The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-16

$3.50
| bids, We do not believe nor do We con-
tend that as usual thing 1t Is a good
policy to let work of this kind without
competitive bids, however. we have nor
set new precedent because in the past
many contracts have been awarded nv
former boards without receiving bids.
for instance. Just before the presen
board came into office contract was
let for concrete work for the bridge
over Warrior river near Kimberly for
a lump sum of $4,000 and the
bridge work for s1s.500 making a
total of s3s,5oo for bridge complete.
which we are advised was recon-
mended by Mr.. Gwin. The Newell con-
tract would not have been awarded
without getting bids had 1t not been
for the conditions being such that we
wanted to get the work done before
the winter and we felt that if we took
the time to advertise for bids ii would
consume a good deal of valuable time,
and there was a question in our minds
as to whether or not a contractor with
a sufficient force would then be the
successful bidder who would COM
plete the work before the subgrade had
been practically ruined by the traf-
| fic.
Former Contracts in Excess i.
| PtpSt icauiHB MT. 6WlnS statement
| In which he states that this contract
! cost the comfy $4,000 in excess OF
what II should have cost and since
| going over his theoretical figures
which he based on a day rate, we have
gone back through the records and
nave compared the contracts In force
when we came on the board which were
let on the forms in Mr. OWNS office,
and which We're carried out under his
direction, and we find in every instance
cherting roads per mile haul is in eX-
cess of SO cents per cubic yard. For
instance, Wallace Bros. G. Young
cherted three miles on the Stouts road
and did not have to quarry the ebert,
scarify the road, and the county paid
for dressing and preparing the SUBJ
grade, also the county furnished the
roller. The first mile of which he
| received s1.15 per cubic yard for an
average haul of 2 Ia miles or 49,
cents per yard per mile haul. The
second mile they cherted they received
s1.40 per yard on an average haul OF
3 1-3 miles or AZ cents per yard per
mile haul. For the third mile they
received $1.S4 per yard on an average
haul of 1-S miles or 42h cents per
yard per mile haul.
Let us now compare the last mile
cherted under this contract with mile
cherted on the Columbiana road under
the Newell contract based on the same
average mile haul, that is, 433 miles
"The county paid for 1926 tons OF
ebert at 20 cents per ton, s197S.20 for
this mile of road they paid Wallace
Bros. & Young for hauling and dress
| ing 2405 yards ebert at 1874 per yard
s4425.25. They also paid Wallace Bros
g. Young for work done on the sub
grade 400 cubic yards at 20 cents per
yard, 800.
Comparison,Is Made
at will be noted that this ebert
was bought at 10 cents per ton and
the contractors paid by the yard and
that Mr.. Gwin in arriving at the yard
age to be paid the contractors used
1850 pounds as a basis per yard. Where
as we haveabeen under the Impression
that he was using $500 pounds as a
basis
Actual cost of mile under Wallace
Bros. & Young contract VS. cost of
one mile of same distance under Newell
contract:
WALLACE BROS. & YOUNG con-
TRACT
ebert delivered on siding .sfg7S. 90
Hauling, spreading and Dress
ing 1892
Preparing subgrade ........s... 10000
Rolling 2405 yards at : cents :. 1905
Total .s6623 65
NEWELL CONTRACT
Preparing subgrade, mining ebert
and scarifying, rolling, dressing and
hauling:
24o5 yards at 2.16h ,..........s52o6.s so
Saving to county .sl4ls.sS
COST PER YARD. WALLACE BROS. &
YOUNG CONTRACT
Hauling one yard ebert ABB
miles ........ l.S4OJ
Cost one yard ebert TO. b. cars 1925
Preparing subgrade per yd ebert .O415
Rolling per yard ........-...... $500
Total cost per yard ....... 81. 1910
Newell contract for one yard,
same haul .......'.....-... $2.l65O
Difference in favor Newell con- s.
! tract per yard ...........-.. $3.50
Less freight on ebert .......... 400
| Saving to county .............. .ll90
'It will be seen that the Newell con-
tract is practically IL cents per yard
| cheaper than Wallace Bros. & Young's
contract and Wallace Bros. & Young
did not scarify the road, neither did
| they furnish their roller. 81
| I'VE will compare the cost per mile
| on an average haul of 1-3 miles or
42% cents per yard and using the ex-
act figures contained In Mr. Gwfns
! published statement which he claims
Children Cry