Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-16
JOKER IN ROAD
BUILDING RULES:
FAVORITlSM SEEN
Highway COMMISSIONERS
tuaIly Puts Limit on
Competitors
ONLY TWO CAN BID
Companies Able to Fulfill
Contract Controlled by
Similar Interests

nEOPLE who know anything about
highway work in Los Angeles
l. have discovered "joker" in the
highway commissions latest specit1ca-
tions for crushed stone contracts and
are beginning to comment or 1t. Con-
tractors and engineers who know
great deal about the construction of
good roads and have some knowledge
of the highway commissions methods
believe favoritism is being shown.
The "joker'' is this-that In the spe-
cifcations recently advertised the
highway commission states "the bro
ken stone to be delivered under these
specifications shall be limestone" and
1.-The contractor shall be required to
begin the delivery of broken stone at
the rate of 800 tons per day within
fifteen days from and after the date
and award of the contract"
Chairman George II. BiXby Of the
highway commission, addressing the
board of supervisors relative to this
contract, explained 1t would give the
small contractors a chance to bid.
Under these specifications only two
companies, it is said, can bid with any
chance of fulfilling the terms OF the
contract, to wit, the Riverside Port
land Cement company and the South
ern- California Cement company, both
Competition Limited
These are the only two companies
which can get out the stone in the
time set by the specifications. There
are limestone quarries in Los Angeles
county. but they cannot furnish broken
rock at the rate OF 500 tons a day fif-
teen days after the award of the con-
tract Consequently the specifications
narrow the field of competition down
to two companies.
Tyler Henshaw, vice president OF
the Southern California Cement COM
pany. holds controlling interest IN
that company, the Riverside Portland
Cement company and the Riverside
limestone quarries.
Last July the board of supervisors,
on recommendation of the highway
commission, advertised for bidders on
crushed stone, specifying total OF
8O0 600 tons to be delivered within three
years and three months, the rates or
delivery a day varying according TO
the class of rock desired. The Spauld-
ing Rock company submitted a bid Au-
gust 2, agreeing to begin delivery IN
ninety days, the quantity not TO ex-
ceed 1900 tons a day, at 90 cents
ton.
A second item of 100000 tons, not to
eceed a delivery rate of 1900 tons daily,
the company agreeing to furnish under
the same time limits, at 6I45 cents d
ton. The third item for which Inc
company bid included 100000 tons at
20 cents a ton, the rate OF delivery not
to exceed 600 tons daily. The fourth
item included 100000 tons to be de-
liyered in two years and three months
at 721a cents ton.
only2o Per Cent Waste Allowed
All this rock was to be subjected to
a 20 per cent rattler test-that Is, only
20 per cent should be waste.
The Spaulding Rock company de-
posited a bond of $4,000 with the
county in guaranty of good ralth ana
ability to fulfill the terms of the con-
tract That is the last anyone ever
heard of that bid so far as recon-
mendations of the highway commits
sion were concerned. No. action was
ever taken on it and the bond is still
with the county, the premiums on
which the rock company has paid.
Recently the commission, reanzlng
that inactivity would not build roads,
and furthermore that fifteen miles or
highway between Bassett and Pomona
and nine miles between Whittier and
Los Angeles city limits were still un-
constructed, proceeded to recognize
the bid of the Spaulding company and
get the work done.
Here is where the "joker' was born.
one of the members of the commls-
sion offhandedly dropped something
about the intention of the commission
to Mr.. Hepshaw, who took the mem
bers out to Riverside and/showed them
n road there constructed of limestone.
BY a strange coincidence just about
that time the commission informed
the Spaulding company it had decided
that company could not deliver the
material in time.
By another strange coincidence
limestone" appears in the specifica-
tions, as does the clause of quick de-
livery.
-. Chairman Bixby was asked yester-
day why the specifications called for
limestone HeN replied that trap rock,
to meet time requirements, could not
be had.
Fifteen minutes prior to that con-
versation c. A. Thurston. secretary of
the Spaulding Rock company, had de-
clared his company could fulfill the
specifications to letter if trap rock
were called for instead of limestone.
He said his company had not even
been asked If it could do it,
Mr. Bixby admitted trap rock can
not be excelled ami said the commits
sion would rather pay little more
\ for it than use limestone
.'Our engineer" said the chairman,
"says limestone Is cheaper than trap
rock We went over to Riverside ana
saw the roads that are constructed
from it there. We believe they are
highly satisfactory"
Mr.. Bixby's attention was called to
the fact that almost all engineers con-
denim it, especially where 1t is being
traversed by automobiles, and that in
the biggest cities in the east it, has
been absolutely condemned.
"a difference of professional opin-
,U 10 chara cterlzed it. "There are
iimestones and limestones," he argued
"You will admit only two companies
can bid under the new speoificationsT'
he was asked.
f'Yes," he replied, but circum-
stances make it So"
Cares Nothing for HenshaW
His attention was called tc Mr.. Hen
shaw's interests in the eligible bid
ders. The chairman shook his head.
81 don't know anything about Mr..
tContinued Page Two)