The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1905-01-19
BUILDERS TO Fight
BOARD OF CONTROL
Continued From First Page

cost last year to that paid for former
buildings Of the same pattern was
cited.
It was shown that the single quar-
ters OF captains costing a certain sum
when constructed several years ago
were duplicated last year for much less
money. They said that the contractors
knowing that the bidding would be
public for the government Job looked
Up the figures at which the former con-
tract was let and then cut under 1t, on
the assumption that il a firm could
make money at the former price the
bids for the present.job would certainly
be no lower and in order to secure the
contract it would be necessary. for the
successful firm to cut under the bill
that captured the former contract
Could Save State Money
In this way the committee urged
that the board of control could save
money to the state by shedding as
much light on the opening of bids as
it was possible to do under the cir
cumstances.
One reason that they gave why bid
derS were shy Of board of control work
was the fact that there was always
more or less delay in ascertaining who
had been successful in obtaining the
contracts They said that this delay
ranged from few days to three weeks
and that it was a distinct detriment to
the contractors because some of the
contracts. were large and If the bids
were made on board of control work
without reference to outside contracts
they would be swamped il they secured
the contract; while if they held off on
other work until the result of the bid
ding had been made known and then
1T was found that the firm so holding
Off had been unsuccessful with the
state contract, the firm might suffer
severe loss on account of the delay.
The value of every minute in the
business of contracting was thus en-
phasized and the committee closed It's
case.
Mr.. Leavett replied that it was i'm
possible to grant the request for the
reason that if the door was opened for
the building contracts it would have to
be opened for all contracts let by the
board of control.
The committee replied that the quar-
termaster's department. of the United
States army operated with all the pub
licity possible and that it was model
in its methods of working.
Mr.. Leavett rejoined by calling atten-
ton to the fact that the state board of
control was obliged by its duties to put
in great amount Of time travelling
about the state and inspecting and vis-
1tlng the various institutions under its
charge and that the travelling operated
against their adoption Of the plan.
The committee insisted, however,
that> the quartermaster of the depart
ment of Dakota had to travel from Fort
/ Snn11iY m sC;4 =
the number of places that the state
board Of control was obliged to make.
Position of the Board
Mr.. Leavett closed the discussion by
saying: $3.50
"The request cannot be granted for
the reason that if the bids for building
were opened publicly all the rest OF the
bids coming to the board would have to
be treated in the same way. While the
building bids sometimes run as low as
six or seven to job which would not
in itself be much Of a problem to tabu-
late and read, some of the proposals for
merchandise run way up in. the hun
dreds and would present puzzle to
handle as you gentlemen desire your
bids to be handled. Under any such
plan as you suggest the merchandise
bids would have to- participate, and
that would throw so much labor upon
the members OF this board and the en-
ployes of it that it would cost so much
additional for clerk hire that any adj
vantage such as you Indicate would be
more than wiped out"
A.@V. Williams. secretary of the Min
nesota State Association OF Building
Exchanges, In referring to Mr.. Lea
vett's position, said:
Against the personal honor and hon.
esty of the members of the board of
control or it's employees the builders
have nothing to say. They believe the
board and its employees to be honest
and sincere in the stand taken and In
the operation of the department But
the fact that information OF the COM
tents of sealed bid is in their possess
sion before the last bid on the job is
necessarily filed gives the chance for
information of the early bid or bids to
leak out and form the basis Of bid
that might be successful in getting the
contract.
while with honest men in control Of
the board and spotlessly honest en1-
ployes there would be no particular
disadvantage save from the usual delay
that has been experienced in opening
the bids the possibility for Q leak ex :