
Conclude Deal for Motor Fire APP
paratus at Once; States
Reasons for Position

In the matter of the purchase of the
auto fire fighting equipment, follow
ing the authorization of that purchase
by the voters of the city, a diversity
of opinion seems to be manifesting it.
self among the several representative
business men of the city as to wheth-
er or not the equipment should have
been purchased outright at the meet
ing of the city council which immedi-
ately followed the election.
At that meeting of the council the
members went into executive session,
as stated in the Express at the time,
for the purpose Of opening the bids
of different manufacturers of auto
matte engines and to listen to the pro
and con arguments of the representa-
tives of the companies competing in
the matter.
The records of the city clerk enter
ed from the minutes taken at the time
of and during the executive session
show that the matter of making the
purchase outright at that time was
taken up and put to a test vote with
the result that it was voted down and
the appointment Of special fire com
mittee of five, including the mayor
and the fire chief, was authorized.
The vote authorizing the appointment
of this committee also providing that
the council should abide by the find
ings and report of the committee.
which it was further provided should
be made at the next regular session
of the council unless that body should
be sooner called together upon order
of the mayor.
During the sitting of the council in
executive session, and after the bids
had all been opened and the represen-
tatives of the bidding companies
heard, Councilman Hayes, seconded
by Councilman Dubose, made a mo-
tion that the council should purchase
at once what was thought to be the
best equipment, the American La.
France auto pumping engine at the
price of $4,000.
The vote upon the motion resulted
as follows: Ayes. Councilmen Hayes
Linn and DuBose; nays, Councilmen
Neal, Caneman, Lorensen, Cavett and
Mckay.
In referring to this matter this
morning Councilman Hayes said. II
favored the immediate purchase of
the auto engine because | realized
that delays were dangerous-that de-
that delays are dahgerous-that do
delays in the matter of the provision
Of an adequate protection against fire
are doubly dangerous. The people of
the city of Chickasha, by a rs per cent
majority, said that we stood in need
OF modern fire fighting equipment; i;
that vote authorized the CITY council
to incur an Indebtedness of s1O.O0o for
the purpose of purchasing such eoIiin.
ment. The representatives of every
company submitting bids stated that
it would require 90 Ssys from the
date OF receiving the order until the
machinery could be delivered That
means just what it says--it means
that from the day upon which the or.
der shall be placed until the day upon
which the auto-engine shall have been
received in Chickasha the citv viii
have to wait 80 days for the cafe.
guard against fire which the voters
authorized the council to buy.
I cannot see what is to be gained
through this delay Almost a half a
month has now passed since the pur.
chase of the motor equipment was an.
thorized and, as l see it. we are no
nearer having our equipment here
than we were on the night after the
election. And, further, as the matter
now stands no action will be taken
until the next meeting of the council
Should the purchase be made at that
meeting with no further delay, over
three weeks will have passed from
the date of the election until the date
of the placing of the order. This