The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-17
Contractor Tells Of Dis
crlmina alton in Engi-
neer's Office.
USED TWO SETS OF
SPECI FICAT IONS
Mistake Mistake Of $1,000 Alleged on Job
Costing Only $1,000, Decimal
Point Being Placed Wrong.
Street Committee Orders
Many Improve
r11cnts.

discrimination among bidders for
newer work and gross errors ,n c,,,,
puation of contracts were cb.r..;
hsaihst First Assistant CITY E.nyinec1
JACKSON Bolton by Contractor car.
z ciec burton before the Council Com
mlttee on Streets last night Nj, pn,.
ton said he had called the attcn,in,, =
MI. bottom to the errors and his action
Huu seemed to displease him M IL,
re. lie had also laid the mater boforn
niayor Richardson. but admitted thar
nc mad never made complaint II t.ity
Engineer Boiling
AIR. Burton said that the city lad
. advertised for bids for a sewer IN rar,,
Avenue from West street to the RoseN
n meath Road which bids were opened
~ the street Committee and the con-
tract awarded to the lowest bidder
Tried Three Times.
MI Bolton figured out the amount al
b prlck The excavation and labor aud
made Maynard e Co. the lowest bidder.
Recheckine with Assistant Enpineer
s5aviile. errors were found. and q forn,
OF contract was drawn up giving the
work TO Fletcher & Kelly. MIR. Burtor
SAID he was satisfied lie was the lowcsi.
bldoer and he Ven; TO the l:ngincelps
office and asked for the bid sheet on
which all proposals had been posted
gand found one error Of $4,000 and
q another Of si,l70, and other mistakes
In calculation making The Job cost less
than $1,000 instead OF more than So
+ 900 as at first igurcd
Mr burton also charged the the.
Engineers office has two distinct SETS
Of specitcati ons. one where The city
furnishes The stone sewer caps. and
one whcre the contractor furnishes
them. He charged Discrimination in
hrE t<F,S t..,As -
prices and erroneous calculations III
making out the contracts
l The TWO specifications.
Mr.. Jones wanted TO refer The ole
matter TO the CITY Engineer for n re-
port In writing before the COMMITTEES
II took II up. Mr.. Lynch wanted to
n know whether Tile facts stated were
correct, and Mr.. Boiling said they were
not exactly. explaining The matter OF
TWO spcciiica tons by reminding tho
4 committee that il had ordcrca tina,
bidders might bid two ways either b..
the unit system OF SO much per, GOA
bricks and so much for eaci, grade o:
e excavation and by the system propos-
cd by Mr. Lynch OF SO mich ne. linear
& foot including stacks and hasins. Mr.
Boiling said he preferred tire unit sys-
r tern as obviating all difficulties about
two specifications
a IN the present Instance all bids sub
& mitted were by the unit SYSTEM thong Ii
he understood Mr.. Bolton had inform
ed bidders that they could bid either
way-cithcr so much for brick and
labor, the city TO furnish the stone
\ caps. or SO much for the sewer COM
r pletc.
Bolton nnd Sayiile Check Figures. "A
The bids were referred TO Mr. Boil
ton TO tabulate." stated Mr.. Boiling
He checked them over with MIR.
/. Saville. did not go over them. The
report showed some one else as the
lower bidder. Mr.. Stiatton. clerk OF
the committee, called my attention 10
the fact that the contract exceeded $5,-
900, and would have TO go &c the Council
for approval, and also TO the fact that
the lowest bid was far in excess of the
estimate l went Owe. the estimates as
to the main line, and foundathem cor
rect, but the estimated amount of en-
cavation for house connections was
far in excess, and after the figures
were corrected, the able showed Bur
ton g. Co. the lowest bidder. and Mr.
Burton was notified. liGl
"A few days later ! was called to
the Mayors Office to meet Mr.. Burton
and T,.sF. Green, where l made this
same statement. No contracts had been
executed with any one. 1t was mere
ly question OF who should get tile
work. The estimate brought to me
was clear error that ought not TO
have been made There was /: decimal
in the wrong place in}the brick ealcula
lions. Had not MI. Stratton called my
{. attention TO il, the award would have
gone to the Council as the Lowest bid
( der The city would not lave paid on
the basis OF the erroneous estimate, but
for actual work. The city's only loss
would have been the difference between
the lowest and tho next lowest bid,
about SIS, but injustice would have
been done the contractor The con-
tract was awarded to the proper man
before the complaint was made to the
Mayor or to this committee."9
Errors Too Frequent.
Mr. Lynch said that it was evident
that no blame attached to Mr.. Boiling
: in tho matter, but that such mistakes
were too frequent in the Engineers Of
4 lice, and thatt the man to blame should
4 be held accountant BILE.
Mr.. Burton repeated that he had bid
on the unit system, but that he had
been told By MIR. Bolton that he would
s have to furnish the stone at his own
+ expense. He had learned in former
4 cases that other contractors had the
stone caps furnished blythe city so he
had cut the item out,s.and then become
3 tho lowest bidder. lie believed he had
lost. contracts in the past by putting
in stone when others got 1t free. lie
had protested TO Mr. Bass and Mr. Boil
ton, but admitted that he had never
& gone to- the City Engineer. MIR. Boiling
= said he had regular Office hours each
day until o'clock. and no such COM
plalint had been made to him.
bidders Compare Notes.
ssi$S In answer ito a question from NJ +.
Nielsen. Mr.. Burton admitted That i he
a had compared prices with other Bidders