, 1874-02-08
effI Results Of Letting Contracts to
she Lowest Bidder.
epdress Within the Reach of Defrauded
Workingmen.
rack of Skill on tho Part of
Many Mechanics.
Making Partaloons for Sixteen Cents
a Pair,
The Mechanics, Lien LAW.

nassed by the Legislature of the State OF lii
nos in 1869, the sub-contractors, mechanics
.,d l.borcrs rejoiced, supposing that now the
ooud collect their pay for their labor withou
much ditfcu1ty,-for the Legislature had take,
~ their case, and made provisions whereby the
,ould no longer DO cheated and swindlcd out o
their rigbtful dues; for, if their employers di,
undertake to dcfraud them, they had the sam
redress as the original contractor. They had
ught to file q lien on the building on which sucl
hbor had been performed, and bold said build
iug for the payment OF their wages.
Time and experience, however, demonstrated
tb.t like great many other laws and legisla
tive acts, this sounded we'll in theory, and looked
well upon paper, but, when it came to be re-
duccd to practice, it was found to be not ali tht
trainers of the Law expected, and
FELL FAR SHORT
ofueeting the wants Of those persons for whost
benefit it WAS enacted.
1t significant fact that brick-make1s ani
Iumbe1-dealers have held meetings to organize
.oms plan By which they could protect them,
seres from irresponsible contractors and thew
too, fod that the Lien Law is detrimental to then
Is we'll as to workinEmen, and they arc clamor.
nn 1Ol LIS AEEEa4s A9Ab1 III Oil AuEA MEELlEEB
md in all their cogitations, they have failed tc
.r5e at the root Of tile ovil,-the first cause o1
Ill this dishonesty and failure to pay either fol
material used or labor performed.
Irresponsible contractors" they say, ta1e
It tue bottom Of this state OF things, and We
must get nd Of tbem."
They propose to do this in way that shows
their shorts -sightedness, and suggests the idea
tbat they had better admit ladies' to their meet
ings whose iaatiuctire perception will 20 little
xbead Of their rc2aon-
These gentlemen, assembled il concIave, de-
lbe12tey propose to publish all contractors, who
d. not paF for materai that is to say, they will
fleece them once, and once only, and, it these ir-
responsible contractors will take Noman's ad-
vice, they will fleece these merchants thorough
II they are foolish enough to allow them to do
Irresponsible contractors! Why should 20
than my other class OF busincts-men7 That is
The question, and the answer to that will
sETr1E THE WHOLE DIFFICULTY,
md show why the material is not paid for, and
Why the mechanic does not receive his wages.
When contract is to be let, the question Is
to take charge Of this building? Who will do
the work in the most workman1iko manner? and
Who will see that justice 1s done to all parties
Not bit Of it. But, Who will take the contract
IT the lowest figures. and put up the building for
The least amount OF money?
The contract is awarded, not to the best prac-
heal mechanic; not to the honest, conscientious
workman; not to the man who hns for many
years borne an unblemished reputation for up
nghtness not for any OF these small considera-
t101s is the builder chosen,-but the work is
given to the lowest bidder.
i good, honest builder, who is . competent,
p7actlcal man. will never take contract that he
rarpnf lfva he nd Ha trnYra that in,
order to obtain one, would have to put his fig
u1es down go low that he will be compelled to
Eteal somebody's money Or materia1 before he
ean finish his work, which no conscientious,
God-fearing man will do; and for this reason,
yle maj ority Of oIr best skilled workmen are to-
Ae reason that contracts are let, not to good,
teEponsiblo men, but
TO TILE LOWEST n1DDEB.
This is the main cause Of Ill this dishonesty,
and tho rcaeon there is demand for the repeal OF
The Lien law.
Anan wishing to build q house worth $4,000
adyertises for contractors. His advertisement
is soon answered by numerous bids, ranging all
the way from Sc 900 to $4,000. The owner looks
them over, and finds q discrepancy OF $1,000.
he may be IN innocent party, and know nothing
Of the cost Of building and he ut once makes up
bis mind that the man who sent in his bid for
5000 intends to mako snug little sum
ont Of him; aud Immediately decides in
favor of the bid at $4,000, and gives
the bidder the contract. However poor the
material that is used, and unskillfu1 the work
tM:is done, tho building cannot be finished for
lsss than S. oo0 and the lacking 81 900 will have
to he lost by the contractor or stolen from either
the material merchant or the workingmen.
The merchants furnished materials, and the
we1kingmep furnished labor, with the idea that
tue! had the Lien law to fall back upon in ca7e
!aeg did not get their pay; but, when the build
mg Is finished, they discover that they
WERE EaREGIoT6LY DECEIVED,
TOT tho Law says: ''Dut the aggregate of all the
Lens hereby authorized shall not exceed the price
slpulated in the original contract between such
owner. or lessee, and the original contractor for
such improvements III no case shall the oTncr
q lessee be compelled to pay greater sum for
or on account OF such house, building, or other
improvement than the price or sum stipulated in
tAd original contract or agreement"
j. iae contract called for $4,000, and the build
ing is not liable for any more than thnt sum,
shlch the owner has paid to the original con-
sactor; therefore, neither the brick-manufac-
1uten, nor lumber-dealer, nor sub-contractor,
tae5 redress, and the Lien Iaw az far us they arc
concerned, is as worthless as the paper on which
1t il printed
Cases sometimes occur where the original con-
ascto; takcs 9 contract merely for the purpose
~ mating money, aud has not sufficient sef-re-
tpec$ to make
Asr SHOW OF HONESTY At ALL.
OF or no-eonracts all the work, and pays very little
attention to it, except to draw the payments as
speelhed By the contract. The first payment he
a,1css nc with tho sub-contractorB, giving them
la1, Sc tilst they can pay their mcn nearly up,
.aa Keep them ut work pretty well satisfied The
second payment is made with the same result,
except that the ubcontractors, not paying their
!, ,sorsmen all up before now, fall further behlnd
- ~ toe paymfnt Of their wages; yet they give