Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-05-06
FEARS BIDDERS WILL Be
RARE ARTICLE THIS
SUMMER
MAY KILL BIG Jobs
TELLS COUNCIL PROSPECTS ARE
NOT BRIGHT FOR GETTING
LARGE IMPROVEMENTS OUT
OF WAY IN 1920--DE KALB
STREET TO HAVE SEWER.

The first innlng that Ottawa faced
a possibility Of not getting any OF its
large Improvement under contract
this spring or summer came last night
when the board OF local improvements
took steps to hold IA second public
hearing for the two blocks on Chapel
and Orleans streets, which are Sched-
uled for pavement as soon as the
council can get the perlimnaries out
OF the way. The hint which included
lorebodings that all was not well in
the ofiing, was dropped to his col
leagues by Mayor George V b. Weeks
who expressed some doubt as to
whether or not the city would be able
to obtain bids on any of the great
works contemplated for the north and
south sides.
The mayor in explaining his "hunch'
sad he would not be surprised in the
least II the city failed to get con
tractor 10 bid on any Of the extensive
improvements il has under cOnt"mpia
ton, and for this reason, the two east
side blocks should he made the slrb-
iect OF another public hearing, AZ
which property owenrs could have
chance to decide on brick pavement
instead Of asphalt as settled upon at
the initial meeting with the council.
Pessimism is Shown.
There Is a growing chance that we
will not be able to get any of the i'm
grove ments contracted for this year
said the mayor, "and for this reason
the Chapel and Orleans street res
dents. who are demanding that there
be no further delay than necessary in
getting the work started believe
IL would be a good idea to can an
othe public hearing. first multiplying the
decision of the original hearing, and
giving property owners affected by tho
proposed improvement chance to
change their decision to pave with
asphalt II is moral certainty We
cannot get Il contractor here to lay
two blocks of pavement in event non"
of the other jobs are let, If we change
To brick local firms can handle two
blocks and get the job out of the way
in a short time"
The council agreed with the eXecu
tive on this plan and voted unan,-
mouSly to abandon the first public
hearing and fixed the date for the sec
Ond meeting as May II at p. IN.
For many weeks there has been
much speculation in local circles over
the possibilities OF getting work un-
der way on the big improvements
planned for north and south Ottawa.
During the past few days discouraging
reports from other cities have been
,,,ta ,,thi hi,.I Al
failure of many big Improvement ven
lures for reasons that contractors were
keeping out of the field until labor
conditions and prices Of materials be
came more settled. This is the first
public announcement from the mayor
or any member Of the council to indi-
cate that Ottawa may be blocked In
its big Improvement enterprises for
lack of bidders seeking work
Award Library Alley Contract.
Contracts for library alley sewer
were awarded last night to j. NJ.
Dougherty, only bidder for the job.
The motion that the bid be awarded
to Mr. Dongherty was made by Dr.
Palmer and carried by unanimous
vote of the council. Mr.. DOugherty
who consented to submit bid AFTER
the council had once tried to get let
ting and failed. offered to do the work
for $2.299G5. a slight increase over
the estimate which was made way
back in 1917.
North Siders to Get Sewer.
Residents of Dekalb and abuttlng
streets who have been without any
means of draining their cellars of
water, last night won their fight for a
sewer to give them relief, when the
council unanimously passed resolu-
tion calling upon the engineer TO pre-
pare plans and estimates for a small
system to tap their territory and carry
the water into the trunk lines Of the
north Ottawa sewer.
Henry Monroe and Frank Maynard,
two owners Of property in the rro.
posed district talked before the coun-
ell and urged that body to give them
some relief from flooded cellars Al
ter a prolonged discussion as to the
best ways and means Of getting the
drainage system installed the council
vited to have the engineer prepare
plans and specifications for getting the