The San Francisco call., 1898-03-20
BIG PROFITS
 ON A SMALL
 CONTRACT
The Steam Heating Work for the New Ferry Depot Proves to Be
 Bonanza.
Peculiar Acts That Met With the Approval of Commissioner Colnon and Architect
 Swain

The accessible records relating to the acts of the members of the Board of Harbor Commissioners in connection with the construction of the ferry build ing are complete. They fail to show the motives that actuated the Comm1s- sioners in ordering changes that result ed In much gain to the contractors and a proportionate loss to the State.
 Such as they are, however, the rec ords establish one important fact. They show that not one of the dozens of con- tractors were allowed to go away empty handed when a request was made for some change that meant the acquisi- tion of many unearned dollars by the petitioner. Architect Swain always recommended and Commissioner Col non always approved. Their unity of ideas was only equaled by the accord with which the recipients of their favor repeated their raids on the public purse.
 As 1t was with the stone, iron and wood contracts, so it was with that contract for installing the steam-heat- ing plant in the big building. The Board of Harbor Commissioners and Architect Swain have given their off, cial sanction to numerous changes not contemplated by the original plans and specifications, and in every instance the State was the loser by the operation. As the work now stands, the building is fitted with a steam-heating plant wholly inadequate to the purpose for which it was intended, and this in the face of the fact that everything needed or desired was called for by the plans and specifications under which the con- tract was let.
 When bids on the steam-heating ap- paratus were called for the general opinion was held by members of com peting firms that the specifications for this work were prepared by the rep resentative of the firm that secured the contract. This alone was considered to be a great advantage to that firm in bidding.
 The specifications, when prepared, were so written as to mislead intend ing competitors, and were an elabor- ately worded description of the com plete apparatus Bidders were instruct ed to bid on the installing of the pip ing system, it being stated that at a later date bids would be asked for the work of putting in the boilers and also for furnishing and setting the radia- tors.
 It was found, when the bids were opened, that the variation in the prices named was considerable, they ranging from s5200 to s97O0 W. w Montague & Go. secured the contract at the lower figure, which at the time was considered by the other bidders to be a ridiculous sum for the work called for by the specifications. In shts case, as in others, there appears to have been a wide difference between what was promised and what was per formed. So striking Is this difference that there seems to be good grounds for the conclusion that it is due either to the ignorance, neglect or collusion of those in authority.
 In this instance it does not require the services of an expert on steam heating to detect the lack of adher- ence to the terms of the specifications. A few of the most glaring cases will be sufficient to show the full character of the completed work.
 The clause in the specifications relat- ing to the system of piping reads as follows:
 The system of piping will be known as the low pressure, single pipe sys- tenn, except for the ground floor, which will be double pipe, the returns being one size smaller than the flow on the tWo-pipe system. The main steam supply pipe will be eight inches, from the boiler to the main building, and there divide into two 6-inch pipes running right and left to main supply branches, these mains to be reduced proportionately as radiator risers are taken off them. Sizes of bleed FITS and return pipes toreceiving tank to be of ample size to thoroughly and quickly relieve flow pipes from water, 80 that the system at all times will be thoroughly drained and freed from con- densation. Each radiator air valve will be connected with Winch drip pipe to run and empty into waste pipe where directed.
 A careful examination of this work shows that the ''two- pipe'' system for the entire ground floor has been omitted, thus leaving out about half of The work contracted for.
 The A-inch air pipes are conspicuous by their absence.
 The clause in the specifications re- garding the covering of pipes reads as follows:
 All pipes and fittings throughout are to be covered with magnesia sectional