The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-05-23

! agent OF our company, WIZ was dl
your city at the time bids were pre-
scented, made statement that by mod
flying your specifications, a saving to
the city could be made of $4,000. The
agent that Mr.. Mexican has reference
time, and while we do not deny that
he may have made such a statement,
it was not made officially by our COM
pany and our agent was not aware
how we had estimated on your pipe
| line. and in fact knew nothing what
ever as to what difference the change
in specifications on lumber would make
in our figures.
Re Length Of Slaves.
Regarding the change in specifica-
lions by allowing us to put in short
lengths of slaves, this does not in any
way whatever effect the quality or
durability of the pipe-the lumber costs
lust the same, and it is to our advan-
tage to furnish the slaves in as long
lengths as possible. as by so doing 1T
requires a less number of tongues and
also a less number of bands, which are
placed at all butt joints. Therefore
there should be no objection to this
change on the part of your city.
Re Thickness Of Slaves.
The thickness Of slaves has been re-
duced one sixteenth of an inch from
your original specifications, which was
done in order to enable us to use a
large stock of lumber which we had
piled up in our yards here at the fac
tory and commence immediate ship
ment but this lumber would not finish
to one and three-eighths thickness,
as your specifications called for.
This point of furnishing the slaves to
one and three eighths thickness could
have been very easily complied with
if we were given sufficient time to get
the lumber direct from our mills
where it would be cut somewhat thick
err than the stock which we now have
in our yards, and would finish to one
and three -eighths inch thickness, and
the cost of the lumber which we would
get from the mills direct would be the
same as the cost of lumber which we
had piled I'D in our Yards, and are now
furnishing to you.
Re Tongues.
Regarding the tongues being
changed from oak to steel-it was i'm
material to us what style OF tongues
we furnished as the prices of the
tongues are practically the same, and
while the contract we have with your
city specifiec oak tongues, we find 1t
advisable to use the steel tongues, as
the oak requires the cutting away
of too much of the wood to make an
entirely satisfactory joint. and it is
with the intention of giving to your
city the very best and most durable
style of pipe that the change was
made from oak to steel tongues.
Re Time.
Your Mr. Mexican argues that all
the representatives of the different
pipe companies, when at your city just
before opening the bids, were fully
aware that the contract would have to
be completed by July 1st, which no
doubt may be true but the bid pre-
scented by our company was complied
by the writer personally, and as the
same was prepared some three or four
days before they were opened at your
city and your specifications did not
state by what date contract would have
to be completed, we did not figure on
completing the contract before NOvem-
Der or December, and had we under
stood that contract would have to be
completed by July LIST, we would not
have bid at all, as we know it would
have been an impossibility for us to
furnish the quality of material which
YOU specified within such a short length
of time.
Re Bands.
While the specifications of lumber
have been somewhat modified, the con-
tract which we have signed with your
city is a great deal more rigid than
your original specifications. For one
point, we refer you to banding.
Our contract calls for bands to have
a safety factor of no less than five,
and a maximum spacing for low pres
sure pipe OF IL, (and a sufficient
number of extra bands shall be used
at butt joints Of slaves, so that the
spacing between the bands suppirting
these joints shall not exceed four
inches). By referring to your origi-
nal specifications you will find no men
ton about extra bands for butt joints,