Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-08
WHY IT Is DONE
GOVERNMENT IN CEMENT AND
BRICK BUSINESS.
Raise of Price Makes Peculiar Condi-
tion-Contractor Who Asks
for Relief.

intercepting sewer. This sewer Is an I'M
portant portion of the general sewage dis
posal project.
With a view to securing the very best
material available for use in the construc-
ton of sewers. the District engineer de-
partment some years ago adopted the pol
icy of furnishing all cement and vitrified
brick to the firms holding the contract
for the construction of the big drains. In
the specifications upon which the contrac-
tors bid the prices at which the cement
and vitrified brick are to be furnished the
contractor by the District are stated In
the contract for the east side intercepting
sewer the Commissioners agreed to fur
nish the brick to the builders for SIG per
thousand. At that time the District was
able to purchase the brick at fraction
over S14 thousand. Now, however, the
price has gone up and the District finds 1t
self paying S2O.9o a thousand for brick and
furnishing them to the sewage contractor
for SIG. loss of $495 thousand.
Gaping the climax. 1t may be said. the
contractor has complained to the District
authorities that the bricks now being fur
nshed to him are smaller In size than the
ones upon which he based his bid for the
construction work. He asks that an allow
ance be made in his favor on account or
this variance.
For a long time past the District has fur
nished its own cement for construction pur-
poses This has included the cement used
in sewers, In sidewalks and public build
ings. The system by which this has been
accomplished Is a comparatively simple one.
At the beginning of each fiscal year the
engineer officials, under authority of the
Commissioners, draw a certain amount OF
money from the various appropriations for
buildings, sewers and sidewalk assessment
work. With this money approximately 1OO,-
900 barrels of Portland cement are pur-
chased after competition among the lead
70 rftt H.,
ity of the cement in nearly every case de-
ponds the solidity of the structure. An in
ferior cement. it is stated. would prove
very expensive to the District.
The conditions upon which this material Is
bought are very severe. The samples fur
nished by the various competing concerns
are subjected to extraordinary tests. The
samples are numbered and the identity of
the manufacturers is unknown until after
decision is reached as to the qualities OF
the various cementS
This cement Is furnished to the contract
ors at a slight profit to the District, and it
IS said this profit Is used up in handling
the material and paying for the storage Of
1t. When the contract is made the price
of the cement to the contractors is fixed
at a rate as nearly approximating the mar
ket rate as possible. At the present time
cement Is furnished to contractors by the
District at $3.50 a barrel and costs the
District $500 TO barrel The money col
lected for the cement from the contractors
Is turned into the appropriations at the
same ratio 1t was withdrawn for the
purpose of purchase from the manufac-
turers.
Special Examination.
II the contractors were allowed to fur
nish their own cement 1t Is stated, the Dis
trict would have to specially examine hun
dreds OF samples offered in connection with
the proposals for constructing the sewers
sidewalks or buildings. as the case might
be. This would require much larger
chemical and inspection force than Is avail
able and would result in delays The
Commissioners say such a system would
not be nearly so satisfactory nor as ad-
vantageous as the present one.
In the matter of vitrified bricks for sewer
construction the same policy is pursued as
in the case of the cement Sewer work
being entirely underground and difficult of
access should always be of the very first
quality. In order to secure a uniformity
and excellence of material. the District
furnishes both cement and bricks to the
sewer contractors.
Andrew Gleeson in May, 1902 entered into
contract with the District for the con-
struction of the east side intercepting
sewer. The specifications for this work in
cluded the usual stipulation to the effect
that the contractor would be furnished at
the District property yards the necessary
cement and vitrified bricks. The prices
for cement and SIG thousand for vitrifed
brick.
For the fiscal year 19O2-19O3 the District
had made contract with the manufactur-
ers of a certain vitrified brick by which
they secured the practically indestructibIe
blocks for Sl4.54 a thousand. The price of
S1b quoted to the contractor therefore
showed nice profit to cover the expense of
storing and handling the bricks before de-
livery at the sewer trenches. The year be-
fore. 19O119Oo, the sewer bricks had cost
the District S1625 thousand.
When bids were called for last spring,
however. 1t was found that the lowest &C
ceptable bids for bricks. conforming in
every respect to the standard set by the
District was S2O.95 thousand. Accordingly
ly contract was entered into on this basis
The price to the contractor for the east side
fntercepting sewer. and to all other con-
tractors whose instruments may have been
drawn up at approximately the same time,
remains at $40 thousand
These facts are brought out In a report
by j. R. Whelpley, an assistant engineer
OF the sewer division. upon a complaint
from Contractor Gleeson as to the size of
the bricks now being furnished. Mr. Glee-
son declares the bricks he based his bid
upon were considerably larger than those
being furnished at the present time. He de-
clares that unless suitable allowance is
made In consequence. he will be put to a
considerable loss. 1t appears that 1t re-
Quires 459 Of the bricks now being furnished
to make cubic yard. whereas 43S were
Il
four bricks.
Against Allowance.
The District officials. however. feel that
the contractor is already profting enough
by the bargain and Will refuse to grant any
allowance on account Of the smaller size
of the blocks In a report upon the matter
by Mr.. d. E. McComb. superintendent of
sewers. that Official says:
Il have the honor to report that contract
No. 3O62. for the construction Of the east
side intercepting sewer. provides. paragraph
8: He the contractoD will also be fur
nished at the District yards with all
cements. vitrfhed brick and invert blocks
required for the work, the value of which
viii be charged against him at the follow
ing rates y yitrified invert bricks,
SIG per thousand
There Is nothing In the contract nor in
tho bid for the work which indicates the
sizes Of the vitriied bricks to be furnished
by the District. When the bids for the work
were received. April o. 1902. the contract
with the Savage Fire Brick Company for
furnishing vttrihed bricks to the District
referred TO samples submitted by the Saw
age Fire Brick Company. and the deliveries
under that contract were bricks somewhat
larR0F m "a k>vfc be- =, tol~ ,oy