National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-12-08
CONTRACTS.

CONTRACTS.
As a rule, but with some exceptions, the &C
tiyity and zeal which contractors have mani
tested before the recognition Of their contracts
have not been afterwards exhibited. The de-
sire to establish a claim has been satisfied by
such recognition, and the contractor has been
unable OF unwilling to commence work with
sufficient force to make any reasonable pro-
gress with it. This is accounted for in part by
the depreciation of the board paper, upon which
they were unable to realize a satisfactory CON-
pensation in cash,.or to raise the necessary
funds for the prosecution of their work. The
difficulty was enhanced by the discontinuance
by the Commissioners, as required by law, of the
practice of purchasing and furnishing to the
contractor the materials required for his work,
which practice of the Board of Public Works
was Of considerable assistance to men OF
limited means.
The difficulty experienced in making the first
measurements upon which the amount due up
TO date could be ascertained and paid in GER
tiicates of the board of audit operated some
what to their disadvantage; but in the majority
of cases only small amount was due over
and above the last measurement of the Board
of Public Works to those who had unfinished
Contracts.
A further cause of delay was the prevalence
of the habit Of obtaining contracts for the pur-
pose of sub-letting them; and this was compli-
Gated by the financial embarrassments Of both
contractors and sub-contractors, operating to
deter parties from making bona Jide contract
to do work with others who held the right and
were unable to secure profitable margin for
themselves.
The working of the contract system has been
pretty thoroughly tested in the improvements
Of the capital, and in the light of present ex-
Perience it does not appear to advantage.
When contracts are advertised 20 be let to the
lowest bidder, it is difficult to discriminate
infayor of responsible parties, ands the work is
liable to fall into the hands of contractors who
depend upon sighting their work to make
good their loss on their bid. In such cases the
suftciency of their sureties is not adequate
protection to the District Whatever NAV be
recovered from these by the slow process of law
cannot make good the loss of time and the in-
direct injuries sustained.
For all work under contract it is necessary
to maintain a force competent to assume the
direction and control OF all the work, to pro-
tect the District from the consequences Of
fraud or Incompetence, and to keep such ac-
Curate account of tho work as may serve as the
basis of monthly estimates and settlement with
contractors. The cost of such a force is
hardly less than would suffice for another,
competent to undertake. the supervision of the
work and its safe completion without the inter-
ventiOn of the contractor, without any margin
for profits, and with comparative immunity
from the chances of bad work. If in general
material only were furnished under contract,
and labor and supervision organized with dis
tribution of responsibility, believe that work
could be done in the District of Columbia more
cheaply, and certainly better, than the average
Of the present contract work.