Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-12-28
AIexandriiaBon
Bid Approved
Despite Error
Syndicate Official
Says Figures Were
Tronsposed in Offer

Alexandria's City Council yester-
day accepted the bid of New York
syndicate on the city's municipal
bond issue after the syndicate repre-
sentative had attempted to with
draw it. The bid was for 1888, 285
and the agent said that it should
have been 81 ,638 ,285, but the figures
were transposed in writing the offer.
On recommendation of City Man
ager Carl Budwesky, the Council, by
an eight to one vote, accepted the
bid of sGlore, Forgan 81 Co.; Barr
Brothers & Co., w. H. Newbold Sons
& Co. and Hallgarten & Co., all of
New York. Another syndicate pre-
sented a bid of $1,677 300, the next
highest of the Is sealed bids.
Armistead Boothe, representing
the Union Securities Corp; Stone.
Webster & Blodgett Co.; B. j. Van
Ingen Co. of New York, and Good
wyn & Olds, Washington, presented
legal precedentS in United States
Supreme Court as we'll as New York
State Appellate Court cases to show
that bid may be withdrawn before
contract has been executed when a
''unilateral error" or tranSpoSltion
of figures occurs and when the &C
tual intent of the bid is clear.
Not First Such Occurrence.
Mr.. Budwesky pointed out thai
this is not the first unusual occur
renee in Alexandria bond issues, re-
calling that in 1889 the city lost
$4,000 on an issue one-third the
size of this one because bid of that
amount over the next highest bid
arrived five minutes after the dead
line.
Edward v. Milholland, jr., repre-
senting the Glore, Forgan syndicate,
asked that his bid be withdrawn
after two bids, both higher than
that of his syndicate, had been
opened yesterday, because he be
lieved" he had made an error in his
bid.
He said that, while the error was
solely his, he did not anticipate any
difficulty in the acceptance of the
contract by the syndicate.
Judges Salary Increased.
Council last night voted to in
crease the salary of the judge of the
new Juvenile and Domestic Rela-
tons Court from $4,000 to $1,000 a
year and to increase the salary Of
the courts clerk from $1,000 te
$4,000. The salary of the judge was
set at $2,400 before the election In
November. Marion B. West will take
office January /.
At the same time, $500 was voted
as the salary of the substitute judge
of the new court. According to the
act creating the court, the judge OF
the Civil and Police Court is to act
as substitute judge during vacation
periods.
The salary of Judge James Reece
Duncan, Civil and Police Court
judge who also has handled the
juvenile and domestic relations cases
prior to the separation of the
courts, has been $4,000, and will now
be $500, although he will be han
ding the family court for only one
month instead of for the entire year.
The salary of the third Civil and
Police Court clerk was also raised
from $1,000 to $4,000.
Mr.. Budwesky announced that he
has set January "a as the deadline
for the payment of city personal
property taxes.
The council passed on second and
third reading the 1916 budget of
$2,007 $3.50, and enacted the ordi-
nance maintaining the current tax
rate of $3.50 per hundred on real
estate and $3.50 per hundred on
personal property