Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-13

| Judgment, the OlneEenC0 Al PRICE sOA
$3.50. was more than the, location and
the relative utility Of the two bridges
would warrant. The board. however.
awarded the contract for the rainbow
arch.
| The commission at their next meet
ing refused to approve the contrAct.
Later, the contractor. county engineer
and one member Of the board met with
the commission and after the price
had been reduced to S5,sss. the con-
tract was approved.
Original contract ..........$ 6,75l.oO
| Approved contract .......... 6.S3e.o0
Amount saved ......-.....$ $500
Saved $1,473 il Butler County.
In July, 1914, bids were received for
a concrete bridge near Parkersburg,
Butler county, consisting OF three
sixty foot arch spans. The Thor Con-
struction Company. Of Cedar Falls,
were low bidders, the Miller-Hey Con-
struction Company, Of Waterloo. being
second.
Miller-Hey Construction Co...S13.800 90
Thor Construction Co....... 12.321.00
Difference .....-...........3 1.473.00
The low bid averaged $3.50 per
cubic yard, and was $1,473 below the
estimated cost. The Thor Construction
Company was a young contracting
firm-having been organized less than
year. while the Miller Hey Construc-
ton Company has been organized for
a number of years, and the work for
n erly built by them In Butler county
vas satisfactory to the board For
this reason, the board wished to let the
contract to the MilIer-Hey Construc-
ton Company, at q sacrifice Of l,4fS.
Since the contract would have to be
approved by US. the board met the
commission on July Is, for confer
ence. In the meantime. the financial
responsibility Of the low bidder had
been investigated and found to be sat
isfactory. and, believing that this COM
pany had the ability to construct the
work, the commission recommended
that the contract be let to them. This
was finally DONE on July 20.
Amount saved ............S 1,473.O0
Marion County Saved $2,1f2.
On March Is. 1914, bids were re-
ceived for six carloads Of corrugated
metal culverts in Marion county, each
carload to consist Of stipulated
amount of this material. Eight COM
ranies submitted bids. one of them
submitting two bids. $s73 per car for a
so-called thigh quality metal, and
sto1 per car for Tow quality" metal.
Both metals were guaranteed to pass
the commissions standard specifica-
tons. Between the two prices were
the proposals of FIVE other companies.
ali ota1 tch q n
the standard specifications. Since the
price Of 1921 per carload was low. and
the metal guaranteed to pass the
specifications. 1t was assumed that the
contract would be let at that figure
However, the chairman OF the board.
without resolution by the entire
beard, signed the contract in the vault
Of the auditors office, and the price
stipulated in the contract was the high
price, 1878 per carload, in spite of the
fact that there were five other bids
below that figure. Two members OF
the board knew nothing Of this con-
tract until after it was signed.
The matter was called to the conn
missions attention. An investigation
was made At a meeting at Ames, on
March 90. the board placed the matter
in the hands OF the commission for
settlement Tests were made. The
Glow quality" metal failed to pass. The
commission insisted that the con-
tractor furnish the high quality steel
at the low quality price, This he
finally did.
Six cars of cu1vert material.
at sS73 o,ssS'ou
Six cars Of culvert material,
at 1891 $4,000
Amount saved 2,112oo
Saved $3.50 on Thirty-ons Bridges.
In August. 1918. Kossuth county held