The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-01-13
Tennessee Man Makes
 the Low Offer.
FOUR PROPOSALS RECEIVED
No Contract Until Alter An
 Investigation.
W. J. oliver, Contractor on Lookou2s Mountain Tunnel. and Anson M. Bangs, 0Rer to Do Work
 for s.y1 Per Cent.

Washington, Jan. 1.-The Isthmian Canal Commission today opened bida from private contractors for the ccra- pietion of the Panama Canal. In the opinion of Chairman Shonfs. 1t is thes greatest task of modern times and is in the highest degree exceptional in mag nitude and complexity.
 w. !. Oliver of Knoxville, Ten ..l and Anson M. Bangs. of Nassau, Street New York. associated togethers' were the lowest bidders for the cone struction of the canal. They propose. to do the work for s.75 per centum oni the estimated cost.
 The bids were opened at noon by{ Chairman shonts. Four proposals onlys were received.
 The other bidders were George Peircas and Company of Frankfort Me-, and New York, who offered to do the work for TIs per centum on the estimated cost the North American Dredging Company, of Los Angeles, Cal, who of the estimated cost and the McArthle- Gillespie Company of New Jersey. whose bid was 12.5 per centum.
 The proposals show that GeorEes Peirce & CO. Is a partnership consXf4 ing of George Peirce. G. A. Peirce ah4 Earl s. Peirce. The North Americau Dredging Company is a corporations whose resident is W. A. Allen. Jr., o& Los Angeles, and whose Vice. Presideu& ia R. A Perry of San Francisco; th& McArthur Gillespie Company is New Jersey corporation. whose chief oftice& are at II Pine Street. New York. It's president is A. r. McArthur, of Chi~l cago, and its vice-President T. M. Gil~l lespie of Pittsburg.
 w. J. Oliver and Anson M. Bangak the lowest bidders. have had much er~ perienee in contracting work. Mir 4 Oliver Is one of the largest railroa4 contractors fin America. and Is at press ent engaged in tunneling Lookeu& Mountain and other eptenaivo work V Mir. Bangs was the contractor for th& Soo Canal locks.
 Time te Ipvestignte.
 More than 100 contractors and thesE represen tatives attended the opening Df the bids. Before reading the pFopoMA1a Mir. Rhonts explained that no old wsuia be accepted until after the Commissfoa had thoroughly investigated it.
 The basis on which the contract wtii be awarded is q percentage of the cost of completing the work Bidders wcre required to accompany their proposals with certified checks of s3o0,00O, and the successful bidder is required to give bond in the sum of S2,00o,000 to protect the Government from any loss. The Government expressly reserves t0 itself the control of sanitation and en@ gIneering, and in the matter of quar@ ters and the subsistence departments so directly connected with the health ad well of canal employees. the right of rigid supervision is retained.
 Tn no event." says Chairman Shonts. ''can the contractor be allowed to mako these departments an independent source of profit"
 The Government likewise retains the department of materials and supplies. and so far as the Panama Railroad fs concerned. 1t expressly was declared in the letter of invittions for bids that 1t could not wisely be turned over to the contractor. The work to be done by the contractor. therefore, has been confined to the actual work of cons struction.
 It is believed by the committee that the estimated cost of completing the canal will be materially reduced by the application of new principles of conc struction which will be discovered ad the work progresses.
 The proposals provide a system oe rewards for their completion of thS work in a much shorter time than tho contract calls for, and this, 1t is con~ tended. will effect a saving sufficient to offset the entire percentage required to be paid to the contractors on tn es~' timated cost of the work.
 Bangs New York Interests.
 New York Jan. 12--Anson M. Banges who is one of the two lowest bidders on the contract for completing the canal. is president of the Federal Con- struction Company of this city. which Is capitalized at s2.OOo.ooo. The Board of Directors Of that company are An- son M. Bangs. John r. Donovan and T.. a fAd Federal Construction Company is the sub-contracting firm of Hughes Bro-l thers and Bangs, which is composed oe {, James Hughes and Anson NJ. Bangs.
 At the local office of the company 10 was stated that Mir. Bangs is in Wash-i ington and nothing is known of tn opening of the canal bids.