The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-01
PAVING SQUABBLE
ENDS PEACEABLY
Property Owners Enter
Into Secret Agree
ment About Cost
IS LET TO ANOTHER
But Successful Bidder Meets
Concession of the
Favorite

4 secret agreement between prop
erty owners In the southwest part
OF the city and a paving contractor
caused a lengthy, and at times an
almost heated discussion during the
city commission meeting Tuesday
morning. IL ended when the sue
cessful b,dder-who was not the one
favored by property wneis--agreed
10 meet the concession OF their
fayorltc.
Tho paving district. which has not
yefbeon numbered, comprises Ninth
street from Houston TO jackson;
Tenth street from Houston 20 In
dian. and Indian from Ninth to
,renth-three short sections OF
streets IN one locality
Sly bidders entered the race for
this contract, the competition bring.
ing out some low bids. The Stand
ard Paving company; Tibbetts &
Pleasant Dan A. Burton ConstruO-
lion company: Fuller Bros; Com.
stock g. Smedley, and the Western
Construction company all wanted
the work,
when tho bids were opened II
was found that Dan A. Burton and
FIfler Bros. were the low bidders,
and that Fuller Bros. underbid Bur
ton by approximately $3.50 on the
contract
At the next commission meeting.
after the bids had been compiled, a
ptiton was received by the COM
nllsion from property owners in the
district asking that the contract be
awarded to Burton, and stating they
would refuse to pay for the paving
81 we're let to any other contractor.
Must Let to Low Bidder.
However, tho city charter pro-
vides that the contract must be let
10 the lowest and best bidder. and
the mayor and commissioners. fol-
lowing this instruction, awarded IL
to Fuller Bros. the low bidder.
Fuller Bros, hid "a cents a cubic
yard for earth excavation and Bur
ton bid 81 Fuller Bros. bid S3.0S
a yard on paving and Burton 81.
S. W. Mari. ZIG West Seventh,
appeared before the mayor and
commissioners Tuesday morning and
demanded to know why the contract
was let to Fuller Bros. when prop
erty owners had expressed a prefer
ence for Burton. These property
owners know what they want, he
advised, and they were puzzled to
know why their wishes had been
disregarded.
THE law states plainly that con-
tracts must be let to the lowest and
best bidder" Mayor T. ID. Evans ex.
planned. our only course is to
follow the law. Suppose we would
not let It to the low biddcr-then
we would be severely criticized for
showing favoritism. And we would
deserve IT,"
But we wanted Burton to have
this contract, and we so specified in
our petition" Mari insisted. BE
sides, We believe Burton, II given
this contract, will save us about S3,-
O0O," he added.
Finance Commissioner II. F.
Newblock pricked up his ears when
ne heard the statement about the
$4,000 saving.
What makes you think Burton
can save you $4,000 when in the
lace Of the bids he is $3.50 higher
than Fuller Bros. ?" he asked Mari.
Because he knows conditions in
our district. and we have talked
with him about them" Mari replied
evasively.
What difference would that
make" Newblock Insisted. HE
can't do any more over there than
the cQntract specifies. lie gets paid
Tor the actual work he does, Just
The same as any other contractor.
Ana his bid is higher than that OF
me contractor who got the con-
Price s3.2O Yard.
LNell'' Marr finally admitted,
mough reluctantly, Burton agreed
10 do our paving for S32O yard
we pay cash for It."
mo crowd in the commission
room shared In the laughter that
lOll0Wed Marrs admission.
Ihat explains It," Street Com
missioner O. A. Steiner remarked
when the laughter subsided. but
II seems to me that II the property
owners In your district wanted to
enter into private contract, you
ehould have said 20 In the beginning
ana nave given your reasons. The
commission did not know until now
ulal you expect to pay cash, else all
me bids on this contract would
uoubtless have been submitted diff
ferently."
=, This brings up another point"
NeWblock interrupted "If we are
no' gong TO give contracts TO the
lowest and best bidder, what incen-
uIe is there for a contractor 20 bid
,,ow on these contracts. The price
on this job is the lowest we have
~ IN long time"
q, IN the meantime VIM. Fuller. OF
NE ilrm OF Fuller Bros, who sat in
ne audience, was busy with pencil
anu paper. While the argument
was still I'm progress he arose and
announced that his firm would NEE,
nurtons price OF s3.20 yard fol-
paving. 1t Is worth 10 per cent
,euuctlon II payment Is made I'm cash
instead OF paving script. he said. lie
Npalned afterward that II he had
nnoWn II was cash job his com.
Ishy would have knocked off the
80 per cent In Its bid
That's all right" Marr replied
apparently satisfied with Fuller'i
proposal. I've accomplished some
S"'s by coming up here. anyway.
ana the mayor called for the mex
,a'ter OF business TO come befor,
he commission.