The morning journal-courier., 1908-11-21
Contractors Claim They Were Not Given Proper Opportu- mites to Put in Their
 Estimates.
ARCHITECT IS BLAMED
Said to Have Handicapped Local Bid- dcrs--GeOrgc D. VatrOus Would Like Contracts Awarded
 tO Local Men.

IIlN'lf lH ~ kI'tl N'''l " '''''''''''' ton among the contractors and build E CTS Of New Haven in regard to the E manner in which the bidding on the Ives Memorial library is being con ducted Some of those who have han dlcd much larger contracts than the new library have not even been asked for bids, while others declare that the time given is altogether too short for accurate estimates and that they haV' been unable to secure copies of the plans until quite late
 on the other hand Attorney George D. Watrous and other members Of the committee wish everything to Dc done in a fair manner and have expressed the wish that the various contracts may be awarded to New Haven mon, This, said MT Watrous yesterday was the aim in dividing the work up into some twelve of fourteen separate contracts so that some of tho smaller concerns who handle only one line of work might be able to bid We have tried to satisfy everyone as well as possible and were glad to give an ex tension of ten days when requested by focal firms who found that they had not time Co figure on tho work In one Inc of work of six firms whose bids were requested four were located in New Havrn. We would like to see the Iloeal men got it and have done every thing in our power to furnish them | with specifications and blanks, and for \ two weeks one room of my office has been practically entirely at their dis I posal'
 1t will hr remembered that bids were first to be opened on November | T., and many of the firms had their .hiis in at that time some who had \ nrt learned that bids were being asked \ mtil late, appealed to tho committee ! for an extension Of time. saying that ! two weeks at the least was necessary for them to figure on the plans and get prices from tho manufacturers. l This move was opposed by the archi- tcct. Cass Gilbert but the committee
 finally granted an extension untl the | twtbty-thrd,
 Tp ono firm who wrote 10 Mir Gil- bert for specifications a few days be- fore thc bids were first due hc re- | piled that there was too little time < and that lt was too lnte for them to put in bid II Is the general opin- ion that while the committee would lite to have the contracts awarded in New Haven Mir. Gilbert has his owl ideas as to who should secure them There are a number of facts which would seem in the opinion of the contractors to snbstantiate this view
 In tho first place ii seems to them odd that some of the New Haven firms which are perfectly able to handle such a contract and have often done larger ones most satisfactorily, and of whose work Mir Gilbert must have known, were not even asked to bid. He then opposed an extension of time by the committee it is alleged although this would work to the committees ad- vantage by allowing a larger number of contractors to figure out their low est bids. When this extension was Ib dlllfIt " was llilI'NNtblf lN 'pldli plans until last Monday, by which four days were lost, leaving only one week, when two are really necessary
 To cap this the contractors claim the blanks on which the bids must be pre- sented had not been received, by any of those who had asked for them IT to last night Several of those whc had hoped to bid on the work felt SC
 storngly on the matter that they in.
 tlmated that Mir Gilbert fig interested
 in having the contracts go elsewhere
 than in this city, although he has per. sonally expressed himself to tho con, trary.
 l Those who had their bids in on tn, first day set declare that the post , ponemcnt was a very queer proceed , ing, the like of which they had ncvei , experienced. Even though they wcr, 9 given leave to modify their bids or {, : withdraw tncm If they so desired
 they still feel that their treatmcn
 had been unusual, 10 say the least.
 As the library is not public build
 ing, and will not be so until complet ed and turned over to the city, 1t t
 not necessary for tho committee {, advertise for bids, and they may re
 fuse any or all of them. So, tcchnic
 ally at least, no ono has the least righ
 of objection to tho methods of pro
 cedure which have been followed Blu as # Is in reality A public building
 the contractors feel that the bidding
 should be SO conducted as though
 were for public work, and that tn 5 contracts should be awarded, if possi ) ble, to New Haven firms.