The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-04-08

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tention where local contractors
claimed. they were unable to secure
steel or that they were unable to
compete with bridge companies in
the combine because they could not
purchase the material at as low a
figure as those on the inside. We
are satisfied that the purchase of the
material by the authorities construc-
ting bridges under the provisions of
this bill or otherwise, and then adj
vertising for bids for the erection Of
the bridge will give local contractors
a much better opportunity and result
in greatly increased competition and
lower prices. In the counties where
the combination has been broken up,
it has been largely due to the local
bidders. We earnestly recommend,
that if this bill should not pass,
county and town boards advertise for
bids for material and construction
separately, and if this is done, we
are thoroughly convinced that it will
go long way towards breaking up
the combine.
| If steel for large number of
bridges is fabricated by one rolling
mill or foundry, to be shipped upon
requisition later, it can all be in
spected and stamped at one time,
lessening the cost of inspection.
If this bill should pass and con-
siderable number OF municipalities
and counties elect to take advantage
of it's provisions and place their
orders for material in the late fall or
early winter, it would also have a
| tendency to reduce prices, as this is
a time of year when fabricating work
is usually slack and when orders are
eagerly sought.
The committee realizes that this
bill advances new proposition and
owing to lack of time for considera-
! tion: it may not appeal to the good
Judgment of the house. But should
it become a law and be generally
used, we believe it will, effectively
dispose of the bridge combine and
save many thousand dollars to the
taxpayers of the state.
| House File No. l13l provides, that
where the cost of any bridge to be
constructed is $500 or more, copy of
the published advertisement of the
setting shall be mailed to the state
highway commission at least twenty
days before the date of such letting,
and that the highway commission
shall print lists of such bridge let
tings. and furnish the same to inter-
ested parties upon application. We
believe this will result in largely in
creased publicity, at minimum cost
to the taxpayers, and it will make
place where interested contractors
can supply and secure a list of every
bridge letting in the state.
We recommend, that as far as pos
sible in transmitting the published
advertisements of the bridge letting
to the state highway commission,
that plans and specifications of the
proposed bridge accompany the same.
We recommend that as far as pos
sible in the inspection work of 1915
and 1915, the state highway commits
sion give the preference to bridge
construction.
We recommend, that all bridges be
CONSTRUCTED under plans and specifi-
cations prepared by some competent
engineer and not by the bridge COM
panies; that bids submitted and con-
tracts entered into be in the stand
ard form prepared by the attorney
general or the state highway COM
mission.
We recommend, that sufficient
copies of this report be, printed to
lsupp]y one copy to each county audi
tor, county attorney, county commits
|sioner and township clerk, and that
the same be forwarded to the respec-
tive county auditors for distribution.
This committee has made an un-
biased, impartial investigation of
the subject entrusted to it by the
house, and from the information Sc
cured, we are convinced that if local
boards will make an honest effort to
: conform to the recommendation con-
tanned in this report, it will result
) in saving many Thousand dollars to
the taxpayers Of the state.
@. H. Warner,
J. E. Madigan.
L.. A. Lydiard.