Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1905-04-08

method of awarding q public. contract
has been brought 70 light in the ad-
vertising for bids for heating and ven
tilating the addition to school No. L.
In awarding the contract for the
work to n. S. Kellogg, the dominant
faction in the Board of Education
stated that ]. f. Burns bid, although
the lower of the two, was not accord
ing to the advertised specifications, in
that it did not provide for the sani-
taries.
Mr.. Burns bid was according to the
advertisement inserted in both local
newspapers on Tuesday, March 2l
This advertisement, which was
signed by the building committee,
contained no reference to sanitaries,
but simply heating and ventilating.
1t reads as follows:
Proposals for heating and ventilat-
ing the addition to school No. on
State street, will be received by the
Beard of Education on
TUESDAY, APRIL !, 1905,
at p. m.
Proposals must be accompanied by
plans and specifications showing clear
ly the method, the bidder will use to
heat and ventilate the school as well
as the cost of the same.
A slightly changed advertisement
was inserted on Thursday. March %,
two days later.
This advertisement did provide for
sanitaries. 1t read thus, with the
word sanitation" inserted:
Proposals for heating, ventilating
and sanitation for school no. /, and
the addition thereto on State street,
will be received by the Board of
Education ON
TUESDAY, APRIL 4, l9e5,
at p. IN.
Proposals must be accompanied by
plans and specifications showing clear
ly the method the bidder will use to
heat and ventilate the school as well
as the cost of the same and also sani-
tation. y
Mr.. Burns went according to the
first advertisement which appeare d
in the NEWS twice, both on March Il
and 22.
Mr. Burns never for an in
slant considered it necessary to
follow up the papers to wach for each
time that s'an advertisement for the
bids appeared. The double advertis
ing seems to have been an unusual
proceeding. Mr. Burns went accord
ing to the only advertisement which
he saw at the time, he said this morn
ing. He declared that he could have
easily bid upon the sanitaries also if
he had understood that they were TO
be included in the same contract
Mr. Burns's bid for the same
system for which Mr.. kellogg's bid
was So, 1863, was only $3,976, thus be-
ing 81, 393 lower. Mr.. Burns declares
that the cost of the sanitaries is only
about $3.50. Conceding this to be COR
rect, the Burns bid was still S643
lower than that OF Mr.. Kellogg.
These bids were for steam in the
halls and cloke rooms, and hot air in
the class rooms, or what is known as
the combination system of heating.
Although steam heating apparatus
costs about one-third more than the
other system, Mr.. Burns bid for steam
was yet $3.50 lower than Mr.. Kellogg's 5
price forthe steam and hot air com
bined.
Mr.. Burns has called attorneys at
tention to the matter, and he would
like to see the contract re-advertised
for, as he does not consider that he
was treated fairly.
In the he hit of recent events there
arises the question, why does the
Board Of Education advertise at all
for bids for work to be done?
The school board OF 1902, of which
President Ellsworth B. Walker and
Commissioner John H. Poulson, chair
man of the building committee, of the
present body. were members. were in
formed by the then city attorney that
they did not have to ad veftise for
bids, according to law.
The following is quoted from the