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

First--Ths now road law has saved
| money by making X possible to de-
ternins who 10 low bidder on bridge
work.
Under the old law, bridge work was
| done under annual or blanket con-
tracts. The contractor bid on bridges
at so much per foot of span. and on the
culverts at so much per foot of road
way or length. There We're no plans or
specifications prepared by the counties
The bridge companies sometimes pre-
pared picture drawings, on which the
important dimensions were usually
| omitted. From these plans, the county
could tell nothing of the structure to be
furnished. There was no basis on which
to compare the prices. The bidder who
put up the best talk got the contract,
reg ardless of whether his prices were
low or not
We have a record of letting on Jan.
5, 1905, in Cedar county, at which a
contract for steel trusses was awarded
at an average price of As per cent
above the low bid. The contract for
the steel joists or beam spans was
awarded at an average price of 20 per
cent above the low bid. The low bidder
was amply competent to handle tnN
work. and there was no reason why the
contract should not have been awarded
to him.
We have a record OF another con-
tract in Cedar county, awarded on Jan.
10, 1910, at prices for steel truss spans
averaging 81 per cent above the low
bid
On March 10. 1910 a contract was
awarded in the same county for the
construction of concrete culverts at the
highest bid received. In awarding the
contract on Jan. 10, 1910, to the highest
bidder, the resolution of the board
states: Upon comparing the several
bids submitted, it was found that the
bid submitted by the Clinton Bridge
and Iron Works was the lowest"
II is hard to see how the board fig
ured this out. There We're no definite
plans. The bid Of this company was
the highest.
Before the new road law, such plans
as We're prepared for bridge work were
almost invariably prepared by tho
bridge companies. 1t was their prac-
tice. where competitive bids were
sought by the board of supervisors, to
Sopihit a HuIlibsI u pans IOT SdCN
structure. These plans would be la
beled A. B, c. etc. They we're usually
mere picture drawings, with the i'm
portant dimensions blank. and all were
alike. The bidder would then submit
different prices based on each of these
plans. After the bids were opened,
the contractor who had the confidence
of the board of supervisors, would pro-
ceei to advise the board. and would
actually figure out how he was the
low bidder. BY selecting some one of
these prices. he could always figure
himself low. The amount of his price
did not affect his profit. II he was
compelled to take the lowest price
which he had submitted he simply
skinned the bridge that much more.
and the county got that much less for
its money. His profit was a fixed item.
1t was impossible for the board of SUI
pervisors or anyone else to insist on
certain details in regard to the struc-
ture, because the plans submitted never
showed details.
Under the new law. definite plans
and specifications are prepared by the
county engineer for each bridge and
culvert for which bids are to be re-
ceived. All bidders submit prices on
the same plans. 1t Is very easy to
compare the bids. The lowest compe-
tent bidder gets the work.