The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-20

provide the same 81 the lowest price, with ade-
requirement was INTENDED to protect the
State from extravagant contracts; but by
made M 81 10
defeat the very end had in view by its authors /
have examined more than one hundred contracts,
and | md that most are so cOntrived that not
only does the State IN the END pay from 10
tour times the amount OF the CONTRACT, but that
TACT, although 1t may be In form. This result Is
brought about by the following contrivance:-
makes out an estimate OF the quantity aud xmas
OF work to be done. Those who make bids stale
or furnish each KIND OF material. These prices
are looted up, and the bid which amounts TO the
upon averages out little more than one.halI the
amounts estimated by the engineer, and appar
enLly the state makes advantageous contracts.
on examination It Will Do found That the prices
for the several items bear no relation to their real
value: IN some Instances excavation OF earfn Is
eIghty-nve cents are asked. Excavation OF rock
blasted at one cent In some cases and 81 others.
Slope wall Is biu Tor in some cases at twenty cents
ana IN others at so. Hemlock timber, which is
worth at least $l2 per 1000. is In some contracts
put at less than So per 1000 and IN others at $50
per 1000. Oak timber in one instance Is put at 81
per 1000 and in others at s7o some items are
apsurdly low, others unreasonaby htgn.
In some instances contractor vii put in pro-
pOsals on the same day Tor different JOBS, but
prices Tor the same kind of work or materials will
vary in ms several proposals several hundred per
cent.
some fraud is designed. but the Commissioners
have been in the habit OF accepting them. l am
happy to say that Commissioners Thayer at recent
letting rejected THIS class OF proposals, which are
known as 'unbalanced dds" Heretofore they
have been accepted, and not only has the State
paid unreasonable prices, but more than one.nalf
VI the work on large contracts has been done and
PAID for without being advertised or offered to the
lowest bidders.
The contractor gains these results BY the follow
ing strategy
kinds OF material are published BY the Commits
sioners the contractor will find OUT by conusion
or IN some other way, what quantities Of eacn
or he Will see what influence he can exert TO
change the contract after it Is made. II 1t Is
changed no new letting is had, but he claims the
He then puts in hts bid, Offering to do such work
to furnish such material as ne fnds will not 0e
required at all, or In small quantities.. at absurdly
low prlces-at quarter or IN some instances at q
twentieth part Of It's cost. The Items which Will
he required IN full, and probably IN extra quanti-
ties, ne VIII put at unreasonaoy nigh rates, and
it turns that what the contractor oilers at low
prices Is called for In small quantities, If az all,
while those which are put at high prices are not
only required IN full, but IN most cases IN extraor
An example viii more clearly Illustrate how the
State Is delrauded by these devices.
The engineer having estimated certain work
and material as f0lOws:-
100 cubic yards Of vertical wall At $500 q
S s ses 3 ySra vile Fl slS oas aa rs
$4,000 feet B. NJ henock at 900 &C
AZ lo sd or oD at these
BIS bid .or the same was, for
100 cubic yards vertical wall at S6....... 5000 Or
$3.50 cubic yards of slope wall at so cents. Lilo u
2 400 feet b. NJ white oak at $70........... los Ul
$4,000 feet b. NJ hemock at Observation-Disclosures. $50 "
and aRgrega 81 lO4 SC
The proposal Of B., apparently so advantageous
to the State, was accepted, and the cOntrac,
awarded to him as the .'lowest bidder" But az
terward, oy some influence, 1t was DECIDED to
MAKE only vertical and no slope wall and to use
only OAK and no hemlock timber. There was no
relettlng although the agreement had been in
TACT revamped into new and different contract,
which enabled B. TO collect from :he State Tor
1886 cubic yards Of vertical wall at .$2s 73O
g. 400 feet b. NJ white oak, ut $40 4366
the sum ....... SIS 096
1t will be seen that in such trapsactlons-and
they are numerous-ln violation OF the constttu-
ton, the contractor gets the work without there
having been In fact any public letting or any
chance Tor competition by others.
For the purpose OF showing actual results OF this
system state the loo wing ten cases, which give
the amount the State has paid on certain con.
tracts III comparison with the sum for which the
contractor agreed 10 do the work at The lettings
made by the COMMISSIONERS