Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-02
AWARD OF CONTRACT DELAYED
DISTRICT CONTINUES THE COL
LECTION OF ASHES.
Dissatisfaction Expressed by Com
pany Which Made Lowest Bid.
Mr.. Twohey's Action.

John T. Twohey. superintendent of Dis
trict street cleaning. informed Star re-
porter yesterday afternoon that he Will
recommend to the Commissioners tomor-
row that all the bids recently received
for the collection of ashes in the District
be rejected and that new bids be adver-
tised for. The principal reason offered
by Mr.. Twohey is that he believes he can
get the work done cheaper than Is specl-
fled in the bid OF the Pollock Draying
Company, which was s66,0IOi 40. the low
est bid received.
In making this recommendation Mr.
Twohey will be establishing precedent
in the District government regarding the
contracts, and it is minated that such
movement on the part of the street clean
ing superintendent will not be approved
by the board of Commissioners when 1t is
referred to them and after they have been
thoroughly acquainted with the facts in
the case
When Commissioner mcfarland, who is
supervising the street cleaning depart
ment in the absence of Commissioner
West. was asked for an expression OF
opinion upon the proposed precedent he
had nothing to say. The proposal had
caused considerable comment among the
minor officials of the District building.
and the belief was expressed that II
adopted by the Commissioners il will call
for criticism from the public. particularly
business men who are in the habit OF
doing business with the District by means
of contracts.
The District established an unusual pre-
cedent by undertaking last October to col
lect ashes, and has continued to collect
them to the present time, but ii has been
found according to the views of some to
1.,s q 10 aNyY nan & n m
templated, and complaints have been,
lodged with the Commissioners against
the service. When the District started
this work Commissioner West, who has
charge o. the street cleaning department.
stated that it was TO be nothing more
than trial or experiment in order to see
just what the actual cost is to collect the
ashes and to learn various other condi-
lions in connection with the work. Mr.
West said following the bids advertised
for in September the contractors all bid
high. and he thought the District street
cleaning department might try 1t tempo
rarily until the officials had been able to
accurately estimate the costs After
showing the contractors what the District
could do it would be in order to advertise
again for bids.
Demands Reasonable Bid.
Mr. West has been anxious to turn the
work over to some contractor If a reason
able bid were made, but it is alleged that
Mr. Twohey cherishes an ambition to cosl-
tinue the work himself. When asked d.
rectly about it yesterday he laughed, and
said 1t was news to him. and that he had
no desire to continue the work; that he
would gladly turn it over to some con-
tractor If reasonable bid can be OBJ
tanned.
After four months of experience at ash
collection Mr.. Twohey was directed by
Commissioner West to advertise for bids.
and at noon January Is eight sealed pro-
posals were deposited with the secretary
of the Commissioners. When the proper
form had been gone through and the pro-
posals were opened it was announced
that the proposal of the Pollock Draying
Company was the lowest. The bidders
and their respective prices were made
public that afternoon.
few days later Supt. Twohey made
public letter received from George XII
leen. who gave his address as GEORGETOWN
in which he said he would do the work for
$40 less than Pollock had bid if Mr..
Twohey would give him the contract. At
that time Mr.. Twohey said Mr.. Kileens
bid could not be considered by him. as it
was not in good form'-that it was made
after the amounts of the other sealed bids
had been made public.
Mr.. Twohey said yesterday that Mr.. XII
leen had demanded that his proposal be
considered lin the interest of the citi-
zens,' as he explained it. He said the
proposition is one of the reasons why he
has decided to recommend to the Commits
sioners that the other bids be rejected
He gives as another reason why he is war
ranted in rejecting the bAls, and that is
that the amount called for in Pollock
bid is higher than the District appropria-
ton for ash collection.
Statement by Pollock Company.
Inquiries commenced yesterday regard
ing the awarding of the contract, espe-
cially upon the part OF the lowest bidder
Commissioner West sent word from the
hospital where he is i'll for Commissioners
mcfarland and Morrow to settle the mat
ter. Supt. Twohey has been away from
the building for several days also on ac-
count OF illness, and it was necessary for
Commissioner mcfarland to call him IN
over the telephone and ask him about the
contracts. Mr.. Twohey said there was no
hurry about making the aware notwith-
standing the specifications called for the
contract to go into effect February /. He
said be would make a report upon the
matter. This he failed to do Yesterday
and II was later learned that he had de-
ciGed 10 reject the bids, which fact he
confirmed.
representative of the Pollock COMPANY
was al the District hui. ding yesterday in
an effort to learn whether or not his firm
was TO be awarded the contract and II so
when II was to go ahead with the work
lie stated that his company is ready to
proceed, and has been so for several DAYS
and that several minor contra cts for haI,I-
ing have been turned down in anticipation
or the ash-coliection contract. The com
pany mas also gone to the trouble of Sc
curing options on several lots in the Dis
trict TO be used as dumps. and these on
lions expired yesterday. He declared the
company has gone to other expense i'm
making preparations to undertake the
work.
Ii is claimed that Mr.. Twohey's DELAY
In informing the contractors as to his in
tention In this matter has been caused by
Mr.. Vests illness
Ochlocracv. Etc