The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-05-07
SCHWEIKERT
ANDDICKSON
LOCK HORNS
Commissioner, Charged
With Being Bought
Lands Punch
CLAIM HIGH BIDDER
is GIVEN CONTRACT
Affair Is Outcome Of At
tempt To Purchase 1924
Oil And Gas
STANDARD COMPANY
AWARDED BUSINESS
Hasty Words Are Withdrawn As
Closing Chapter OF Holly
Contested Meeting
CLAIM HIGH BIDDER
is GIVEN CONTRACT
STANDARD COMPANY
AWARDED BUSINESS

Accused of having been bought by
the Standard OIL company IN regard to
the award to that organization of the
city's annual contract for gasoline and
oil, Commissioner w Il. Dickson. IN
the city council chamber Tuesday aft
ternoon. struck Fred SchweikeTt IN the
face, and received a blow in retwrm-
They SPARED a moment and went into
n clinch which required the efforts 0f
five or six impromptu referees to break
After a conference held between the
morning and aftrnOon ad5ournd session
of the board, the beard of c0mmisS5Oa-
ers met at 2 O'Clock and awarded the
oil and gas contract to the Standard by
vote of four to one, CommiskSOner W.
B. Cloe voting against the meas1re-
For weeks the oOnFraca, valusd al
approximately $4,000 has bern a SUBJ
ject Of discussion IN the city hall Re
peate1ly the representatives of various
companies have discussed the matter
with the board at recent meetings.
Win the matter came up a week
ago it was proposed that the mercham-
disc be analysed. which WAS dome. and
the results read Tuesday morning Cess
missioner Cloe stated at the mnrmSnw
meeting fhat even with the. rrsmlyz ~
the analysis 2Ae eunzrzfsaslsa was nae
were more conFersant with the subject
than before.
Receiving the report In open meeting.
and after some discussion. the cnmnnIs-
sioners decided to bold the matter over
to an afternoon session SO the report
could be studied They met and dis
eussed the report, already having sone
over the bids at 3 previous mepElnx.
and voted to aceept the bid Of the
Standard OIL company as @oDm as the
adjourned session was called 10 order.
The vote was taken with scamt pre-
liminary. other than an advocacy Of
the Wofford Oh company bid by Mr.
Cloe.
Claims Descximinzfiaa
The fight came at this point in the
meeting. Fred SchweikerT- who operates
a garage, said the commission had ASKED
for bids, announced tAey would take TIE
lowest bid, but had awarded the onu-
tract to the Standard company desRite
the fact that the Texas company was
half a cent a gallon lower Whs1e
Schweikert was speaking COmmiszinmer
Dickson arose and walked around "a
the other end of the dzis on which the
commissioners SIT, to where ScMeikers
was speaking.
Looking at Commissioner Dickson.
Scheikert went on: IF they have
bought you, go ON to them, but if you
are"
"WhamI'' Commissioner Dieksem
landed a solid punch
The fight was not of long durat5Ca.
several blows were passed. then the
eombatants clinched- Half a dnnsn men
present strOve to separate then and
finally succeeded
Before he struck out Commissioners
Dickson had said --Let me ten ynm
something. you lying -" But the rest
was lost in the melee
When more regular BREATHING Vas
restored, Mr. Armstrong. of the Wet
ford Oil company, asked for permission
to make a statement Commissinuer
Dickson said the contract had been
awarded, the matter settled, and moved
to adjourn The motion WIS lost Cau-
missioner Harrison said he had No OBJ
lection to further discussion of the
subject, but considered 1t unmeeesxRry.
Apologies Offered
Commissioner Dickson said he had
voted for the Standard Oil c0nuany-s
bid because it was the lowest. and that
any man who said he had been hourzak
by that organization or any other kmew
that such an accusation was untrue
President McLend0n at this p0ims
advocated less pointed language and 4
more even tenor for the meeting Cnm-
missioner Dickson cOmpalined Of being
stopped Mr. McLendon told him he Was
not in shape to continue the discus-
sion.
Commissioner Dickson then said he
wanted to apologize for the sort OF Ian
guage he had used when he went to-
ward Mr.. Schweikert, and said he with
drew it He reiterated his ressntment
of the accusation while saying he with
drew his strong language.
After a bit more of more or less I'm
important discussion of the matter the
meeting adjourned
The oil and gas supply companies,
interested IN the big municipal com
tract, have kept tabs on prOceeainxx at
each meeting. Bids were submitted bv
the Standard on company. The TEXAS
company and the Wexford Oh COMPANY
To keep a record Of the proceedings
they have employed SGallings- Brazsa-
ton and Hale court reporters. to tsk@
down all that was said at the several
meetings.