Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1920-07-30

IRE zone ORDINANCE, anu use OhiJ NV
proof or semi-fireproof material on the
Jobs he has in view. He is willing to
do this. but first wants to be Informed
WHY Finance Commissioner Bright
was not required by Inspector Nicker'
son to use fireproof material in the
alterations aud improvements OF the
building moved a short time ago into
the fire zone at east Lincoln avenue,
not far east of Pacific avenue. Builder
Smiths argument was equivalent to
saying that "what is sauce for the
goose should be sauce for the gander,"
and no one present, not even Commits
sioner Bright, offered to dispute the
Justice OF his claim that all citizens,
whether acting in an official capacity
or not, should receive equal attention
from the building inspector. Chief
Nickerson was out of town last Tues
day. but the matter Is to be taken up
with him upon his return.
Quite a stir was created at Tuesdays
meeting when the city clerk read a
communication he had received from
Harry Heating, q tailor, whose place
of business is under the Colonial Hotel.
Mr.. Heating asked for information
from the commissioners relative to bids
on suits for members Of the Wild wood
police force. He pronounced the
method used in awarding the contract
for making the new spring and summer
police suits as being unfair. He said
that he and other Wildwood merchants
had been requested to estimate on these
suits, to be made out of good blue serge
cloth. Mr.. Keating's bid was $43 per
suit. The contract was awarded to w.
f. Wentzell at $45 a suit. Mr.. Heating
stated according to information he got
from men on the police force that
and here is where the mystery comes
in-the suits, he charges, were not
made ont of "good blue serge cloth" at
all, but were made out of "blue
flannel" instead. Heating asserted
that he could have furnished the
uniforms in flannel at about $37 a suit.
And he put it up to the commissioners
strongly to explain why and how
the switch was made from serge to
flannel. And not only that, but he is
insistent in his demand to know
"when the bids were opened, where
they were opened, and how they were
opened?" He said: 1.-THE unsuccessful
bidders were never informed about the
award having been made to Wentzell,
nor was there one word mentioned in
the local papers about the whole
matter. John It. Byrne, Mayor Hem
dee's confidential man, advised me.
when 1 asked him about the contract
for uniforms, that Mr.. Bright was the
fault of my not getting the contract.
L then consulted Mr.. Bright, and he
said he had never heard of the uni
forms being ordered. So 1 again
sought confidential Byrne and told
him what Mr.. Bright had said. Mr..
DHIDG tl1cu III bA0u oAA6ihp WIN oA
untruth, as the bids were opened at a
meeting and that Commissioners Bright
awarded the contract to WentZell. /
suppose this was the day the reporters
for the local papers took their maps, as
there has not been any mention made
in the papers about this award. This
go 81 ho.,o Haan nhONrf tho nnlu iforn
of city business that did not find space
in City Hall news columns, and l and
my fellow merchants would like to
know why the switch was made from
blue serge to blue flannel without
letting US in on it. These facts about
prices and other little things are just
coming to light, although the contract
was awarded six weeks ago."
Mr.. Keating's communication was
ordered to be received and filed, after
Commissioner Bright had interrogated
John L. Byrne, who was present, as to
statements he is alleged to have made
against Bright's veracity. Byrne
OeulcU tHdt uc ndO oolu oil6bt Woo
a story teller. Then this surprising
matter was allowed to drop. The
reading of the lengthy letter created a
profound sensation. The mayor vas
of as "~fair-play Hendee," and
appealed to for an ok planation to the
public as TO how, why and where the
uniform contract was awarded, and a
statement of the actual price at which
it was awarded. More details of this
transaction will likely be forthcoming
later. The JOURNAL is under obliga-
ton to Mr.. Heating for having made
known the fact that bids were solicited
by Mayor Hendee for the manufacture
of police uniforms, and that a contract
was awarded, as the writer says, six
weeks ago."
Among the bills presented for pay