The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-03-10
WILL PROBE INTO
OvER-PAYMENTS
COUNCIL COMMITTEES rNvEsTIGAT-
ING ENGfNEER's OFFICE TO
MEET AGAIN.
RECORDS FAVOR BURTON
CONTRACTOR MAKES coon HIS
CHARGES THAT GROSS Err
RoRs IN BIDDING
WE'RE MADE.
RECORDS FAVOR BURTON

a
mission to the full committee, MEM
bers OF the council subcommittee on
streets viii meet next Monday af-
ternoon. following it's probe into
charges preferred by Contractor G. G.
Burton in connection With methods
of awarding bids by the city's en-
Of awarding bids by the city en-
gineers office. Further inquiry will
also be made into the alleged over
payment of about $500 to /. ]. Smith
and Company on a contract. This
error was corrected by Mr.. Smith.
who gave the city credit for the
amount and personally reported the
mistake, 1t developed at the meet
ing of the probing committee Thurs
day evening.
Records Of the Office and admis-
sions by City Engineer Boiling. who
shouidered all responsibility, show
ed that Contractor Burton was cor
rect In his charges which set forth
in substance that the office had two
sets of specifications some reauir-
Ing the contractors to furnish stone
for street basins costing about $l1
per set, while In others the city fur
nished the stone; that IN certain
specific instances where contractors
had bid to furnish stone the city
had in fact supplied it, thus giving
those contractors so supplied an I'M
fair advantage over others.
First Assistant Dispieased.''
MIR. Burton said he had called the
attention OF the first assistant en-
gineer 10 this matter, and 1t had
seemed to displease him no little"
lie further charged that in one spe-
a. - a
should have cost not more than ST.
900 was figured out to cost in excess
OF $4,000; that on account Of two
specific errors, one of SLIGO and an
other of sl.260, two separate con-
tracts had been made out, the first
to Fletcher and Kelley. and the sec
ond to another contractor. after
which he had insisted on refguring
the bid sheets, and convinced the
engineering department that he was
the lowest Bidder, and third con-
tract was made out giving him the
award.
Attorneys for MIR. Burton made it
clear that his complaint was agains t
the system in the office which hnd
caused the errors, and not against
individuals. They merely wanted Ia
| substentiate the charges by the
reo1rds and il was not their client y
purpose to make any claim against
| the city for back losses because uf
errors in awarding contracts.
Records brought Out.
Records were brought out TO show
that during 1910 the city bought from
l. j. Smith 4 Company twenty sets
of street basins, culvert stones. al
prices varying from $3.50 to $3.50
and that stone was also bought from
Fletcher Il Kelly for culverts. the
amounts paid being $579.60. With
one exception. these stone sets were
J furnished to contractors to be used in
new work. Mr.. Boiling said he had
not found from the record q single
instance where the city had purchased
stone to supply TO contractors who
had had it included in their speci-
tications to furnish 1t. Mr.. Burton
said that he had bid many times on
sewers. on thirteen jobs in one day
and had never landed a city contrac,
until he stopped adding in the cost OF
the stone caps, although the speci-
flcations plainly said he would have
| to furnish them. Then he got the
! first job he offered for.
Went Over Bids.
Attorneys for Mr.. Burton went over
| the bids for the sewer in Cary street.
showing that some had figured in the
stone and others had not. The speci-
| tcations called for stone caps, but
some bidders, knowing that the city
would supply it,, cat u out OF their
estimates. On that job Mr.. Burton
had bid $24 for street basins, includ-
ing stone caps worth $3.50, while il
that amount had been eliminated he
would have been the lowest bidder.
Members OF the probing committee
are Messrs. A. l.. Nonderlehr, Marx
Gunst and DR.. C. Vi, Miller.
1t is not believed that the report
to be formulated by this committee
| will materially alter the plans for re-
organization of the city engineers Of
flee. as recommended by the Lynch
Investigating committee some weeks
ago.