Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-22
REJECTION OF BIDS.
Commissioners Act Regarding Paving
Proposals.

In spite of the fact that prices paid for
asphalt paving and for vitrified block gut
ter last year were only 81 per square
yard and 81. Is per square yard. respective
ly. the Commissioners this year have been
unable to secure any proposals that were
regarded as coming within the limit of
price for paving, as established by the last
Congress, and yesterday Engineer Com
missioner Biddle recommended that the
bids received and opened Friday be reject
ed and that new proposals be invited. The
limit set by Congress for cost of sheet
asphalt paving was s1e5 per square yard,
but only one of the two bids received. that
of the Brennan Construction Company,
were within that figure paving and
c. B. Hunt, engineer of highways, on whose
recommendation the Engineer Commits
sioner's action is based, stated that 1.-The
proposal contains an excessive bid (S343 per
square Yard for laying vitrif1ed-block gut
tiers, which is confessedfy excessive as an
offset to the limit price of S1.65 for the
sheet asphale." Further than this the Bren-
nan Construction Company said that they
did not want the work unless 1t should be
awarded on the approximate schedule
which. contemplates the laying of about
about 2.0C0 square yards of vitrifled block
gutter" Mr.. P. J. Brennan, who submitted
the bid of bis company. also declared that
'the limit placed by Congress on stand
ard asphalt pavement is too low"
The other bid submitted-that of the
Crawford Paving Companyset a price of
S1.9S per square yard for sheet asphalt
pavement and S1.35 per square yard for
vitrifled block cutters.
Engineer Commissioner Biddles formal
recommendation for rejecting the bids fol-
lows:
THE District appropriation act for the
present fiscal year limits the price to be
paid for asphalt pavement to $1.65 per
square yard for the character of pavement
called for In the specifications. which is for
a pavement with six-inch concrete base.
There were only two bids received-one at
S1.9S per square yard, which Is above the
Limitation, and the other for 81. IS per square
yard, which Is the exact amount of the linn
itation. The latter bidder, however, In
creased his price. for vitrifed brick gutter,
phalt pavement, to an amount which Is be-
lieved to be excessive, and In his letter ac-
companying the bid states that unless
certain percentage of the street pavement
laid is vitrffied block gutter he does not
care to have his bid considered. This Is
practically bringing the price of the pave
ment above the amount authorized by
Congress and also introduces conditions
which are not considered desirable to be
accepted by the Commissioners. The bid
on asphalt pavement for the last fiscal
year was 81. 46 per square yard and for Wit
rified block cutters In connection with the
pavement the price was S1.18 per square
yard.
IT therefore move that the bids be re-
jected and the work readvertised."
One other set of bids for paving work
was considered by the Commissioners yes
terday and the contract for laying asphalt
block pavement was awarded to the Wash
price being S176 for fve-inch blocks and
SLIGO per square yard for four-inch blocks.