Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-02-13
what a Contractor H.. 20 say.


Editor Erening Stdr:-will you do me the
favsr of inserting this card in ysur paper, in
justice TO the Board of Public Works. have
read the memorials to Congress, pro and con,
and find some injustice done, in what is known
as the Corcoran paper, perhaps unintentionally.
have reference to the charge against the board
of giving ont contracts without competitive
bids, the board fixing its own estimate Of value
This assertion leaves the public under the i'm
preston that contractors are receiving an ex-
tortionate price for their work 1t is, or should
be, however, well known that the Board of
Public Worksdid invite and receive bias for ALI
description OF street Improvements, and from
these bids established q scale of prices gradu-
ated much below the lowest bid
have been awarded several contracts, and the
assertions which 1 make in nv statement can
be suostantlated, not only by the record, but by
all master stonecutters in the city of Washing
ton. The board allowed me for furnishing and
setting the brown stone and granite terrace
steps on street northwest - per lineal foot,
az well as also on New Jersey avenue southeast.
The board price is the lowest cash price for this
Kind OF work. The board paid me in "certii-
Gates, in view OF which fact, considering their
present value to be beneath the SUN estimated
as the value of the work, applied for a reason
able advance in price, which from economical
views, was denied me. My work amounted to
over $4,000, so that L assert truthfully that |
lost over 81 200, besides giving my labor. Thus
statement is based upon cash prices paid by
private individuals for like work. 1 have had
experience in other kinds of work, and been
awarded several contracts for building sewers
ana laying sewer pipes, all of which have been
finished without complaint from either cit-
ZeDs or the board after duly justifying by bonis
Knowing that will faithfully perform my con-
tract, even at sacrifice to myself, the board
has awarded me what some contractors will
call good contract. 1t is TO furnish material
and construct a brick sewer on eth street north
east, from u TO a streets, thence a pipe sewer
to near the new Eastern market house, as well
as pipe sewer on the west side of said street.
Now, what would say is this: Let those per-
sons who are dissatisfied, and think that the
board is paying 'twice the value" OF work, try
1t. L feel sure that if a responsible man will
come forward and give proper security for the
faithful performance of the work, the board
Will give him the contract, aud / will relinquish
1t. The fact will soon be made patent to his
mind, or any others, that the cry of ''ring" is
merely 'tempest in teapot" Indeed, l
think will be borne out by all practical men
in the opinion that, unless the board does ad-
vance their prices, the work will be seriously
retarded. / have just completed a sewer on
New Jersey avenue, between and G streets,
northwest, and after digging through feet of
made ground, struck spring of water, which
kept me under the unforeseen disadvantage of
working ia q continuous mud-h0le for at least
800 feet, in some places IL feet deep. Those who
have had experience, and others who saw me
while doing this work, will agree that it re-
quired three times as long for its completion as
an ordinary Job would have done. As vet, no
additional award of price has been allowed me.
For one who not only had practical experience
in regard to the value of work, but is also paw
ing no Insignificant tax assessments, am fully
persuaded that the Board of Public Works has
squandered none of the public money, but
faithfully redeemed its trust as keepers of the
public interests. RICHARD RoTHwRLL.