New-York tribune., 1883-12-10

ooven of which were below $1,000. The lowest
bid was for $4,742 but as in many
other cases the contractor failed 10 90
the work. 1t was re-advertised ana
let ak months later to James Slattery on a bid OF
81 % although at the first letting he put In bid
for S.. $50. But even on his second bid Mr.. SLAB
tery received from the city 81 per cent more than
the amount of his bid. This was due to the estl-
mates as usual the returns showing that 232 cubic
wards more of rock lat $4) taken out than the
estimated amount in the advertisement.
In a contract which Patrick Mulholland obtained
for building sewer in One-hundred-and-fifteent
st. he bid 81 $685. and the returns showed his earn
ings to be SO, ,912. In this instance the estimate
for culvert was $50 lineal feet, and the returns
showed that $40 feet were built, thus indicating
how closely an estimate can be made to correspond
to the actual quantity of work required. But in
another item of the contract there was very mate
rial difference The estimate called for 5000 feet OF
timber, while the returns showed that 81 Ala feet
were used The coincidence" in this case was that
Mulholland bid So more a thousand for this timber
than other contractors offered to furnish it for.
OTHER FORTUNATE CONTRACTORS.
In building sewer in Ninth-ave., Joseph ID. Mutt
and Patrick Kerwin were fortunate in securing
from the city 10 per cent more than the amount oil
their bid In this case the estimate was for ninety
eet of culvert, but only eightytwo feet were but.
The price on this item was of course, low, Dut
when it came to rock excavation there was dliier-
ent state of affairs. The price paid was $3 90 a
cubic yard. The estimate called for l75 cubic
wards, while the returns showed that 491 cubic
yards were taken out
In building sewer in Seventy-seventh-
ST. John McKim g. Son with whom Maurice
B. Flynn, one of Mr.. Tompson's chief sup
porters, is closely associated) were able
70 earn by the returns 20 per cent more than the
face of their bid This due to the fact that the
estimate called for 450 cubic yards of rock excava-
tion while 697 feet were returned as taken out at
So 50 cubic yard.
In another sewer contract NJ. P. II. Casey was
able TO earn 80 per cent than his bid because
the estimate called for 200 cubic yards of rock ex-
cavation. while ,435 cubic yards were taken out.
AMAZING DIFFERENCES IN PRICE FOR EXACTLY
SIMILAR WORK.
The table printed below will show at glance the
| extraordinary differences in prices paid TO con-
tractors by Commissioner Thompson for sewer WORK
of the same class. The prices opposite each name
| represent the figures on one contract only
| Where no quotations are given no WORK
of that kind was done under that contract
| II will he seen that Hugh Duffy, Mutt & Kearns,
7 Phelan. V. Clark J. ID. Miner and Abraham
Dowdney are willing to take out rock for the mod
est price of cent per cubic yard, while John Stat
| tery demands the enormous compensation OF S3o
| ner yard. Slatterys rock evidently must have
reouired diamond drills to cut 1t. But the modest
contractors who want only cent per yard for rock
| excavation compensate themselves in all cases by
the extravagant rates which they charge for other
| branches of work covered by their contracts. The
tremendous variations in the prices in this table af
ford profitable field for the study of taxpayers;