New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-28

me Conditions developed the work progresseo ANU
the completed seWeT Tas other bid accepted
bid was not unbalanced the only irregular or feet and
price in the quantity used directly to me a9
vantage of the city and the Gsab b nr of the entire
I'LL 1000 resulted from increased work done; Sao
yards Of rock excavation at - 80 per d by any other
bdder Tne circumstances and the result o. . 70 The
tract are altogether TO the credit OF the Objects 'D
public advantage $780,, VI, 49,. aud
N S,r,r in SerentJsereittst. beteeen NinE are ava
w. Summit West. ,,,,
a. Son as the lowest OF seven bidders
The actual quantities upon completion were oundt 10 De-
seWea ava Sard an Increase Of 247 yards The actual
cost wac SAT- 81 The excess OF rock an9'e the eS SUI
mate result Cd from before considered aud not
reasonable But the variation In no way affected the
CITY nor the bidders The accepted bid was not uhoa-
anced nor were its prices unreasonable Tested elthGr
Inv the estimated or actual quantities the bid was much
lower than either OF the Others and the conpeted Nok
the city not more than the fair value OF the "orA
done
l1-Seper in Eighiieh and EI1hrs Ss, bei'eee" Ire
. contract was scpem SS@ TO- $780, and executed
September 2i 1880, during the term OF my
But though am not responsible Tor IT, am prc
pared to explain II. II was let upon estimates pITT
pared by the Engineer OF Sewers 10 NJ. l. H.
Casey, as the lowest Of twenty-five oidders;a 3; bc
Trpon completion the actual quantities. proved 10 DC
sI feet OF sewer an OF four feet 435 yards
of rock excavation, an increase OF 30 yafaS IUo"D
vert and no basins were required dnnuton OF Sl-o'
The actual price paid was 9s'9iS. h, 20 bo maid for
thu nneT estimate of the engineer the result Of
already considered ana resnleu 81 rock bce6
known aud estimated such low price as hat Slat IA
the accepted bid - per Yard conu naHo pe M "1
The contractor undoubtedly lost money In TINS excaVa
tOn and protested against being compelled 10 coupee
it. II any has reason to complain VI ,,ds i %
l. no. the public any one regarding inc puphO III
tcrcst - ,
II. Contract for regdG'ing y,netyanhs from 1e''ore'
Tho preliminary estimate Tor this work was prepared
by MI Herman Vele, City Surveyor lnif'eeh Dlus
with ohu Brady as the lowest bidder was cGecuteo July
is ys the work under the contract Is incomplete but
onongb ia known and SHOWN to indicate an enormous
error In estimate and an excess OF cOst - A., ,,
The first certificates OF the enghcGr upon Tue VOTE
done show that $500 yards OF earth $3.50 more than
the entire esma have been eXcavatd ana olly l,vVV
wards of rock Tue amount thus certned as eaInsu
S 600 20 Of which there been paid only S3OsOl 20
The circumstances Of the transaction were rs olo~n
The bids being opened. attention was OF COURSE cAceu
nv the character Of lowest bid and before proceeding
further the surveyor was requested 20 liahe tI
verify his estimate He proceeded 10 do 80 anu maze TUG
louO"i"s ''pO''' NEw.YoRK, June 25 1883.
n ~ II result Of s5me hirywo borlngs taken
on the line of Nnetynfth-st. between Tenthaye ana
Rvcrsdeaye shows IT, ~ aciinai rcst viii vary
materially from this. Very tflny yo4iSvt ,r,r
for Herman X. vele, City Surveyor.
Upon this reiterated declaration by surveyor OF smch
high repute. given after measurements ana lcs's apn
with the knowledge OF the doubt exsung anu 10 s'tl
those doubts il was supposed 10 be propcr to proceed
with the execution Of the contract especially Ia view OF
the fact that according To this revised tsaI9 o ne
engineer Bradys bid still the lowest ana OF the
further fact that at that time was not aware 'ha' Hu
any power To reject the bid.
these are the circumstances of the transaction. and
until the completion Of the contract and the Intimate DC
termination Oi the rights Of the city ana the contractor
any further statements premature. ~
VARIATIONS IL PRICES AND DETAILS OF CLHiAN
CONTRACTS.
