Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-26
COUNCIL AWARDS.DISTRI AND
INSIDE STREETS TO WESTERN
CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.
kCONCRETE PAVING,LET
FOR $1.34 PER YARD
Bid Accepted Is rs Cents Higher For
Main Roads and SIS Cents Higher
Contract Let May "a to the Same
company-5esin Gradins,Wedn

\ second, contract for paving main
roads TO the city limits, and for some
this forenoon to the Western Construc-
ton Company, of Sioux City. which
was awarded the first contract, for
s1.34 a yard for concrete pavement
Ii The improvement included in the
letting was for districts Nos. 5, 4, 5
and =. being North and South Center
4 streets.Summit street and North Third
avenue. The inside streets are North
Twelfth, street, Main TO State; North
Ninth street. State to Summit and
South Twelfth street, Boone to Doty.
except 400'feet at the NJ. & st L. cross
ing.
There were only two bids filed. The
price for the concrete paving is rs
cents higher than the same firm bid for
the sixteen foot pavement May "a, and
SIS cents higher than its bid for inside
streets made May "a. The only other
hidderwas Adolph Carlson, of this city.
Comparison Of Bids.
At the May "a letting, the Western
Construction Company bid s1.261a for
the pavement for the main roads and
sl.2yR for the inside streets.
The next highest bidder at that let
ting was Carlson. who bid s1.34 for
both main roads and inside streets. The
other bids ran on up to S1.55 a square
yard.
Altho the council was reluctant to lie.
the contract on only two bids, it did SO
after checking over the May "a bids
and ascertaining that the bid for the
letting today was no higher than the
second high bid Of the first letting and
below the average of all the bids at
that letting.
Drove Out Competition.
J. NJ. Peters, superintendent Of the
Western Construction Company, who
was here for the letting, said his COM
pany's bid for the first letting was too
low, and was figured incorrectly. He
thought the company would probably
not make a profit on the first contract.
1t is proba BILE, however, that whether
or not the company's first bid was pur
posely low, it drove out competition.
Members of the council are authority
for the statement that other contrac-
tors said after the first letting that
|
second letting because the Western
Construction Company would be on the
ground with its machinery and would
have decided advantage.
All Bids Higher.
ALI the bids of the Western Con-
struction Company for not only con-
crete, but also for curbing and grad
ing were higher than at the May "a
letting.
In addition to the bid Of s1.34 for tho
concrete, the following are the COM
panys other bids: Gravel and clay
pavement, So cents a square yard;
curb, So cents lineal foot; extra grad
ing, IS cents a cubic yard.
Its bid on the same items May "a
were: Concrete pavement, on sixteen
foot work, s1.261s: other streets,
s1.2sAa; curbing. 80 cents: extra grad
ing 40 cents. II will be noted that the
bid accepted today is cents higher on
curbing and cents on grading.
Cardsons bids today were: Concrete
paving, s13s; gravel and clay pave
ment, So cents; curbing 35 cents: extra
grading. As cents. His bid on the con-
crete is cents higher, the curbing is
cents higher, and the grading is )
cents higher than his May "a bids on
I the same items.
Estimated Cost $4,000.
The estimated cost Of the contract
is about $4,000, of which s55,63295 is
for main roads.
The gravel and clay pavement, the
first Of it's kind to be laid in the city.
is for the North Third avenue boule-
ward Marion to Riverview park and
Riverside street between Second and
lid ha yr;o y, tor
this was let is 5S cents a square yard.
One bid for this same kind of pave
nent was filed at the letting May "a.
It was So cents a yard
The concrete pavement like that in
the first contract is to be one mix six
inches thick in the center and five
inches at the edges.
The specifications require that pit
run gravel is to be used, but if there
is too much sand in it the city engi-
neer can require that screened gravel
be added to make a suitable mixture.
Method Of Laying.
1t is required that layer Of gravel,
then a layer Of clay and another layer
Of gravel all three not thicker than
six inches when loose be put down.
The gravel and clay Is to be mixed
by discing. then is to be wet and pud-
died and allowed to dry until in con-
dition to be rolled with not less than
a ten-ton roller The second series of
layers Of gravel and clay are to be
spread on the first layers. disced, pud-
died and rolled like the first The city
engineer can require that half an inch
Of sharp sand be spread upon the sur
face to take up moisture and shall be
rolled in.
Begin Work Next Week.
The two contracts make an estimated
total Of $4,000 worth Of pavement
that is to be laid by Nov Is.
Mr.. Peters said the company would
begin grading in South Twelfth ave-
nue. and North Third avenue Wednes-
day and that material ordered should
begin to arrive by the last Of this
week. 1t is expected to begin spread
ing concrete by the middle Of next
week Two gangs will be employed
when the contractors get their force
fully organized and get A second con-
crete mixer here in a few weeks. E. v.
Schroyer Will be in charge OF the
work. and the company will open a
business Office uptown.