The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1922-03-29
TO USE CONCRETE
ON LAURENS ST.
Council Again Changes
Paving Plans
CONTRACT LET
TO SAME FIRM
Council was Unable to Procure Paving
Brick nj Price Agreed on with Con-
tractor and Concrete Agreed on in
View OF Increased Cost OF Brick.

tractor and Concrete Agreed on in
| ficW OF Increased Cost OF Brick.
/ Another change in the plans for
Paving laurcnS street Was made by
( city council Monday night when it was
/ decided to use concrete instead Of
brick on this thoroughfarc After
4 dramatic discussion Of the affair, the
contract was awarded to the General
Road, Drainage and Construction Com
pany, Of Columbia, which held the
contract for the brick paving.
The council faced a dilemma when
it was discovered last week that the
city would be unable to buy paving
brick at price quoted to it several
months ago Thinking that the brick
would still be available at the quoted
price, the city, in its contract with
the contracting firm, made it part
of the contract to furnish the brick.
Last week, when it was found that the
brick could not be procured at the
expected price, the city engineer, Mr..
y. G. Hughes, Jr., prepared sDecifica-
tions for concrete work instead OF
brick. These specifications were sent
to Mr.. McCrady, president Of the Gen
eral Road, Drainage and Construction
Company and to G. c. Odiorne, Of
Clinton, with requests that bids be
submitted for the work at the meet
ing Monday night.
When the matter was called up
Monday night, the city clerk read a
letter from Mr.. McCrady stating that
his company refused to go into a COM
petitive bid for the proposed concrete
mork as his concern already had a con-
tract for brick work on the same street
and had assembled men and materials
for the job However, the letter en-
closed a price which his concern would
make on the concrete job, in view Of
the fact that the city could not pro
cure the brick This price, Engineer
Hughes advised the council, appeared
TO be very reasonable.
Alderman Smith at this point moved
that the council award the contract to
Mr.. McCradys concern in view of the
fact that contract had already been
made with him and that he had al
ready made plans to start work. His
motion was seconded by Alderman r.
vim. At this point Mr. Ordiorne ar
rived. After being given information
as to what stage the council had
reached in the proceedings, he said
that he would not care to place his
bid before council unless he knew
that the bids were to be acted upon
Mr.. Smith then pressed his motion and
it was carried by acclamation. The
mayor, being asked to vote on the
question, voted to support the Smith
motion. Mr.. Odiorne then retired from
the meeting.
Mr.. Hughes, speaking Of the rela-
tive cost Of brick and concrete yes
tcrday, said that the cost Of paving
Laurens street with brick under the
new prices which the city would have
been forced to pay, would have been
about $500 more than first estimated
and that the cost Of the concrete, as
bid by Mr.. McCrady, was about $3.50
more than the original brick bid and
about $500 less than the estimated
cost under the new brick prices.
| On petition Of citizens OF South
Harper street, resolution was adopt
cd providing for tho extension OF the
water line On South Harper street to
the city limits.
| After acting on other routine mat
ters, council adjourned