fNr Thompson considers the charges IN regard to
extraordinary variation. In the prices pad by the Depart
pept for similar classes OF work His general defence
concerning these variations which he eudeaV0r 70 Apply
10 each contract Il n ioll0ws:l
Nothing can be more misleading than the suggestion
mat am f Inherent contract prices f'r particular items
fuu shrd under contract may he sfltrl TOT com
par5on with prices for similar t"- furn'hra ~ part. n
another contracts aud that because IN one In-n,s "a,
particular article has been purchased NJ one ptc' maj u
should IN another have been accepted at hth't price
The fact that the pric" Tor one class "i WORK Iu -
given con tract f. different nan tha for similar elias. OF
work IN another contract means dl,olulcy hIhE iuo
only basis OF comparison f. the price DID Tor The "ofA -
Mr. thompson says in regard to fictitious estimates and
certain contracts: y
The statement made that estimates were Often ne
means of this knowledge they were enabled To ert eh"
mpu-ly high for work. while contractors VINO Idh 0
know the insi ie Licts were prr'chlth II'h s,uI5 ,
contract, have knowledge that any fictitious r-ti-
mates were ever made do know o any cs'' ~ which
the contractor was acquainted Hilh we l.t, ~ H. ~,
ccp that he might have obtained sUc Aho"IrlS VI lo
have never known Of any instance IN which any one con"
ncctrd with the Den rtmcni either Intentionally prepared
tractor or bidder Information concerning estimate,
I'm respect Of Vincent caifs contract u y said mat nc
total amount Of the MD sl-, when The cost 10 the
city wa $j9l7. This contract fer uEl"uug ana IIdI
Ing one nundreani-ifty -lIdrd-t rom T'nthaye. ~
the Boulevard made Jue II, ISL upon estimate
prepared by Mr. }. Mcintyre shl,h' tly 9uryvl I"o
excavation II bank upon the South side ~ irn'y
basis From the best attinahc Information and his own
observation the was ~ opiaon that the rock
as continuous which proved moi to b. the fact Upon
completion il resulted that az compared win the pre-
muary estimate there wds al Increase ~ tarlh eAca'
ton Of 1865 yards, and decrease 81 rock excavation Oh
1880 yards; and the bl being uIbauced, these i'rt-
account for the SllOO Increase IA thr COS" To me .y
But this rate, the Completed WORK was lower ti
seven Of the eleven bids. .,,
IL IL said that James Roiy's contract for SO93i re-
sn,ted In cost 10 the city ~ Sl2.i5O. The work was
done upon estimates furnished by Nj. Charles u.
Haswcl the City surveyor. There brug no reason IL
81 - per yardno being unduly hisn. there was no
reason power 10 Withhold the contract h"m leiiy,
who the lowest bidder the contract being made Do
fore April j. 1883.
it's stated that " O'GraAys bid Of $3.50, cost the
city SIJl7S an increase OF $4,000. No such
tract tis Is known Of Ia this Department, aud doubt
tho existence o; any such contract
contract made ~ November 1881, with John Br?dy, for
regulating and grazing ia Elghy-cghthst, Ina which Il
the amount far earned II S2il2o, or 100 pee cent
than the bid. This contract was let In ISL upon
estimates prepared by Cy surveyor General Ighcu L.
Yicc. Al the Time OF the Frrpaaiinn 81 The estimate
law fpr the changing OF the grading Ia this Htt,c was Ia
COntcuplatlun bill TO that effect Ia the Lgiald
turr bat vetoed by the Governor Ia tho succeed
ing year the b was passed and was signed by the Coy
crnUI Thus resulted that after the beginning Uf the
work the quantity Ut work necessary 10 be done Ia
creased IN consequence OF the passage OF the Law chang
Ing the grade OF the street
G. Question was raised on the 2Ist Instant in respect
OF the Improvement ~ MODingsdr-dyc.
WORK upon this improvement originally begun IN
July. 1877 aud large amount OF work done, especially
In the construction OF retaining walls. That work, how
ever, discontinued in April, 1873, aud not much
done after that until The present contract was made june
80 1882, with j. ". OGry as the lowest Of nine bid
ders upon May II, 1882 There Is, undoubtedly, very
considerable variation between the quantities of earth
excavation, filing and Of masonry actually done In
comparison with the original estimates, and there Il
variation In the quantities Of rock excavation. The
principal OF variation is the existence and sltcf
ton Of lOny retaining wall upon the edge OF steel
eclvty which since the inception Of the work in 1872
mas undergone change, and TO which the views oil
the Commissioners or the department Of Parks have also
been modified. Information aud explanation concerning
these points Of the sufficiently given by Ia
the Controller IL September, 1888
THE LEGISLATIVE INVESTIGATIONS.
Reference has been made from time to time to what Il
called Suppressed testimony" concerning this Depart