Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-08-17
line Bids for Penn..Iyanla Avenue

During the inquiry into our District affairs,
at the last session Of Congress, the practice or
rule OF the late Board OF Public Works In estab-
hshiDg fixed prices for work, instead of letting
contracts TO the lowest bidders, was severely
criticized. This criticism was revived by the
rtctIt acton of the District Com missionsrs in
continuing work under some of hose contracts,
and il urged in objection to their course
that the bead rates were excessive; that if the
work hsd been submitted 10 competition BY ad-
vtrtisems LIT, responsible men would have taken
IL at rates greatly less than those Of the old
board.
This was fairly tested In the recent advertise
ment and bidding for the repairs of Pennsylva-
MIA avenue. Take the bids as reported in Tag
STAR. Aswe understand them, the rates bid
are, in the average, even higher than those of
the toaTd. Let US analyze them. Take the
bids fer wood: Nueebatel Co., 80 per square
yard; Ray & Co., $40, Ballard company, 50. u;
Ridlow, 81 -, with per cent. per annum upon
cost for reIairs for three years, IS 81; FiIbert &
Taylor, $3.50; Baldwin, 81 .; making the aver
age bid ~ GO. These are all for untreated wood,
and pay nent in cash. Now, the board rates
were, for untTeated wood, s. per square yard;
for treated wood, $3.50. But those prices in
cluded two feet Of grading, the preparation of
the road bed. and the sand and other material
comprising the foundation upon which the
wood rested. The recent bids for Pennsyl-
vanis avenue include nothing but the fur
nishiDg and laying of the untreated blocks,
the rosd-b bed being already prepared and the
sand down in the base OF the old pavement.
Add, therefore, to the average bid above, the
cost Of the sand and two feet OF grading, and
we have the following: Average bid, 1892 per
square yard; tao feet of grading, % cents, and
sand, . cents; total, s3.G-tgo per cent in
excess of the old Board rates. Nor is that all.
III We estimate and add the time and labor, and
consequent expense saved in having the road
bed prepared-in the fact that the water, gas
and sewer connections have AL been completed
for long time along the line of the work, thus
securing the contractor against the vexatiOus
and expensive delays attendant upon the lay
ing of a pavement where those connections are
10 be put down-the per cent. OF excess Is
greatly increased. But when We estimate and
add to these the further important item en-
brsced IN the fact that the above bids are all
based upon cash, as contrasted with the
greatly depreciaIed paper OF the Board in
which contractors received their pay, it will be
readily shown that the lowest bid above is in
excess Of the Board rates, and that the average
bid IL in excess froBs Is to 50 per cent.
his IL equally true of al tie other bids for
new pavements on Pennsylvania avenue. Take,
for further illustration, those for concrete:
Hastings, at $3.50; Burbridge & Co., at - %;
Neuchatel Co., at - 81; MeDonsli, at 1920;
Clayton, at % 49,; Husstis, at - 15 Ballard
Co., at s2.I2; Baldwin, at o. %; AveriIl, at
$3.50 Gleason, at 80 70; FTiel, at s2T5; Davis,
1t 81 Is; NietZey, at as; Lancon, at $3.50;
Scharf, (l2th,) at 1925; making the aver
age bid 81 81 per square yard. Tue old
board rates were for the best OF the con-
cretes $50 per square yard, which included
two feet of grading. and in the above are bids
fer concretes OF but little value for road.
ways Nevertheless, we include them all
Add, then, TO the average bid the cost of two
feet OF grading, and the value OF the sand in
the foundation Of the present pavement, and
we have: Average bid, 1921; two feet of grading
20 cents; and the sand, 3 cents total, 50 IS per
square yard. Five per cent. in excess Of board
rates! And II We estimate and add the time
and labor, and consequent expense, saved in
having the roadbed prepared, the saving con-
sequent upon having the water, gas, and sewer
connections all down, and the difference be-
tween payments in cash and payments in the
Deprecated certificates OF the old board the
excess Of the average bid for concrete over
beard rates will be shown to be, as in the case
or wood, from % to 80 per cent.
n similar examination aud analysis of the
bids for Belgian and other stone pavemsnts will
demonstrate a like excess. SO far, therefore,
the critieisD in this MATER has not been justi-
ned or sustained by experiment; and 1t should
be remembered that the bids above are made at
= time OF great depression Of business; when
money Is very tight; when contractors have men
and teams Idle, and large quantities of stock on
hand, and would gladly Obtain work at cost
rates.