Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-25
RETENT ON CONTRACTS
CONGRESS TO BE ASKED TO
REGULATE DURATION.
Year Believed to Be Sufficient for Test
ing Work on Bridges and
Sewers.

A new measure which is to receive the
strong support of the District Commission
ers before the next Congress. is directly In
line with the effort to decrease expenses or
the District in connection with the work
on municipal improvements inaugurated
last year in the presentation to Congress
and subsequent enactments into law OF
provision for placing almost entirely at the
discretion of the Commissioners the amount
of bond to be required from contractors.
This new measure has as its purpose the
reduction of the retent contracts within
the District, and this statement alone is
sufficient to make 1t certain that the bill
will be one of the few most anxiously
watched by that very large proportion of
the population which is closely interested in
contracts for public works, in the contrac-
tors. and finally in the financial side of the
proposition.
Considered a Year Ago.
When this general phase of the subject of
municipal contracts came up year ago 1t
was recommended by Superintendent Nc
Comb of the sewer department that a re-
duction be made in the amount of the bonds
required of contractors on certain classes
of District work Subsequently Daniel e.
Garges, secretary to the Engineer Commits
sioner, formulated the draft of a bill which
that it became law on February 8, 1905, by
the terms of which the Commissioners are
permitted to accept bonds in sums low
as one-fourth of the total estimated amount
OF contract. AS nearly, IL not quite, all
contracting firms are compelled to pay for
bonds regular per centum on the
amount of the contract, 1t is obvious that
all of them include this one of the items
Of expense incident to piece of work and
accordingly place II as one of the items in
the bill. 1t was argued by the Districts
engineers, and no doubt correctly. that any
reduction such as this would rebound to
would force the contractors to lower their
Items for bonds.
Existing Law.
The existing law concerning retent on
contracts is contained in section 5 of the
organic act Of the District Of Columbia ap-
proved June II, 1878, and provides as fol-
lows:
And that the contractors shall keep new
pavements or other new works In repair
for term of five years from the date of
completion of their contracts
And 10 per centum OF the cost OF all new
works shall be retained as an additional
security and guarantee fund to keep the
same In repair for said term which said
per centum shall be invested in registered
bonds of the United States or the District
of Columbia and the interest thereon paid
TO SAID contractors.
It has been construed that the term NEW
pavements or other new works includes
all construction work with the exception
OF buildings and grading, and since the
passage OF the act 10 per centum of the
cost OF such construction work, including
all improved pavements. bridges and sew
ers, has been retained. On buildings,
plumbing work and work of like nature
g retent has been held for one year as q
matter OF good administration, though not
required by law.
Concerning street pavements It u still be-
lieved to be advisable that q retent shall
be kept for flve years.
It has been strongly urged by the of
dcers in immediate charge Of the com
etructton Of bridges and sewers. however,
that retent OF one year on such work
Is ample to cover all risk of inferiorities
because this work, being generally con-
crete masonry, any defects are bound to
develop within e year.
Greater Competition
Tho most important reason for the
change IN law provided by the proposed
bin IL that It VIII allow OF more compe-
tation. Under the present law 10 per cen-
tum Of TIE cost % thu work b head In thu
trsaanrY s,f fh1 EI11ksd etaxes for = period
q {2ss ~ 7sPEsee2<s &c