New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-05
PRAISE ALTERNATE BID"
OFFERS HOPE FOR SPEED.
M adams. Hosocucr. Thinks Sohool
Bulding Plan Would Fail

-. ,t.v or she many 6.ffcuitioa which a'i'''l
-. r.---frf ard collecting of fei.hiii'A '
saft,rurrt rrho1l CONTRACTOR. % haa
.-,-.,,u, 80, a-nour fhe ofhcialF ~ tEe beIsf'
men. ~ rauantion that thr on' pfa''l'li
.t,r 81, o.. presented o. t1e problem ~ n''
f-r the erection 20 school auuplnes = 'l
-. Ia f-s,,as.fior~ explained in Tuesday q
-rrtbune Hv ComrniFs.ore- sauluel u i','-.'.-
=. ,,,.,,t~r 70 the committee or buAdings hl-
-, i, o., ask s-- fvo figures When ndVei USING
-. A.. .,- school contracts. one ~ tres" D.
- .,~-.-,ir-frlr tie work specified on o. oh''
...,-,--1 months enrIier than 30 other. i'e ''A
49,. Cor al. shorter trnC would De larger ''A'
,bs, for the longer period. ard Tou'l' h a'
80 allow trc contractor virtually premium
f,r hanfc
- ,,rt- e,.---irtcraert Maxwell vas seen
yesterday b. would rCt express any "l'-i''o"
=. ..t,.. 49,, -,-,-rl.ttra on buildings should do
an the present diflcuitle'.
- 49,. al. utmost confidence IN our commit
a.. o- f.fnffuer." Dc e-.d "and AR sure mat
!. AZ discover Some light on his prooism-
go .,,-a-s any opinion on The legal points
,..,.,,,.,s gfov-e,-er 81 the Law prevents inc
y7,,n4inc Department from selecting other ihah
81. toues. bidders on school contracts ana from
,,.r.riz.,r delinquent contractors. believe th''
(, should De- changed.
L ara very GLAD that The Irlnune mas '-"'i
AN ,lts rrr1psign Tor occelerating tho work on
.gbool buildings. Its action IS public spirited
and l,eHeye that 81 has accomplished good ser
,f-, hot in this and Other lines. for the De
lartmeut 90 Education
-, ,t,,.., t,e alternate bid proposition Is val
,,sfle % said d. g. J. Snyder. superintendent OF
ecbool buildings. The plan mas certainly proved
. ,,,,csqs I'm the cases or the annex 20 Public
e,bool No l23. IN Brooklyn and az PUBIC
s.tool \. a. Of the Same borough. The an
- .-,,i,b was "a tWenty-cight classroom
.,-,,,.,,r,s as large as an ordinary school. was
am. ND An about eight months. and the sehooi.
which win contain forty-eight classF"oms ana
-, che largest type. VIII IN all probability DO
.-ec.ea Al a wear These are the Only TWO
schools built under this plan. so FAR as i know
..,r,,, committee on buildings has been ols-
,.,,esinz for several weeks past what Steps 'o-'-
% lion 20 hasten the construction Of schools
u Is likely that something tanglOe WI" -
sarize IN the matter pretty soon.
II admit. as The Mayor said 10 your repre-
ysnt,tive on Tuesday. that IL Is possible Tor US
40 select other than the lowest bidders I'm award
ing contracts. but when do Il becomes neces-
snYv Tor rs no 20 before the Board 81 Esu-
mate and Apportionment and explain our acliuN
Then the man who has been passed over usu"lS
brings an injunction against us, ana we ar
compelled TO go 20 court ana prove thar ne rs
not SO efficient as the contractor Whom We nav
selected ,
In the case where the Board Of Estimate ana
Apportionmcnt gave us the right 10 buy plaiios
from the best rather than from the lowest, Du-
ders the lowest bidders were unatie 10 s'aliu
IN the face OF the reputation of those whom we
selected 20 furnish Instruments In ihe case
Of builders ID would be libellous FOR Us To lnl-
mate that any one was not what he might re.
Richard r. Adams. chairman Of the Commit
tee on Buildings denied that the alternate bid
proposition" was a departure. He said he De
neved that IL would fail IN the long run. IN
spite OF its present successes. Among the ON
Gals OF the Board OF Education the possibility
OF assistance coming through legislation Is
viewed with suspicion. Yesterday one OF The
principal officials said
II the charter should be amended. allowing
the Board Of Education 10 select other than the
lowest bidders on contracts. the cry OF scandal
and favoritism would be very quickly raised.
] consider that the plans OF Mr. Donneny pro-
duce the best results with the least disad-
vantage TO the Committee on BuldirgS."