The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-27
NO MORE BIDDERS
w. II. Wilson Will Recommend
Plans to School Board
Thinks Schools Should Not Be
Built by Contract.
WOULD BE CHEAPER.
Estimated That Great Saving
Would Be Result.
Estimates on Plans Are Less in
Other Towns.
6IO
Kansas
Ave.

At the next meeting of the board of
education the recommendation will be
made by W. H. Wilson, chairman CT
the building committee, that in the flu
ture building of school houses the board
employ its own labor and do the work
itself, through a hired superintendent.
rather than follow the present method
of building by contract longer. If the
school board approves this radical
change in method Topeka contractors
will be deprived of an important de-
partment of their work. The annual
outlay for new school buildings in To-
peka has for several years amounted
to many thousands of dollars.
In Kansas City and other places the
erection OF school buildings is conducted
on this plan. In Kansas City the super
intendent of construction also designs
most of the buildings erected by the
school board and is paid an annual SAL
airy. Inconvenience of various sorts
resulting from the contract system is
vogue in Topeka have led the members
of the board of education to seek for some
more satisfactory method of getting the
building DONE Mr.. Wilson, as chairman
of the building committee, has had con-
siderable of experience with that fea-
ture of the boards activity and has
concluded that it is time to institute a
new system.
In discussing the situation and con-
ditions which have led him to his con-
clusion as to the proper method of doing
public school building Mr.. Wilson said
this morning:
The board of education has been led
to think for some time that it not quite
received fair treatment at the hands OF
contractors who bid upon its work. 1t
has been found impossible to do work
here at prices for which 1t is done at
Newton and other far smaller towns
over the state. We have been told by
architects that such and such struc-
ture was put up at some small town
for certain figures, but when we re-
ceived bids upon exactly the same work
we found it cost from $4,000 to $4,000
more to do it in Topeka
Becoming interested in the project
of doing our work ourselves, / looked
up the legal aspect of the subject and
found no objection to our hiring the
work done. 1t will be proper for us
to employ our superintendent buy our
material and do the work ourselves,
and I believe we can save money by
that method. AS yet I have had no OPP
portunity to discuss the matter with
other members of the board of educa-
ton. and can not tell what attitude may
be taken upon this suggestion. In case
another extra meeting is called to take
up the Parkdale matter l will propose
1t then. otherwise it will go over I'M
til the monthly August meeting"
The determination OF Chairman Will
son to place the proposition before the
school board for consideration was
reached after an Intellectual effort to
make a contract with Lundgren & Carl
son. contractors. who were awarded the
construction of the Lafayette street
building in Parkdale. The hitch in pro-
ceedings is due to the decision to
change material 1t has been intended
to begin work upon the Parkdale build
Ing during the early part of July, but
the contract has not yet been signed
and It Will be impossible to commence
work now for several weeks. 1t is
hoped by Chairman Wilson that some
arrangement will be made by which
the school can be had ready for occu,
pancy by the opening of the spring
term.
According to the proposition SUBJ
mitted by Lundgren & Carlson. a build
ing was to be erected at a cost of about
$4,000. At the time the school board
was disposed to favor the use of a good
quality of vitrified brick in its outside
walls To accommodate this desire
Lundgren & Carlson offered to put in
vitrified brick at a cost of SITS less than
their offer for the use of pressed brick
Upon this understanding the board OF