New-York tribune., 1884-01-27
MIR. THoMPsON,S TESTIMONY.


shortly before o'clock. Mr. Thompson presented the
eopuittee with COPY Of the hill prepared in the Cor
poraton CounseIs Office the request Of Mr.. Campbell
and introduced the Legislature in SO which. he
explained, as lie had at "a previous examination en-
bodied his views the best means OF putting stop 10
the system of unbalanced bids. 1t contains clause
under which the Commissioner of Public Works oan
within five DAYS the letting OF contract, give no.
1Ice the Mayor that in his Judgment all the bids ougt
10 be thrown out aud II the Mayor approves OF his rea-
sons and cOncms, then all the bids can be lawfully
thrown out and the contract relet. Mr. Thompson
added that the bill before the Senate introduced Icy
Senator Mccarthy in many respects similar, except
that il rered the concurrence Of tue Mayor and Con
troer to enable Commissioner of Public Works to
throw out all bids
UNBALANCED BIDs.
The matter of unbalanced bids then taken up Mr..
Thompson having said that prior 10 April lse3, there
were no means 10y which the unbalanced bids could be
defeated and that he had not been made aware Of the
change in the which made that possible until August
following. Mr. Whtridge asked him what hc meant by
the statement contained in his letter 10 the Mayor that
the public officers had striven defeat such bids Mr..
Thompson began long explanation about how il Rad
once been customary charge fixed price for rock hut
The Court Of Appeals had decided in 1851 ha; that
Illegal and so on. Mr. Whit1dge reminded him that he
was not answering the question. Mr.. Thompson then
said that the Department had stven to defeat unbal
anced bids by exercising the greatest in making
10 be eNcaNated
Mr. whitrdge-The only way in which you have tried
10 stop unbalanced bids Is oy no b9IllIi ,.,
Mr. Thompson We nave tileu 10 uc'lsc various means
hui not successfully.
Sir. whtTdgc- Would not an unbalanced bid impress
YOU as being exceedingly suHWciourf
Mr.. Thompson smillns blandly Ihe word suspicious
is broad word. do not see that an unbalanced md
would be necessarily suspicious.
Mr. Whitiidge-I have talked with prominent builders
mnbalanccd % bid is an Internal fraud and wanted to
know whether that impression was ever made upon Your
iniud by bids presented To- yOu'
Mr.. ThODIpSOn-NO, sir
Mr. Whiiridge is this system Of boring to which you
refer the which got special appropriations
Mr.. ThompsOn-I asked for an appropriation of
$4,000 for lhqt ,rPSse ana was reas u me e uolns
betrayed from the appropriation To ne
cause other means of paying for IT, The
Controller has made an objection to paying Ion III that
Mr. whitridse-n your letter You state that the
1863 contracts has been only one per cent III excess OF
Mr. Thompson-Lcss than one per cent The differ
ece between the Orgna estimate and the na estimate
IN the 3G3 contracts III that Is the number which have
been begun aud completed under my adluihis'Ta-
lion * only fraction OF one per cent
Mr wmiridge-That is the cost from the contractors
eslinaics-not estimates prepared by the department.
Mr. Thompson The contractor bids Oh the quantities
n estimated hy the Department.
Mr. Nbtridgc-IIaye you iu'any case. where the con-
tractors figures Ion the removal OF rock on earth struck
you S"nas sS ,'c ,s ke an estimate %hir Would enable yoa
20 Judge whether there had been collision fraud be-
Nr. TbOmpson-I have done 50; IL is very common
raeticc; but do not see where that would prove cou-
HOW CONTRACTORS GErM INF0RATloN.
Senator Mccarthy Where does the contractOrget his
information regard to the character OF the work-from
himself or from the estimates Of your engineersi
s.Mr ThomsOn-Wel, the contractors are very pecu-
liar class of people ~
senator Mccarthy QnteruptnQ and speaking with
some sJciiiy dDnt want 10 know any thing abOnt the
pecuar claIisC criscs of contractors want dlrect
answer Ia my question. -,
Mr. ThuluIs1Ii- think contractors rely almost
entirely upon their own information; others rely upon
the estimates OF the engineers which are on le III the
Bureau aud 10 which anybody get access with ease
Mr. WhitrJdge-In your letter 10 the Mayor you said
that you Informed that for Work has
been vacated the express ground that II had been
done unbalanced bids.
MIR ThoInpson-Ny information founded on par
ticular inquiry.
Mr. w!mtrdge-what proportion of assessments that
have been vacated excessive has been for work Oh
tanned by unbalanced biasi
Mr ThOmIsOn-l would require To refresh my memory
upOn that point before Answering you.
Mlitridgc-l0u read GHE TRIBUNE occasionally
AIR Thompson tsiiiing) )Ies sir, read IL little;
more Of late than had been IN the habit of doing be-
fore.
thar a very large proportion OF the assessments vacated
had been growing out Of unbalanced bids.
Mr. stcisOn-I do not think newspaper articles should
be made any part OF this examination III So shall ask
couuse 10 designate the article In THE TRIBUNE con-
raining the assertion which he REFERS and quote from
A. have read those articles somewhat carefully my
self and have not any statement OF that KIND
Mr ThOmpsOn-1be figures could not DE gwen WITHOUT
O great deal OF care and labor .
Mr. stetson objected 10 the question various grounds
Senator Cullen-I would Ike 10 know II MI. Ihomp-