New-York tribune., 1908-01-05
SANE VIEWS on THE 4SEGEAN AWARD.

The letter of the Merchants Association to
the Mayor concerning the Ashokan award dis
pute is TO be commended sane Intelligent
and convincing presentation of the case. made
bv an authority exceptionally competent 10 deal
with it and exceptionally qualified TO take IN
impartial and entirely public spirited view OF It,
The Merchants Association has for years taken
a Special interest in the water supply problems
of the city and more than once or twice has
been largely influential in checking unWlse
proposals and in promoting plans likely TO
serve the public welfare rather than that of
self-seeking politicians contractors There
is every reason to believe that in this matter It
is actuated by the same high motives as before
and is proceeding with the same thoroughness
of information and deiberation of judgment.
The association strongly supports the Board
of Water Supply in its award of the Ashokan
contract and deprecates the extraordinary as
sault which has been made upon it by the Com
missionprs of Accounts. In addition TO reStat-
ing with tprSe and telling emphasis the arg1
ments which have already been made. and which
the critics Of the board have not even pretended
to answer. it enlarges upon the striking dis
nartv in respect TO expert authority between
the rival bids The bid which was accepted by
the Board of Water Supply was made by firm
conspicuously experienced and successful in do-
ing precisely the kind Of work required it was
prepared after exhaustive study upon the inde-
pendent estimates of six members or expert en-
ploves of the firm and It was approved by the
independent estimates of the chief engineer and
three other expert engineers employed by the
board and of three distinguished consulting en-
gipeers On the other hand. the lowest bid,
which was rejected by the board. made by
a firm confessedly without any experience in
the most important part of the work; it was
made I'D in a casual and insufficient manner"
the figures being prepared by single engineer
after brief examination of the ground. and
il was admitted by the head Of the bidding firm
TO be too low for the satisfactory performance
of the work.
In such circumstances it inevitable that
the commissioners, being men of integrity dis
cretion and public spirit. should make the award
precisely they did. 1t is gratifying and en-
couraging 10 observe that in so doing they
ceive the approving support of the engineering
profession, of the press, of civic organizations
and of the general public. We may add that
they seem also to have the support Of the most
significant part of the city government aside, of
course from the inscrutable Commissioners of
Accounts The Merchants Association aptly
minds the Mayor-thOugh re assume that his
excellent memory Of his own acts requires no
special reInnder-that il the precisely similar
c:ise Of the award for the Cross River dam the
Mayor himself, after very careful consideration,
voted for giving the contract to a higher rather
than to the lowest bidder, and the Controller at
that time Mr. Grout. did the same. saying, by
way of explanation, in behalf OF himself, the
Mayor and the Aqueduct Board. what may well
be recalled now as equally applicable to the
ashokan case:
We have no choice except to come TO the con-
clusion that upon the evidence here the accept
ance of this bid VIII best secure the efficient
performance of the work, not because of affy
defect either in business practical ability
financial ability the part of other bidders but
on the broad proposition laid down by the engi-
neers that the bidders who have built dams