The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-27
CONTRACTORS CLAIM
.BOARDOF EDUCATION
IS WASTING MONEY
Association Forwards Its
Final Statement" to the
Commission
NATTER WILL BE
ALLOWED TO DROP
Submit Figures Seeking to Show That
Contract for School Buildings
Was Not Awarded to the
Lowest Bidder

Claiming that the board of education
of the city in awarding the contract for
nine temporary school buildings, the
Builders exchange has forwarded to the
city commissioners a communication. Civ
ing their side of the controversy.
1t is said that while it was possible to
obtain restrainias order in the courts,
the Builders exchange prefers to let the
matter drop rather than delay the con-
struction of The additions to the school
buildings, which would deprive from 1909
to 1900 school children of the much needed
school facilities.
The Builders exchange states that with
this statement the incident is closed so
far as they are concerned.
Members of the city commission had
nothing further to say in regard to the
matter yesterday. One of the commission
ers stated, however, that the board had
no authority in the matter and was merely
acting in an advisory way toward the
board of education. They stated there
was no bad feelings O. any kind, but that
complaints had been brought to them by
delegation of contractors and from what
they could find out about the matter they
had believed II at the fair thing to do was
to reject all tie bids and readvertise the
work.
This, however the board of education
did not think it necessary to do, and there
the matter stands.
The statement of the Builders exchange
Is as follows:
Contractors Statement
birmingham, Ala, June 26, 1918.
ITO the Honorable City Commissioners,
Birmingham, Ala:
"Gentlemen:-At a meeting of this as
sociation this morning the reply of the
board of education to your communica-
ton addressed to John L. Parker, presi-
dent, relative to the awarding of the
contract for the nine temporary school
buildings was considered.
I'VE regret that the board of educa
toin has seen fit to entirely ignore the
recommendation made by you and
while we still contend that there are
two bids lower than the one accepted,
and submit figures to prove 1t, from
a humanitarian standpoint we have de-
cided not to obtain a restraining or
der in the courts. If the board of edu-
catoin sees fit to squander the peo-
pies money for political capital for the
individual members thereof in this case
we have decided not to interfere, as
1t is not the board of education who
will suffer by the delay in the erec-
ton of the buildings but the 1900 or
1900 innocent school children who will
be deprived of adequate school facil-
ities.
THE facts of the matter are that
several weeks ago the board of edu-
cation asked for an appropriation for
five school buildings of one type, three
school buildings of another type, and
one of a third. Plans We're prepared,
specifications written and bids asked
for these buildings to be ceiled or plas-
tered. 1t being understood that the
most economical construction was to
be adopted as the buildings were tenn
porary. would only be used for a short
while and were afterward to be dis
posed of.
Figures Are Submitted
Last Friday afternoon and Saturday
morning various rumors were afloat
that the board of education had made
"a preference in awarding the contract
Inquiries at the office of the board of
education brought forth evasive an
swers. In answer to a call made over
the phone to DIR. Parker last Saturday.
June 21. We were informed by him, in
answer to the question as to whom the
coiilTdCt was AWARDED tndt he 'dldn't
know see Mr. Lafon." A committee
from this association called on Mr.. La
fon twice Saturday afternoon and
finally secured an audience with him at
$3.50. He advised that the board of
education had voted to award the con-
tract for five houses, known as plan
No. l, three houses of No. 2 and one
of No. s. He very reluctantly gave
us the amount of these bids and en-
deavored by a system of mathematical
deductions to show that the contract
had been awarded to the lowest bidder
We submit below for comparison these
figures with the figures of the two bids
which We claim to be lower and to
whom we contend the contract should
have been offered prior to the present
awarding:
LOWEST BID.
Five houses No. 1, $19A27 each, $9645;
three houses No. q $3.50 each. $4740;
one house No. 8. s213s; total, sIl5,51s.
NEXT LOWEST BID.
Five houses No. 1, s16s4 each ss42o;
three houses No. 2, 1855 each, S4995:
one house No. 8, $22S3; total, $15,69s.
Memorandum of figures furnished by
Mr.. Lafon at which contract is
awarded:
Five houses No. 1, s1729 each $S645;
three houses No. g. $1443. $4329; one
one house No. 2, $2133; total, s15,51s.
RELATIVE TO their contention ABOUT the
certified checks, this section of the speci-
fcations Is very clear and reads as fol-
lows: Separate bids will be required for
each building and each bid must be ac-
companied with a certified check to the
amount of S100 on each building, made
payable to John l.. Parker, president of
the board of education, to guarantee that
the contractor to whom this contract is
awarded will enter into a contract with
the city, for the amount of his bid, as pro-
vided for in these specifications, if so
called upon by the city,
Under this section, and according to
all the ethics of the building business,
this contract could only be awarded to
the party who put up the 5000 certified
check mentioned In the board of edu'
tion's letter, or If the bid was too high,
all should have been thrown out and the
job refigured.
Regarding Certified Checks
"1t seemed to be an understanding with