New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-10-11
TINE corNcIL,s BUSINESS

THE COUNCILS BUSINESS
The charity board recommended the
awarding OF the contract for the cree
ton OF the new building for women
at the town home TO New Britain
concern. A Hartford ORGANIZATIONS
bid, some $1,000 less than that OF the
New Britain company's. had been re-
jecied by the charity board, such
board favoring a homo concern be-
cause II had knowledge ofithe coun-
ellis predisposltlon TO favor home con-
Germs and because OF other reasons
such as the fact that local labor would
probably be used. The Hartford COM
pany sent representatives here to try
to obtain what II believed was its
rights as lowest bidder--namey the
contract
The legal situation is that the New
Britain Charter contains no provision
requiring a board to give contract
to the lowest bidder, IL such board
exercises good faith. Charters of some
other cities contain a provision re-
quiring the awarding OF contracts to
the lowest responsible bidder. In other
words the charity board had free
rein to exercise It's judgment.
The Herald has no wish to pass
upon the question of to which concern
the contract should be awarded. That
is not the province of a newspaper in
a specific case. nor Is it the province
of any one ndividual--nor--snd this
is the point to be emphasized and
which the common council seemed to
forget last night-nor is it the pro-
vince of the common council to tell
the charity board to what concern il I
shall award contract.
1t Is the councils business only to
approve or disapprove the recon-
mendation as to awarding of the con
tract by the board OF charities, That |
situation Is caused by the basic idea
which inspired the creation of the
various boards and departments. The
board of charities looks into the mat
ter; the common council is Not expect
ed to do this detail work. The board
makes a recommendation. The coun-
Gil approves or disapproves, leaving
the board, if the council has disap-
proved, to take further action or to
press ats former action with stronger
evidence.
The common council was never in
tended to take the place of the city
departments. 1t should have bigger
business of supervisory character.
than making original suggestions, be-
ginning at the beginning and looking
up all the facts that the departments,
from their nature, are in a position
to do.
The situation is complicated by the
rumors that have been circulated. :
Presumably the board of charities has
looked into these rumors. The board
is under no obligation to follow the /
advice of the council in this matter I
other than to consider it as all in
formation regarding the construction
of this much needed building should
be considered.
And this brings up the real matter {
of vital Importance. There is evil
dence that the unfortunate women +,
who have to make the town home ,
their only home are cold and uncom- c
Portable. Some of them. perhaps all, S
are suffering daily, hourly. a
Whatever is done regarding this c
contract for the erection of new i
building it should be the immediate !
business of the charity board to see to Y
ii that cracks through which the wind 6
blows are stopped up; that the resi- Y
dents at the home are made warm and u
comfortable, now this very day. Per- {
haps that is being done at this mo- a
ment. We hope SO. The new building. S
no matter to whom the contract is S
given, will do women at the home no
good today or tomorrow or, probably "
any day until next spring. S
And while we art waiting for this a
squabble to be settled. many Of the Il
poor women out there are passing the b
last days of their lives in suffering. fl