Alma record., 1922-08-03
PINE Street
CONTRACT. IS
NOT AWARDED D
THREE PRESENT AND THREE
VOTES NEEDED, AND CREAS-
ER DIDN'T YIELD.
WiggIed Rapidly
To Get OlUn WGy

Tuesday evening bids for the paw
ing of Pine street from Superior
street to Walnut street were opened
and although an apparently salts
factory low bid was received, which
was made by the firm Of Holmes,
Crane & Bartling OF this city, the
commission, with two members alb
sent, was powerless to award the bid
to the low bidders, Commissioner
Creaser anticipating the method Of
securing the money for the work,
made it plain that he would not
furnish Il vote to award the contract
on the basis on which the commits
sion expected to secure funds for the
work. 1t needed the votes Of Com
missoners Archer, Chick and Crcas-
e., who were present, TO award the
contract 10 the low bidder. this max
ing bare majority Of the entire
commission.
Foxy Phil" as some one has dub
bed him, although recently shown
the procedure necessary to dispose
of special assessment bond issues,
through legal steps that the city took
to dispose of the bonds for the paw
ing or Woodwork, Downie and West
End streets, evidently does not a
gree that all Of the legal steps that
were taken then are necessary, as he
expressed himself as "having my
own opinion about that" and then
sat tight and prevented the awarding
of the contract.
Two bids were received for the
paving on Pine street. The bid of
Holmes, Crane & Bartling was S8,-
9l1.60 and that of Straight & Nc
Mutt of Stanton was 50, 9,432, "a. Both
bids were accompanied BY certified
checks of $500.0O, which because the
matter was not dicposede OF are stlT
held by the city, Regardless Of. the
fact that there is a possibility. that
one or both Of the sffsnis .inight n9Sd'
the money.
After the Bids were rtadaa 6iiscas4
sion started that wa1ed warm MR.
Creaser soon gathered TINT sHe city
expected to take the same ldgai steps
for the disposing Of theBonA for tie
work on Pine street that It Had taken
for the work on Wcodworth, Downie
and West End. These bonds wore
sold to the Detroit Trust Company,
after It's bond attorneys had passed
favorably on the legality Of the issue
Mr.. Creaser objected to the method
1t was pointed out to him that this
was the one legal way to do the
work.
Commissioner Creaser then pro-
posed to the representative of
Straight & McNutt that they take
the bonds at 6 per cent for the work
apd said he was prepared to vote for
that. This repres entative said he
would do that at his bid. Commits
sioner Chick objected TO this and said
that the other bonds had been sold
for 512 per cent and he would not
vote to pay per cent and make add
ed cost. 1t was then pointed out to
Mr.. Creaser that he had evidently
confused the bids as he had made
this proposition TO the high bidder,
whose bid was $521.24 in excess of
that Of the other firm. lie then in
formed the representative Of Holmes,
Crane & Bartiing that ke was eady TO
vote to give this firm the contract if
it would take the bonds at 6 per cent.
Again came the objection to paying
per cent on bonds similar to those
recently sold for 512 per cent.
No bids had been received up TO
Tuesday evening for the bonds, al
though Mr.. Reynolds had had letter
from the Detroit Trust Company
which informed the City manager
that the Detroit house wanted the
bonds. The majority Of those present
at the session desired, evidently, to
award the contract to the low bidder
pending sale Of the bonds. This
would dispose of the matter, release
the certified check Of the unsuccess-
ful bidder, and put Holmes, Crane
Rartling in a position where they
could plan their future work. If the
bonds were not sold no contract
would be signed. 1t would, however
pat the matter in such n shape that
there would be no delay in getting
the work started, when a market was
secured for the bonds, and probably
Continued on page two)