New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-22
NAY BE NO TUNNEL BIDS.
HAS NO STRIKE CLAUSE.
Pennsylvania Contracts Delay Pen
atty Thought Too IronClad.

| tunnel contract
| Contractors who have had chance to read
| carefully the contract governing the building OF
| the tunnels across the North and East rivers
and under Manhattan Island predict that on &C
count Of there being no provision for an extern
sion Of time to the contractor and sub-contrac-
| tors who shall assume the gigantic task OF
| building the tunnels there will he no bids sub
| mitted at noon on December 10 when the bids
| are TO be opened at the offices Of the company.
! No. S. Cedar-st
| Not only is there no strike clause in the care
fully prepared contract prepared for prospective
| bidders, but the penalty imposed for failure to
hnsh the work or contract time is fixed at the
rate of about per cent a. year on the entire cost
| Of the work The contractor under the terms Of
| the contract will he subject to this sweeping
| provision although all but suh-contractor
| might he up to the mark with his work
| In view Of the fact that The Subway Construc-
ton Company. which is now completing the new
Belmont subway. has been DELAYED more than
| six months in a single year, there are contrac-
tors who do hesitate 70 say that the Pennsyl-
vania cor1panyS contract wording viii have to
| De greatly modified before bids will be submit
| ted.
On the other hand. the company officials say
| that the caisson workers on whom will de-
volve the most tedious part OF constructing the
| tunnel, have heretofore given little trouble to
| the contractors They are largely IN the organ
| ization known as the Compressed Air Work
| ers of America. The work taxes the vitality
of the men TO the utmost days work is
nominally eight hours long, but matter
| of fact the men in the caisscns work only in
| two shifts of forty minutes each This work is
| done within eight hours and for these two
working spells of forty minutes each Sc is
| paid. If the pressure under which the labor is
| done is unusually heavy the price is higher.
| Generally speaking however, the wage is IS
a day for two forty minute shifts.
Assuming that the tunnel construction work
will cost at least $35O0o00O, the penalty for
| years delay in completing any subsection
| of the work would involve a penalty OF : per
cent Of the entire $50 100000 or, in round
numbers. $2,450OOO, for a years delay in get
| ting the work done on time The penalty is
| fixed on q scale of one-fiftieth OF l per cent
for each days delay on the tunnels entire cost.
The company has five years in which to build
the tunnel and begin its practical operation.
The five years, it is understood, began last
summer, after the Appellate Division commits
| sion approved the tunnel project. Paragraph
| 3 OF the contract proper. bids which are to
be opened on December 10 at noon, says:
Said work shall be commenced as soon as the
site of the shaft is handed over TO the con-
| CURED by the engineer and shall thencefortn
Prosecute the work continuously and diligently.
| The whole of the work embodied in this con
tract shall be c9mpleted ain - months
after the site Of the shaft has been handed over
| TO him
| The features Of the contract which have
prompted a doubt among the contractors that
| there will be any bids submitted are the fol-
| lowing clauses.
Thirty-third-It. is distinctly understood and
agreed between the parties hereto anything herein
10 the contrary notwithstanding, that if for any
DELAYED By the order Of any court in any proceed
TO be brought there shall &c no right on Inc part
! of the contractor to demand recover any dam
| ageS or 70 receive any addlJlonal compensation
| from the company on account of such impeJiment
| by such impediment or delay shall be borne ex-
clusyely by the contractor. and the company shall
| further understood and agreed. however. that il
peded or delayed as aforesaid then the time within
which the contractor is required hereunder
delayed shall be extended for an additional period
equal 10 that for which the same shall have been
impeded delayed.
! Thirty-fourth-In case the contractor shall fail
the specifcations and to the satisfaction of the
! engineer within the time herein agreed upon, the
sum equal to one-hfjetR of l per cent Of
the s smRg' w6 6a' for each ana S'a d9
| the time consumed in said work and completion
! pose, which said sum- in view OF the difficulty OF
ascertaining the loss which the company will suffer
by reason Of the delay N the Perlornanee q me
! work hereunder is hereby agreed upon, fixed ana
determined
| damages that the company will suffer by reason
| of said delay and default and not as penalty,
the amount Of such 20 &t 81 Inc Inc
| contractor under this agreement
| In commenting yesterday the heavy PEN
| altv IMPOSED for non-fulflment of contract and
the fact that there is no strike clause in the
contract. a leading contractor said to a Tribune
| reporter:
Probably there viii be number Of bids submit
ted for the tunnel work Just the plans ana speci-
6cations stand but there is little doubt that some
nsry that their bids would he mutually advan-
| tagtous If strike clause Is inserted lh,re l. 10
Sn1nnroSscd Air Workers have had sensible leader
| shin in the ORGANIZATION affairs but people VINO
| eior of strikes among them. and delay the work
| for wear If such a thing should happen. the
GDateea Air Workers are almost wholly native
| Americans and American born Germans and Irish
| The work bowls them over like ninepins. II is
EXper;ne.n tbeti Al not stand the strain under
compressed air well as the Americans. Irish and
| German.
The con1pany's officials seem TO be confident OF
| eating contractor ics-President Samuel
Raa is quoted in the Philadelphia papers as say
| ing that the company expects to advance the
| tunnel work in this city in the coming year.
| work on the New-York tunnel terminal must
| nrocee5 and will require more capital, Mr. Rea
| +! u,,ots6 as saving This was anticipated in
| tho 'Iast annual report. There has been spent so
| far about 100000 Tor right of way and prop
| 80 Tor this terminal. Its total cost viii Ice
| bout $50 100000 It will take about four years
| % cor,nJeta the work. and about SloN1O Is III
| that can be spent 70 advantage next year
GoELET's AUTO" ALMOST KILLS WAN.
a Wbeelman Run Down on the Way to the