Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-05-21
MONTANA BUILDERS
GET CONTRACT FOR
{. D. ASYLUM WING
Lowest Bidders Not Allowed
Benefit Of $4,000 Error
Claimed In Estimate

The state board of control this morn.
ing awarded the contract for the con.
struetion of the new wing to the East.
ern Oregon branch insane asylum. at
Pendleton, to the firm of Olson &
johnson and company, of Missoula
Montana, for $776SO on the original
price, which may be altered one way
or another in the selection of certain
alternative specifications. 1t is speei.
flcally understood and agreed that the
contract is let with the understanding
that all Of the materials and labor used
IN the construction of the building is
TO be obtained in Oregon, wherever DOS.
sible, price, quality and all other things
being equal.
Ihe lowest bidders for the contract
were Parker & Banfield, of Portland.
Dut these gentlemen put in an appear.
ance this morning with statement
showing that, due to a mistake in figur.
ing on the materials to be used in the
walls, an error amounting to s4,G49 go
mad been made in their original bid Of
SiO,53i, which would have brought the
total up to $75,lS.9G. They asked the
board to be permitted to receive the
benefit of the mistake inasmuch as,
with the $4,649,9G added they will still
be $2,497 lower that the next lowest
bidder. But, upon the recommendation
of Architect Knighton and the view
taken by the board that II would likely
arouse serious complications with the
other bidders who would consider them.
selves treated unfairly, Parker & Ban.
field were given their choice of ae.
cepting the contract at the original bid
price or pull down their certified check
Of good faith and the firm chose the
latter alternative.
Architect Knighton made the state
ment to the board that he had inyesti.
gated into the claim of error in fipur.
ing up the estimates Of Parker & Ban.
tleld and was aatisfied that their claim
was true but that the mistake was so
big and glaring that they should have
discovered it long ago with their eX.
| perience and he also questioned an item
IN their estimates, supporting the or
iginal bid, concerning the bid Of NJ. J.
| walsh d Co., Of Portland, to furnish
/ the tile required in the walls of the
building at S2,26S less than the same
item in the estimates Of other bidders
He did not believe that the filing cou
be furnished for the amount specified
\ (Sl2532) but Mr.. Parker explained that
this big difference in cost might be due
to the fact that Walsh & company
conducted an "open shop" and was moi
Handicapped like the other tile manu-
facturers who probably employed or
ganized labor exclusively.
The firm Of Olson, Johnson and com
pany Of NIissoula, constructed th,
Eastern Oregon branch asylum, whcl
proved u very satisfactory job to tn,
board Of control and, Furthermore, thii
firm submitted, as an evidence Of goot
faith in their guarantee Of purchasing
Oregon materials and employ Oregon Ia
Dor ON the job, so far as possible, {
statement showing that, in the con
struction Of the +. o. asylum they hat
expended 100000 for materials and S75.
GOO for labor in Pendlcton, and $4,000
for materials and labor in Portland,
In the acceptance Of the Olson, John
son and company bid the board neces
sorily rejected the two other bids hel,
over under consideration which wer,
, that Of the Beers Building company, o.
Portland, for $4,000 and that Of J. II
Tillman and company, also Of Portland
for S7O, 500.