The San Francisco call., 1898-04-05

this Article, the Board shall cause mo- tice to be posted conspicuously in its office for not less than five days. and published for the same time, inviting sealed proposals for the work eontem- plated; except, however, that when any repairs or improvement, not exceeding an estimated cost of five hundred dol lars, shall be deemed of urgent neces- sity by the Board, such repairs or inn provement may be made by the Board under written contract or otherwise, without advertising for sealed propo- sals.
 Sec 15 Said advertisement and mo- tice shall invite sealed proposals to be delivered at a certain day and hour at the office of the Board for furnishing the materials for the proposed work, or for doing said work, or for both, as may be deemed best by the Board, and shall contain a general description or the work to be done, the materials to be furnished, the time in which the work is to be commenced, and when to be completed, and the amount of bond to be given for the faithful performance of the contract, and shall refer to plans and specifications on file in the office of the Board for full details and descrtp- tion of said work and materials.
 Sec. Is. All proposals shall De made upon printed forms to be prepared by the Board, and furnished gratuitously upon application. with form for the affidavit hereinafter provided for print ed thereon. Each bid shall have there on the affidavit of the bidder that such bid is genuine, and not collusiye or sham; that he has not colluded, con- spired. connived or agreed, directly or indirectly, with any other bidder or person to put in a sham bid, or that such other person shall refrain from bidding: and has not in any manner sought by collusion to secure any ad- vantage against the City and County, or any person interested in said inn provement, for himself or any other person. All bids shall be clearly and distinctly written, without any eraSure or interlineation, and if any bid shall have an ensure or interlineation 1t shall not be received or considered by the Board. Any contract made in vio- lation of any of the foregoing provi- sions, and in the case of improvement done under such contract, shall be ab- Solutely void.
 All proposals offered shall be accom- panied by check, certified by a re- sponsible bank, payable to the order of the Clerk of the Supervisors, for an amount not less than ten per centum of the aggregate of the proposal and
  accompanied by such check.
 No person, corporation or firm shall be allowed to make, file, or be interest ed in, more than one bid for the same work. If on the opening of said bids more than one bid appear in which the same person, corporation or firm is in- terested, all such bids shall be rejected.
 Sec. II. On the day and at the hour specified in said notice inviting sealed proposals the Board shall assemble and remain in session for at least one hour, and all bids shall be delivered to the Board while it is so in session, and within the hour named in the adver- tisement. No bid not so delivered to the Board shall be considered. Each bid as it shall be received shall be num- bered and marked Filed" by the Pres ident and authenticated by his sigma ture. At the expiration of the hour stated in the advertisement within which the bids will be received, the Board shall, in open session, open, ex- anime and publicly declare the same. and an abstract of each bid shall be re- corded in the minutes of the Board by the Secretary. Before adjourning, the Board shall compare the bids with the record made by the Secretary, and shall thereupon, at said time, or at such other time, not exceeding twenty days thereafter, as the Board may adjourn to, award the contract to the lowest bidder, except as otherwise herein pro- vided. Notice of such award shall forthwith be posted for five days by the Secretary of the Board in some conspicuous place in the office of the Board. and be published for the same period of time.
 The Board may reject any and all bids, and must reject the bid of any party who has been delinquent or un- faithful in any former contract with the City and County, and all bids oth- CT than the lowest regular bid; and on accepting said lowest bid. shall there upon return to the proper parties the checks corresponding to the bids so re- jected. If all the bids are rejected, the Board shall return all the checks to the proper parties and again invite sealed proposals as in the first in- stance.
 The check accompanying the accept ed bid shall be held by the Secretary of the Board until the contract for doing said work, IS hereinafter provided. has been entered into, whereupon said cer- tified check shall be returned to said bidder.
 If said bidder fails or refuses to en- ter into the contract to do said work, as hereinafter provided. then the certi- fled check accompanying his bid. and
 
 forfeited to the City and County, and shall be collected and paid into the General Fund. Neither the Board of Public Works nor the Supervisors shall have power to relieve from or remit such forfeiture.
 Sec IS. If at any time 1t shall be found that the person to whom a con- tract has been awarded has, in nre- senting any bid or bids, colluded with any other party or parties. for the pur- pose of preventing any other bid being made, then the contract so awarded shall be null and void, and the Board shall advertise for a new contract for said work.
 Sec. 19. In the case of improvement of streets, the owners of the major part of the frontage of lots and lands upon the street whereon the work is to be done, or which are liable to be assessed for said work, or, in the case Of an assessment district, the owners of a major part of the superficial area en- braced in such district, or their agents. shall not be required to present sealed proposals, but may, upon making oath that they are such owners, or the agents of such owners, within ten days after the first posting of notice of said award, elect to take said work and en- ter into a written contract to do the whole work at the price at which the same has been awarded. Should such owners not enter into a written con