The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-21


tive TO Plumbing Work in school
! Houses-Sites for New Buildings
| MIR. Hunter ON Law Enforcement
In remodeling the plumbing in the
Grant, Gales, and Garnet School buildings
| last year there were certain delays in the
completion of the contracts which the
! contractors, James Nolan & Sons, stated
! were unavoidable. The question now,
! however. has been brought before the
| Commissioners by the Auditor, who calls
1 attention TO the penalty required by law,
and suggests that the matter be referred
to the Comptroller of the Treasury for
decision.
The contractors, last December, in
| planning the delay in completing the work,
| submitted statement TO the Commission
! ers. containing several propositions, as
| follows:
1.-The goods specified were manufac-
| tured by but one firm in the United
States. namely. the ]. L. Mott Iron
I Works, at the time the specifications
We're written.
The firm which entered into compe-
tition had to manufacture goods to equal
| the standard of quality set forth in the
specifications, viz. equal to those in
Sumner and Banneker School buildings
which had been furnished by the J. L.
Mott Iron Works.
The manufacturers, James B. Claw &
Sons. Chicago, stated that they were de
layed in furnishing fixtures on account
of the fact that certain advance infor-
nation required by them regarding the
specifications of fixtures was refused by
the District authorities, and the time
elapsing between the award of the con-
tracts and the time to complete the same
was not sufficient to manufacture the
fixtures specified, it taking from six to
eight weeks time after modelling a piece
of earthenware to get first sample
through the kilns
The saving in price to the District on
these contracts was $500, by which amount
we were lower than the next lowest bid
der, by reason of having used the com
petition firms prices for fixtures in max
ing our estimate for the cost of the job.
The fixures installed in these schools
were superior to those in the Sumner and
Banneker buildings referred to in the
specifications, especially the drinking
fountains and the water closet tanks, the
latter being lined with 16-ounce copper, as
required by specifications, and those fur
nished on other District work being only
12-ounce.
I'VE submit that our contract provides
for a penalty of IS a day, not liquidated
damages. Therefore, we believe the Dis
trict government has been put to no ac-
tual loss due to the delay in the compile
ton of the contract On the contrary, the
District has been the gamer in the substi-
tuition of Royal porcelain instead of en-
ameled iron drinking fountains, which
features caused the greatest delay in the
completion of the school contracts In
view of the decision of the Assistant
Comptroller of the Treasury set forth in
circular %, Office of the Chief of Engi-
neers, United States Army, dated Sep
TENDER 49, 1900, we respectfully ask the
waiver of penalty on these contracts and
the final payment of the same.
In connection with this statement of
, Messrs. Nolan 81 Sons. Charles B. Ball,
the Inspector of Plumbing, submitted
statement TO the Engineer Commissioner
| in January, giving the status of the con-
| tracts, showing that there was an aggre-
| gate of 125 days in the three contracts.
| At $ a day for the time the amount of
| penalty, according to Mr.. Ball, would
amount TO SG25.
Among other things set forth in the
| statement of Mr.. Ball was the following:
There is, / believe, no reason for the
District to enter into the details of the
causes of the delay, far as the manu-
facturers are concerned in their failure to
furnish the goods at the specified time.
The two questions which are vital are
whether the District was put TO anv
serious disadvantage on account of the
delay of the work, and whether the con-
tractors have, as is claimed. rendered ma
terial advantages in excess of the con-
tract requirements"
Mr.. Ball calls attention to the fact that
the fan term of school began in Septem-
Der and that, in his opinion the pupils
were put to considerable Inconvenience
on that account.
On this point, however. Nolan 6. Sons
claim that the contracts We're not award
ed on any school except the Grant
early enough to permit the completion of
the work, even if there had been no de-
lay, the contract time on the Gales and
Garnet Schools not expiring until late in
| October.
j. T. Petty the Auditor of the District.
in considering the matter. reviews the
facts as given above and cites the terms
Of the contract, which says that the work
shal be finished in seventy-five days
thereafter or a forfeiture of IS will be
| charged against the contractor for each
and every day the work is delayed be-
yond the time set for its completion.
Mr.. Petty recommends that the COM
munication of the contractors, together
with letters and other papers, be referred
to the Comptroller of the Treasury for his
opinion upon the question at issue.
This recommendation has been approx
ed by the Commissioners.
Richard kingsman, Chairman of the
Committee on Buildings of the Board of
| A%'4ANfiAiDiis has 4Jl Ndiutt 10 AOulI1lS-
sioner mcfarland the report of the Su-
perintendent Of Schools in relation to the
| location Of sites for schools provided for
| in the District appropriation act for the
next fiscal year. Mr.. Kingsman states
| that the report has been approved by the
Board of Education, and that it ernbodies
| the views and wishes of the committee
| Of which he is chairman.
| The report sets forth that the eight
room building in the Sixth division. Trini-
| dad or vicinity, is to relieve the Madi-
| son, Taylor Blair and Hayes schools,
and that it Will serve this end best If 10
| Gated between Florida Avenue and y
| Street north, and the Baltimore and Ohio
| Railroad on the east, preferably on
| Florida Avenue, but in any event not
more than two squares north of it.
II is suggested that the eight-room
| building in the Tenth division is intended
to relieve the Jones, Douglass, Cook, and
Banneker schools, and should be located
| between First Street east and Fourth
Street west and X and o Streets north.
| II is stated that the eight-room build
| ing for the Ninth division is designed to
81 Observation-Disclosures