New-York tribune., 1907-12-10
THE ASHOKAy INQUEST.

The INQUIRY into the awarding of thc contract
for the AShokan Dam is ended and the official
Judgment upon il is 3walted-the publlc teei-
ing meantime. much surprise at the mPaGre-
ness Of the case which was presented against
the Board of Water supply \ widespread
sentiment is We have no doubt. that If moth
inc more could be adduced against the pro
priety of the award IT was not worth Wnli'
10 hold the inquest at all. That view of the
case will he strengthened by keeping clearly
in mind what the real question at Issue is, 1t
is not whether the Water Board had legal
right 10 give the contract to any other than
the lowest bidder. OF that there can. he no
question. The board specifically and de
liberately authorized by law. after fun discus
sion of that very point thus 10 award II.
Neither is there question whether Such au-
thorizatioD or such practice is proper hat
has been answered in the affirmative by usage
The real question is whether the Water Board
acted wisely and exercised commendabe dlS-
erection in passing over the lowest bid and CIV
ing the cnntract 10 tho next higher bidder
In considering that question these fundamental
facts should he kept in mind That the re
iected lowest bid differed much from all the
rest as 10 be in class of its own. that it was
c0nfpssedly made on a basis of ineIperience
and imperfect information and that the maker
Of it after making it, realized that II would
probably at best afford him an insufficient mar
gin of profit and was therefore quite ready to
withdraw il. II will probably appear 70 the
average impartial mind that those circum-
stances alone went very far toward juSufyinS
the Water Board in passing over that bid
Further ground was afforded by experience
Nobody who has followed appreciatively the
course of waterworks extension and other pub
lie enterprises in and about New York can
fail 10 ha We remarked that excessively low bids
have often meant costly work and much delay,
and that readvertisng for new bids. while
opening the door TO grave abuses. has often
been unsatisfactory. Examples of low bids
have been afforded by the Harlem River Speed
WAY. by the Jerome Park Reservoir and by
the Musc,oot DAM each of which works has
become proverbial for exaggerated cost and for
wearisome delay. 1t would bc difficult to con
ceive greater calamity in connection with
the Ashokan Dam than to have it managed as
those works were. AS for the results of can
ceiling all bids and calling for new ones. let the
example of the new Croton Dam suffice as a
reminder of their evils
The members of the Board of Water Supply
were specifically authorized by law 10 select
not the lowest bid. but that which they con-
sidered the best bid; and they did il. They
were carefully selected for their places with
view TO their exercising their discretion aud
judgment for the city's welfare; and they did
it. They were expressly directed TO select the
IBID or proposal the acceptance Of which will,
I'm their judgment. best secure the efficient
performance of he work: and they did it,
with the reinforcement of their own judgment
by the deliberate and expert judgment of the
best technical authorities at their command.
That the proprety of their action should be
called into question. save on the basis of some
thing more than has appeared in the course
Of the investigation must be regarded
strange. disappointing and discouraging.