The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-05-30
VALUE T0BE
FIGURED FROM
BIDS RECEIVED
Definite Action Expected To
BE Taken at Meeting
Thursday Afternoon
PLAN QUICK ACTION
Whole Matter Probably Will
BE Settled Within the
Next Ten Days

The city commission and citizens
committee. in executive session un-
til midnight last night after hearing
representatives of bidders on the
proposed new water works system,
instructed the city engineer to ap-
ply the whit prices on bids received
for construction of a new plant to
the present equipment and property
of the Bismarck Water Supply COM
pany, to figure depreciation and ar
rive at a valuation of the present
water plant by comparison with the
bid prices.
On this basis, it was decided, the
city commission will offer to dis
cuss the purchase Of the present city
water plant with the Bismarck Water
Supply company officers. and to make
definite offer for the purchase of
the plant
Bids of contractors on two classes
of material, which also are in the
present water plant, will contain n
reservation. if acted on, so that the
bids would be merely on additions
to the present plant or requirements
The city may be ready within day
or two to say what it would pay for
the Bismarck Water Supply Con-
pany's plant. Action must be TAX :,
on the bids before it and the who's,
matter decided one way or the oth,,
within the next ten days, according
to the cOmmi ssioners.
Another meeting of the city COM
mission will be held at 2 o'clock
Thursday afternoon. at which time
the matter will be discussed further.
: Says Offer Too High g,.
Mayor Lenhart said that the COM
mission believed that the best test
of the value of the present Bismarck
Water Supply company are the bids
for construction of new plant. He
said that he believed the bids show
ed that the water company had ask
ed too much money for their plant
in the past, and probably indicated
that the city had made the water
company an offer to buy it's plant
at higher figure than it really
should have offered. The highest
offer made by the. city commission
was $265,O00. which was offered, re-
jected and withdrawn.
The matter of bids was not dcfin-
itely settled in entirety. and no con-
tracts were awarded at the meeting
last night, but the discussion is un-
derstood to have resulted in decis-
ion to certain bids on each class. if
the work goes ahead. This includes
American Cast Iron Pipe Co.. Of
Birmingham, Ala. for contract No..
/, furnishing Of cast iron pipe; con-
tract No. 2, installation of supply
mains, DeGraff and Wolff Company,
st. Paul; contract No. 3, filter plant
construction. Wodrich Constrac-
tion company; Contract No.
4, installation Of filters, Mcfarland
Engineering Co., Kansas City.
Bids Submitted
The bids as submitted, and tab
ulated, include:
Contract No. /, furnishing cast
iron pipe, hydrants. etc, American
Cast Iron Pipe Co., Birmingham,
Ala, $250,061.47; U. S. Cast Iron Pipe
and Foundry Co., pipe and cast iron
specials only, $22O.167.00; James B
Glow & Son. Chicago, all items
$270, 0,1O6.4O; Waterous Fire Engine
Co., St. Paul. hydrants only $14 :
O65.0O; Rensselaer, Valve Co., Chi
cago. valves and hydraots. only,
$l9,9Os.00.
Contract No. 2. installation of sup
ply mains. Frank G.. Grambs, Bis
marck, $185,142.sO; Haggart Con-
struction Co.. $1sS,633.56; Wodrlch
Construction CO.. st. Paul, $192,621.-
65; w. c. Fraser & Son $20O.297. go;
Phelps Drake Co.. $210,297.60; De-
Graft and Wolff Co., $173,15OSO.
Contract No. 3-Installation COM
plete filtration plant, pumping ma.
chinery. Wodrich Construction Co
$1O8, 1924. Other bids not extend
ed and totalled.
Contract No. 4--Installation head
Iu8 SySCcu HI AlICEdGlOu pldHt Ouliu
ing, F. G. Grambs, only bidder 81,
2920O.
Contract No. 5-E. w. Bacharacl
Co, Kansas City. $25.O75.OO; McFar
land Construction Co, Kansas City
Mo. $25166.OO. (two lowest out O.
five bidders-others not tabulated.>
Contract No. building two. con
crete reservoirs odrich Construc
tion Co. $47,931.OO; Phelps -Dodg'
Co., $1,O2O.OO: Campbell Construc.
tion Co, $54.6O6.O0.
~. HEAR BIDDERS
The city commission and citizens
committee first met at 4 o'clock yes
terday afternoon to hear bidders ex-
plain the merits of their propositions
At that time calculations had been
made on what appeared to be the low
bids, but not on all bids. and there
was, some dispute over the total
amount Of the bid on pumps, the city
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