Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-07-09
BID FOR VAN buren,
ST. PAVING THROWN
OUT; OVER ESTIMATE
COUNCIL Rejects OFFER OF CHI.
CAGo FIRM, HOLDING THEY
WILL MAKE NO AWARDS ABOVE
FIGURES FIXED BY ENGINEER
ADOPT FIRST AVENUE ORD.
NANCE.

The lone bid of $53,2OS42 submitted
by the h. p. Caughlin company Of Chi
cago for the Van Buren, street paving
contract was fatty rejected last night
when the council, at an adjourned
meeting, announced itself as rigidly
opposed to m2king contract awards
for any city work In excess of the pub
lie engineers estimates.
Besides being the only bidder for
tho South Side improvement the
Caughlin people were s4,549.93 above
the figures fixed by George l.. Farms.
worth, city engineer, as a fair price
for the work to be done. The ongi-
ncer announced tho lump sum cover
Ing all costs connected with the i'm
proyement as $iSG5S45, while the
Caughlin company offered to complete
the job for s53 ,20Si2.
Ills attempts to secure bidders on
the job in Ottawa and finally Landing
only one firm willing to take Il
chance on tho pavement" were ex-
planned to the commissioners by w.
h, Hammer, representative of the
Barber Asphalt Paving company. Mr..
Hammer, after announcing himself as
deeply hurt that the Free Trader
Journal should infer his company was
associated with tho "so-called asphalt
trust" he pictured himself as run.
ming all over Chicago to get con
tractors to bid on the work here, but
without success.
He said the Caughl.n bid was the
lowest that Ottawa could receive
One reason for this, no said, was that
the banks would not buy the special
assessment bonds at more than 80
cents on tho dollar, while most OF
those he interviewed would pay no
more than IS. To the councilmen
that meant for every good cid dollar
the city spent it had to add 10 cents
to the contract bringing the total dol
lars worth to $l.10. The commission
efS and mayor, however, failed to be
deeply impressed by this statement,
inaSmuch as q year ago, when mu-
nicipal bonds were less desirable as
an investment than they are today,
they brought 80 in ottawa at the time
$4,000 was disposed of. The council
had another card up its sleeve. That
was knowledge there il always a
market for municipal bonds and the
bulk of conservative American in
ve8tors prefere municipal bonds to
paper Of private corporations Offering
perhaps higher interest rate but
also Offering mutations that are likely
to find them at any time punctured
like a toy balloon pierced by a pin
and their4capital gobbled up.
After hearing Mr., Hammer through
his speech the mayor announced him
self as rigidly opposed to letting, any
/ contracts (which would nccesctate
fspleadinga Supplemental assessment
This was seconded by other members
of the council, ana When Commission.
er Palmer moved that the bid be- re-
iected the vote was unanimous for
that action
Pass First Avenue Ordinance.
The ordinance covering improve
mont of First avenue and other
streets named in an unsuccessful
court proceedings, thrown out by
Judge ReCk, was presented for final
adoption last night The ordinance,
prepared by the city engineer, Is said
to be hole proof" in every regard and
will stand any acid test given it by
directors in court fight.
1t made its first appearance We'd.
nesday night and after being care
fully perusod by all members OF the
administration they were prepared
last night to vote intclligently on The
proposition.
Commissioner Palmer made the mo-
ton that the ordinance be adopted
There were no dissenting votes to It's
passage when a roll was called.
Disposing of these important mat
tcrs, the meeting was brought to