Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1912-07-11

UlOulNR were given. anu II tIe!e
happened to be an independent
among them, another bid at once
went IN bid lower than the indie
pendent company could possibly bid.
This low bid would always win. as il
vas below the cost of doing the
work. Then the loss was shared by
the companies constituting the trust.
a system IF this kind had discour-
aged the independent companies to
so great an extent that until recent
~ the Bridge Trust. was not fire.
quently lntefered with at the bid
dings.
Well, las, Friday. according to adj
vertlsement. bids were opened hy
the board Of county commissioners
for the building of certain bridges.
There was present representative
of The Hennepin Bridge Company
and also an agen, Of j. c. Herman
& Company. Independent. bridge
builders. OF Aberdeen.
The bids were as follows.
Bridge. 50-foot span. with
Tiernan & c.. sl4so co
Bridge, 30-fcot span, solid
concrete abutmen,s. . lis GO
Bridge. 32-foot span. steel
piiIng ... $50 90
There vas also the following let
ting of wooden bridges with solid
concrete abutements 10 Herman &
Company:
One l6-foot bridge .... 500 90
Two II foot bridges (for
One lo-foot bridge. all wood 220 90
The 50-foot bridge with two IA
foot approaches was let to the Hen.
nepin Bridge Company; all the 9TH
er bridges to Herman & Company.
These bridges are to have an Is
foot roadway. with the exception OF
the 5O-foot and the 32-foot Steel
bridges, which have l6-foot road
way.
Now in order that our readers may
make comparisons between the
prices that have been paid in the
past under the biddings Of the
Bridge Trust alone and those of last
week with an independent company
bidding we give the prices that have
been paid by the county for num-
Der Of bridges already built:
June 10. 1902, span Al feet,
two II a.foot approaches. $3.50 90
Oct. S. 1902, span So feet;
two li-foot approaches. =. 1900 co
Nov. 10. 1862. span "a feet;
no approaches in contract 40 co
July Z, 1903. span "a feet,
no approaches il contract 7s5 90
July Z. 1903, repairing EN-
monspurg bridge (not adj
vettised) So. 1895 90
Nov. II, 1904, span 80 feet;
two s-foot approaches. :. 1900 90
April IL. 1907, span 80 feet;
no approaches in contract $50 90
May IL, 1907, Two bridges,
one 1O-foot span. one 40
foot span. ......... 349s 90
Jan. IL, 1910, span % feet,
no approaches in contract 1884 90
Jan. q, 1910, span "a feet;
approaches In contract. lisa 90
IN comparing the prices of the old
and the new bridges the reader
should take into account the facts as
to whether or not approaches are
provided for in the contract.
For purposes of single COMPARE
son take the 5O-foot bridge, with Ia
foot approaches, let to Herman T.
Company last Friday. at price OF
Sl49O. and the 50-foct bridge let Nov
II, 1904, with S-foot approaches. at
a price of $1,000. And 1t should be
remembered that the cost of mate
rial and the wages of labor have been
ascending in all lines Of business for
several years.
The agent Of the independent
states that, the evening of
the day before the bid, were let, he
was offered a thousand dollars if
ms company would withdraw from
the bidding.
During the discussion over the let
ting OF the contracts last Frluay
Mr.. johnson. president Of the Hen
nepin Bridge Company, who was
present and had considerable to say,
took a SIAM at the kmmons Coun
" Record because of its criticisms
Vt the methods of his company. But
that 5 what we're here for; and, re-
CARELESS of what Mr.. Johnson or
any other Bridge-Trust man thinks
OF US, we intend to continue 10
"knock" IN future all such deals as
the Hennepln Bridge Company has
gwen Emmons county in the past.
The fact Of the matter is that this
county has been charged several
thousand dollars more than a fair
price for its bridges.
And it is just such deals as this
with the rebating of eighteen to
twenty thousand dollars to the
Northern Pacific Company and the
selling of tax lands to the Hackney
Boynton Company for an unfair and
Illegal consideration that make
taxes high IN Emmons county. The
county has been "bilked' out of
enough money by these various
1eals to have put it out Of debt and
to have allowed US much lower
taxes.
The Hazelton Republican will
please consider this article a
knock. !"