The Washington times., 1910-05-20
Asserts There Is Something
Wrong Is Accepting
High Bids.
SAYS I'LL SMOKE OUT
CAUSE OF ACTION"
Introduces Bill to Reform Whole
System of Refuse Collec-
tion in the City.

Charging that the District win lose
more than $4,000 by the transaction
and that the Commissioners have ap-
proved the high rather than the low
bid in the letting of the contract for
the removal of the city's miscellan-
eous refuse and ash collections. Rep
resentattve Cary of Wisconsin, a
member Of the House District Com
mittee. announced today that he would
insist upon a probe Of the Districts
contract system.
There is something wrong concern
Ing the letting Of these refuse and
ash removal Contracts" he said Il
intend 10 find out what il is and I
have so Informed the Commissioners.
1 am no gutter, as viii be seen later.
With the figures before me. 1 am
convinced that the District Govern
ment is a loser by many thousand
dollars on account of the letting OF
the two contracts I have mentioned.
am unable TO accept the explana-
tion coming from the Municipal
Building. There is no reason that
some technicaity should justify the
acceptance Of bid so much higher.
especially when that technicality
deals with non essential details"
Cary States His Findings.
Representative Cary, who makes pub
lie certain correspondence between the
Commissioners and Kileen & Cation,
the unsuccessful bidders. declared that
his preliminary investigation had dis
closed the following state Of affairs:
That although the bids were opened
and accepted March q. the unsuccessful
bidders, who were required 10 submit a
bond, had not received that bond back.
the District officials having held 1t for
nearly two months after the Killeen &
Cation bids were rejected.
That the Commissioners have declined
10 grant rehearing or an appeal from
the decision Of the committee appointed
TO examine and approve the bids, al
though more recent letter from she
Commissioners informed the cOmpIaiu-
ants that the request would be given
consideration"
This promise was not made. declares
MI cary, until he had personally inter-
ested himself in the controversy.
Quotes Commissioners Reason.
That the only reason given nv the
Commissioners FOR refusing % accent
the lower bid Of KilIeen & Caton for
the disposal Of miscellaneous waste"
was that the bidders had omitted TO sub
NIT with their bid a written description
of the plant Il which they proposed 10
destroy this waste. Such a technicality.
says Mr. Cary, in view Of the fact that
the bidders gave notice that the waste
would be disposed Of IN the customary
manner, does not justify the acceptance
OF bid higher than the one refused
Mr.. Cary furnishes the following table
showing the manner in which the Dis
trlct VIII pay an excess Of thirty-Odd
thousand dollars on the contracts. the
Commissioners having accepted a bid
proposed by Contractor Ready for the
removal Of waste and another bv Con-
tractor Bean for the removal Of ashes:
Ready's bid on miscellaneous waste.
1900 ger year for FIVE years ... Sg5 O0O m
killeen & Cations bid. for the same.
------------ tt'ez3-oO
CReady's bid is for one collection per week
only; Ailleen x eaton agree TO make two
collections II # becomes necessary. and for
the same price.)
Ready's bid for two collections weekly was
a49.5l5. for the i've years. possible differ
enCe Of more than so. COO II II proves that
two collections are necessary.
Beans bid for removal OF ashes.
SI3-l90 per year for five years S365. $50 %
Kiueen & Caton's bid:
$6s,5oooO per year for five years. 342. 800 %
Saving on latter bid--.-.--..--.--- o. 40. 90
Total saving, had Killeen &
Caton's bids been accepted. instead
OF Ready's and Beams, respectively So.s25 %
Alleges Further Technicalities.
II is allie ged that further technical
reasoning was INDUCED in with regard
to the ash bids. Il is claimed that If
all these "if'' specifications eventually
Continued on Page SjTtse1.)