Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-28
OLIVER MAY WIN OUT
RESULT OF CONFERENCES Re
aARDING CANAL CONTRACT.

AS a result of conferences at the White
House 1t has been announced by the
isthmian canal commission that, In view
of assurances that had been received from
Mr.. Oliver and capitalists associated with
him that Mr. Oliver was prepared to make
good his bid to complete the construction
of the isthmian canal at percentage OF
six and seventy-five hurdredths, with an
organization of contractors and with hnan-
cial resources in full compliance with the
requirements of the invitation for bids, he
will be given an opportunity to do so. Mr.
Oliver has been notified that within ten
days he will be required to associate with
himself at least two independent contract
ors whose skill and experience combined
with his own shall cover the entire field of
work to be performed under the contract,
and to organize a corporation for the ex-
press purpose of carrying out the proposed
contract, with capital of $o,CoO,OO0, of
which not less than $l.JO0O00 paid in in
cash. and $1..G0.000 in the form of solvent
subscriptions, shall be available for the
purpose of carrying out the contract, and
of which the remaining $2,GCO,UO may be
devoted to the purpose of procuring a bond,
as required by the contract, or of substi-
tuting in lieu thereof, in whole or in part.
and subject to the conditions of the bond,
cash or current securities satisfactory to
the commission.
Satisfactory assurances not having been
received that the financial standing of Mr..
Arson NJ. Bangs met the requirements of
the invitation by direction of the President
he has been rejected as a participant in
the bid filed by Messrs. Oliver and Bangs.
Privilege to Macarthur & Gillespie.
The privilege has been extended to Messrs.
Macarthur & Gillespie the only remain
ing bidders whose bid has been deemed
worthy of consideration, to either withdraw
their pending bid or to allow it to abide by
the result of Mr.. divers efforts to make
good his bid as herein outlined, then to be
considered upon its merits. The other bids
have been rejected because informal and,
in the case of the highest bid, excessive as
well.
The foregoing action was taken in con-
formity with the expressed wish of both
Mr.. Oliver and the observation-disclosures syn
dictate that the contract should be let with
out a rebidding and in view of the further
statements of the spokesman of the Mac
Gillespie Company to the President
that If the commission could close the con-
tract with satisfactory and responsible
association or contractor at a rate as low
as that proposed by Mr. Oliver it should
feel at liberty so far as they We're con-
cerned, to do so.
informed of the statement issued by direc-
ton of the President Mr., divers repre-
sentative last night said:
There is absolutely no doubt about Mr..
Oliver being able to fulfill the requirements
of the canal commission. There are now at
least twenty of the most responsible con-
tractors in the United States who have eX-
pressed a willingness to join Mr.. Oliver in
the work of constructing the canal at the
figure mentioned in his original bid. These
names will be submitted to President
Roosevelt with proof of their financial re-
sqonsiblity. Before entering into another
arrangement Mr.. Oliver wants to know
positively that the contractor he chooses
Will be acceptable to the government"
Macarthur & Gillespie's Attitude.
The following statement was made today
by Mr.. A. F. Macarthur on behalf of the
Macarthur Gillespie Company:
The four contracting firms who organ
lied the Gillespie Company have
declined all suggestions looking toward a
combination with any other bidder. They
have devoted months to a careful study Of
the work and to a canvass of the best con-
tracing firms in this country, and their
bid was based upon their deliberate conclu-
sion as to the percentage for which the
work could be safely undertaken by con-
sentative and competent contractors organ
lied in accordance with the requirements
of the isthmian canal commission. They
are unwilling to entertain any plan for I'M
dertaking the work at percentage so low
that adequate personal attention to the
work would be impossible and ultimate fail
ure, in their opinion, most probable. AS the
only bidders who qualified under the speci-
f1cations, they acQuiesced in the suggestion
that an opportunity be given Mr.. Oliver to
form a new association of contractors and
raise the required capital despite the fact
that he had entirely failed to qualify as
bidder both by reason of his failure to
show the necessary pecuniary responsibility
and by reason of the governments definite
rejection of his co-bidder, Mr.. Bangs"