The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1912-07-25
GOOD ROADS
PREACHED
BY SUGCS
Lands on Alleged Bridge
Trust in FOrCefuI
Speech Here

Az the a. a. M. encdmpment tnls
afternoon Col Sidney suggs, state
highway commissioner made rous-
ing good roads speech. Full Of en-
thusiasni and earnestly believing in
the righteousness of his cause, Col.
suggs breaches his gospel with the
zeal Of a prophet
After touching up general phases
of the good roads movement Col.
Suggs launched out into an assault on
what he called the bridge trust,r re-
peating the allegations which he made
for the first time in a speech at the
Ninnekah picnic Wednesday He said
in part
you people believe that there is
competition among bridge companies;
the fact is there is no such thing as
competition and that you people are
paying prices for bridges fixed by the
tin bridge trust, no matter what CON
Germ is awarded the work. We have
statute in this state which provides
that bids for bridges must be adver-
tised for and the contract awarded to
the lowest responsible bidder. This
law is intended to prevent a combine,
| but it really does no such thing AS
soon as this law was passed various
tin bridge companies doing business IN
this state organized, l am told, what
is known as a bridge pool, and divided
the state up among themselves with
the clear understanding that while
they would all bid. it would be agreed
that only the concern in whose terri
tory che contract was awarded, should
be the low bidder Though the law
intended to protect the public from the
bridge trust, it is rendered void and OF
no effect and is nothing more than a
farce.
Not only does the bridge trust con
troll the prices and contracts in thh
matter, but It also controls the plans
and specifications under the old sys
TEN. In nearly every county in thi
state contracts are awarded to the
bridge companies upon their own plan,
and specifications. Occasionally SOM
effort is made to give a semblance O
competition by having the local en-
gineer sign the plan, but under th
pooling system operating in this stat
and other states it is very importan
to them that the stock plans OF th
bridge companies be used. otherwis
they can not maintain their pool 4
states which have highway depart
ments authorized to establish standar
plans, there is no such pool for tn
reason that all bridge concerns mus
bid on the same standard plans. Tn
law in this state requires the stat
highway department to prepare stan,
ard plans and specifications and tn
result is that every tin bridge con
+ pany's agent in this state is fightin
5 the state highway department. If th
J state enforces this law il viii brea
up the pool and it is the only way /
which the bridge trust can be broker
The county officials are absolutel
helpless in the face of the tin brlda
trust They advertise that bids wi
r be received up to a certain hour f,
/ building a bridge or bridges, and thi
+ all bids win then be opened and tn
/ contract awarded; the result Is thi
e the bridge pool rushes into bid but II
J. low bidder is always the one to who
that territory has been assigned IN
commissioners, not being engineer
let the contract to the low bidder wi
puts a bridge in that is never inspec
cd during or after its construction.
ri "The various counties In this sta
} are expending more than sl,Oo0,oI
+ per year for bridges over 20 feet
o length and for repairs. At least
II per cent Of this is profit to the bridl
pool. Not only this, but the slip-sh,
method Of allowing these concerns
, install bridges on their own plans an
. without inspection. has permitted the
to fill the state with cheap. temporar
; tia bridges, many Of which will n
; sustain a load Of so pounds to Il
; square foot as against 125 and Il
, pounds required by this and 9th
> state highway departments"