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To the City Council of the City of Fort Worth:-

I hereby return without my approval the resolution adopted
by you April 16, 1906, in which you approved the report of a special
committee, viz., Messrs. Zurn, Lehane and Moreland, recommending that
the city accept the bid of the Fort Worth Sprinkling Company for doing
the sprinkling of streets for one year. I disapprove of that action
because-

First. The special committee was appointed March 5th simply
to take up the sprinkling matter "for consideration", said appointment
being in the following words:- "Monday, March 5th, 1906. At this time
Alderman Zurn called the attention of the city council to the fact of
the expiration of the sprinkling contract with the Fort Worth Sprinkling
Company, and asked that a special committee be appointed to take the
matter of sprinkling up for consideration: the motion was carried and
thereupon His Honor appointed Aldermen Zurn, Lehane and Moreland as
such special committee". No instruction was given as to what acts
they should do; the public was in no manner apprised that they wanted
to receive bids; I understand that the chairman of that committee
stated to parties inquiring that nothing would be done until the
new administration, and that by reason of that statement at least one
bid was at that time withheld. The committee afterwards concluded
to make report on April 2nd, but in its report does not claim to have
in any matter notified the public it wanted bids, and yet in that
report it calls on the Council to instruct it to negotiate a contract-
-not with any party offering the best bargain but - with the Sprinkling
Company; and not only asking that it be confined to the Sprinkling
Company, but that it be instructed to negotiate a contract - not on
the best terms obtainable but - on the terms of this old contract just
expired, and that they be given power to act. This request to thus be
tied to one party and at one price when it was known that no
publication or call for bids had been made and no test made of what
advantageous contract might be gotten in behalf of the city and
citizens was, to say the least of it, an unusual proceeding. The city

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