The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-12-29
BOARD OF STREET AND WATER
COMMISSIONERS.

COQIllS 1Ot LIS oGNSC-Ss
BOARD or STREET AND WATER
COMMISSIONERS.
1Offeial Proeeedings.)
Payonia avenue, from Grove to kelso
streets with eonerete), about l,55O rect
Is. PSI square YARDS; cost, $5,4S5.
Pacific avenue, from Johnston 70 CoInr
munipaw venues, about l,S4e feet 9iio
square Sards1; cost, $6,6Ss- :aa
C-ommunipaw avenue, from west slas
to Bergen avenues about lSaoo lsee
q, S69.5) square yards)i cost, Sl,ol5. ~
T~otaisNl7,5i1 square yarasS cost @h-
SEWERS RECONSTRUCTED YEAR
ENDING NOVEMBER 80, 1895
Thirteenth street, from Provost street
"a Hudson River (now under way. prae-
ticaAy completely, about 1880 feet OF W
inch steel pipe sewer testlmafed4; COST
SIS, $50.
Chestnut avenue. from Pavonia to Bald
win avenues, go feet of 24-inch brick oval
sewer; cost, 1901.
Bergen avenue, from Fairmount TO
vftrined and 51f feet of 30-inch brick oval
sewer; cost, 1.450.
Washington streets, about AZ feet OF ~
inch brick oval sewer; cost, Sl,6b6.
I Communipaw avenue from Monticello
10 jackson IND to BramhaI avenues,
about 1882 feet of 42-inch brick oval
sewer: cost. S7,56S.
ocean avenue. from Linden avenue to
Gator avenue, about 5s5 feet of 36-inch
brick oval sewer cost. Sl,Se4.
1898, totals, about 4,920 feet OF sewer
1857, totals, about 2s2 feet of sewer. cost
ESQ.
of sewer: cost, SIG, 10I.
way), about 1900 feet of 60-inch; l,2Vo feeo
of 54-inch; 1850 feet of 36-inch, ana sg0
feet of 42-inch brick oval sewer t4,soo
REHABILITATION. 1897.
Belgian pavement, about $50 feet Q,565
square yards): cost, S1,560.
Macadam pavement ABOUT izso isee
G. 976 square YARDS; cost, $l,3i9.
Asphalt pavement. about S,lSO feet t2I,lSQ
Totals. about $50 feet Cs2,s6s square
yardS); cost, $16,3l5.
REHABILITATION, 1898.
Belgian pavement, about 5,750 feet a.
5T.5 square yardsl; cost, $S7,02S-
Asphalt pavement Cottage street, now
under way, practically completed), about
$50 feet e, 1873 squar YARDS; estimated
20 totals, about $40 feet cos. o45 square
yards); cost, S4l, 500
We have been troubled greatly IN the
past by the persistence Of contractors N
submitting. unbalanced bids. our rules
prohibited this class of bidding, but the
line was hard to draw, and contractors
were both argumentative and resistant.
We nave finally hit upon d plan Whlcn
was evolved by, the Clerk 81 TINS bSare.
" on the head 1t has been successfully
tried in our city during the year iast
past n not a complaint has been thus
The general custom heretofore has been
for the Engineer to prepare an estimate.
of the quantities required. which WSfe
then advertised. and on the basis OF WaSa
bids were submitted by contractors, Tor
instance
About 100 cubic yards of earth exca-
walton, per cubic yard.-.....--.-- -.
About is cubic yards of rock excava-
ton. per cubic 49,.
About lis cubic yards of earth fill
ing, per cubic rd......-.+..-- -.
And so on ad libitum. The contractor
would put a price against each item;
such price representing what he expected
to be paid per yard for each yard. founu
in the process of doing the work. He
oftentimes made it a gamble, and where
a low estimate had been made by the
Engineer the contractor would put a
price largely excessive, this being fol-
lowed by a price ridiculously low on
some other items, so b the average o.
bid was maintained. While this resulted
MANY times in the contractor getting ms
fingers burned, there were more than a
few cases in which the Engineers estl-
mate was largely exceeded n immense
profits made. When the CONTRACTOR got
the worst of it he generally ~endeavored
to excite the. sympathies of the exec
utive officers and secure an allowance
for extra work of some kind
When the city got the worst OF IL the
contractor could laugh in his sleeve, but
the people along the line of the improve
ment and against whom an assessment
was levied would be up in arms. Il WIS
a most unsatisfactory arrangement all
around and a cure seemed limos 1mpoS-
sible of accomplishment, but we hove
finally succeeded in adopting what
caa,,1c m hpe a SI1acftfra
Our present plan requires that the en-
gineer shall submit with his estimate of
quantities a price for each item pased on
These prices we designate the hundred per
cent. standard, n they are advertised
with the estimate. The contractor is re-
uuired to state at what percentage Of the
hundred per cent. standard he will do the
work. He may want more than the one
hundred per cent estimated by the eng
for less, but what per cent. he quotes ap-
plies to every item named in the estimate
it matters not to the city whether in
the actual doing of the work the cs8i-
mate oyerruns or underruns, no more
CONTRACTORS BONDS,
In lieu Of Freebooter security contrac-
tors are now required 10 furnish the bond
of some surety authorized 70 DO
business III the State OF New Jersey We
consider this a safer and better plan for
the city in that there is ne question as to
the soundness of the bond 1t is ROW
practically Impossible for a bidder e re-
awarded him unless he is PREPARED to
meex the financial penalty attendant
siefsY HhiaGHER GRADE or WORK
1t q many times Ia the past becone'
apparent to the various chairn1en Of ctr
Street and Sewer Committees than an ap-
Should be called for la our SPECIFICATIONS
But for various reasons no positive aosi0u.
was ever taken to bringxabout this ieeos