The San Francisco call., 1899-09-28
DISAPPOINTED
BIDDERS FIGHT
OVER CHARGES
Criticise Ferry Slip
Specifications.
PROTEST AGAINST CHANGES
FAVoRITISM CHARGED AND
FLATLY DENIED.
Chief Engineer Holmes Declares That
the Kickers Have Only Them
selves to Blame for Losing
the Contract.
PROTEST AGAINST CHANGES
FAVORITISM CHARGED AND
FLATLY DENIED.

The unsuccessful bidders for the con-
tract for the construction of the new
! ferry slips at Main street, which are to be
used by the Santa Fe, are making a
strong fight against the proposed changes
! in the specifications, which they claim
Will materially benefit the successful bid
! der. the City Street Improvement Com
pany. They also hint that the latter firm
knew before putting in it's bid that the
changes referred to would be made, and
was therefore in a position to underbid
its competitors. Chief Engineer Holmes
emphatically denies that any favors were
or are being shown, but he declares that
all the contractors knew before they SUBJ
mitted their bids that the desirability of
! substituting wooden stave cylinders for
| the steel cylinders called for in the speci-
! fications was under consideration. The
matter came up before the Harbor Com
missioners at the regular meeting of the
board yesterday afternoon, when Secre-
| tary English read a letter from the ag-
grieved contractors, of even date, voicing
their protest. The letter is as follows:
To the Honorable. the Board Of State Har-
Dor mmissioners-Gentlemen: We. the
undersigned, having learned that your hon
orabe board is about to give considera-
tion to some changes in the plans for the
construction of the ferry slips at Main
street. which recently rendered you bids.
! lievlng that at this time before any of the
work is executed. 1t is giving decidedly un-
just advantage to those persons who were in
| vited on the second bidding to complete for this
work. Ii either of the undersigned had been
that they could succeed in having ad-
vantageous arrangements made after the
tract awarded to them, there is very lit
tie son to doubt that their bids would be
very materially reduced, but on the contrary,
all of us bid en- the supposition that the usual
custom of your engineering department would
be adhered to in this case viz: "A rigid de-
mand for a strict compliance with the speci-
fcations in every particular" and believing
that to be the case we were obliged to base
our estimates accordingly. And again we re-
peat, that the changes that now recon-
mended to be made will be very decided ad
vantage to the persons to whom the contract
was awarded and great injustice to all other
competitors who bid on the work. believing
as above stated. that they would be obliged to
/ comply strictly with the specifications; there
fore we earnestly solicit your honorable board
! to adhere to the original specifications and
make changes at this time. unless it becomes
| clearly evident the changes would be necessary
to make the work more perfect in some particu-
lar than the specifications outlined. Very re-
spectfully yours, - -
per P. F. Dundon, manager
HEALY. TIBBETTS & CO.,
COTTON BROS. & CO..
JAMES A. McMAHAN.
| Previous to the reading of this letter,
however, the secretary read the following
! letter from the chief engineer, in which
/ the proposed changes are recommended,
written a week ago:
! To the Honorable Board of Harbor Commits
/ isioners-Gentlemen: In the matter of the pro-
! posal of the City Street Improvement Com
/ pany contractors for building the freight slip
! for the Santa Fe Terminal Company to allow
the Harbor Commissioners a rebate of S12O0 If
wooden stave cylinders substituted for the
steel cylinders mentioned in the specifications
and which was referred to me, l desire to re-
port as follows:
! Just before the receipt of the second pro
! posals for this ferry slip sent to each of the
original bidders amended specification, ask
! ing for bids the aforesaid wooden cylinders
the attorney of the board the same was with
drawn for legal reasons. This l mention for
the reason that desire to call the boards at
this work were aware that when the same was
! finally awarded. the successful bidder would
be asked for proposition on the above men
| toned wooden cylinders.
1 think the allowance proposed by the City
Street Improvement Company is reasonable
one, and that the change is for the better. l,
therefore recommend its acceptance by the
board. Respectfully submitted.
HOWARD c. HOLMES, Chief Engineer.
Mr. Dundon and Mr.. Healy were
present and addressed the board. but their
remarks were simply reiteration of the
protest.
Chief Engineer Holmes said the chang
ing of the specifications was not without
precedent and cited the case of ferry
Slip, Healy, Tibbetts & Co. Co. one of the
wherein the specifications were changed
after the letting of the contract.
W. E. Dennison of the City Street Inn
/
been furnished no exclusive information.
1--WE offered to make the change at Mr..
Holmes suggestion" said he. "and al
low a rebate of S120O 1t is immaterial to
US whether or not the board accepts this
offer We stand ready to carry out our
contract" The whole matter was re-
ferred to the attorney for the board and
an informal meeting of the Commission
ers will be held this afternoon to receive
his report
The first set of bids for the construction
Of the ferry slip was rejected because
they were considered too high, the lowest
being over 200. The second time the
bids were opened ii was found that the
original bidders, including those whose
signatures are appended to the protest. |
had raised instead of lowered their
figures, the Dundon Bridge and Construc-
ton Company, whose bid was next to the
one submitted by the City Street Improve
ment Company, offering to do the work
for something over $34 900. The contract
was awarded to the City Street Improve
ment Company at s3O4O0. AS the cost Of
steel cylinders is estimated at about S2700
and the board is saved $1,000 by the SUBJ
stitution of wooden stave cylinders, Chief
Engineer Holmes says he cannot see
where the bids of the protestants could be
pared enough to make any material diff
ference in the award of the contract.
The contract for repairing the bulk
hatu bar 1