Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-01-27
System of Reaching Estimates
Faulty, He Says, and Calls
Work ''PaIpabIy Raw

/ Claiming that the city is losing in
actual cash $369.75 a month by main
/ tanning its quarry, rather than by buy
| ing rock in open market, and giving
/ figures TO prove his contention, Super
visor Larsen sprung a surprise on the
/ board last night in a report sent in
/ by him and read By the clerk at the
meeting. Larsen claims further that
| the actual output of rock from the city
quarry is not nearly so large as the
apparent output. and does not include
in his figures loss for wear and tear
on equipment His letter is as fol
! lows: 1921 !.
Honolulu. Hawaii. Jan 26 1915
The Honorable Mayor and Board Of
Supervisors of the City and Coun-
ty of Honolulu. T.
l"Gentlemen: ...-...... H.. .=....
AT the request of Supervisor Shin
gle, | have made an investigation of
the cost of production of crushed rock
at the city and county quarry, and
beg to present my findings, without
prejudice and in accordance with con
ditions as found them.
Truth Hard to Get at. +
1 F.. ABII6GI dS W the ttI'
put and correct cost are not avail
able, as all figures connected with the
plant are more or less fictitious. For
example, no proper system OF check.
| ing up loads is kept, and the custom
seems to be to add as much as pos
sible to the loads; for instance, loads
of four yards will be called five yards,
loads of three yards will be called
/ four, etc, the idea being to swell the
/ output, although the actual capacity
of the vehicles is well known, they
being quilt to standard measurement
1T is only the most supplemented
and those unacquainted with cubic
measurement that fall for work sc
palpably raw.
Again coal ordered for the plant is
delivered to the fourth district stable
and charged to the stable, no extra
carriage being charged to the plant
Quarry waste, the curse of any
quarry, is charged to the road where
! ii is dumped instead of the removal
being charged to the quarry.
Two instances of excessive short
age on delivery are well known to the
engineer and to certain members OF
this board, myself included, one of so
yards and one of 81 yards. the idea be.
ing, no doubt, to increase the appar.
ent output and thereby reduce the unit
cost per yard.
Ceducts 10 Per Cent.
THE apparent output for the year
is IL 1884 yards at a cost of $1.37 per
yard-total $15,S37-but, in accord.
ance with the say-so of the engineer
and those who. know, | have deducted
10 per cent, which makes the output
10,201 yards and increases the cost
to S1.55.
| Prices of rock of various grades
in the hands of the purchasing agent
are: No. 2, $1.05; No. g, $1.30; No. 4,
$1.50: or an average of $12S per yard,
/ or difference of nine cents per yard
quarry; and. on 1884 yards, this
would make difference of s1,02O.O6-
not much, but there again after de.
Quoting 10 per cent for poor measure
the difference would be more visible
and would amount to the sum of
3.060.3S.
Many Thousands in Year.
Assuming that in the use of rock
the city and county uses No. 2. No.
and No. 4, it would be used in the fol.
lowing average proportion per each
1000 yards: No 2, 700 yards; No 3,
200 yards. and No. 4, 100 yards. This
would cost to buy, as follows:
| 700 yards No. 2 a $105. .....S 735
200 yards No. 3 a $3.50 >...... go
100 yards No. A a $3.50 $50
Total, per 1000 yards S1.145
Assuming that we should use that
much per month, it would amount to
$13,140 per year.
Now take the average yardage
used per month during 1915 as taken
from our own figures and we find that
We use on an average 675 yards No. 2,
| 150 yards. No. 3; and Is yards No
This would cost to buy:
675 yards No at $105 ....$ 70S rs
| 150 yards No at S130 ~ 49,. 90
Is yards No 4 at 81 80 ,..... 1880
Total -. -. =. .SI.0I6 %
or. $12, 195 per year. difference right
there of $3642 between our given cost
and what it would cost in open
market.
Would Be Big Saving.
Now deduct the 10 per cent and
we have an annual requirement OF
10,201 yards, or something over $50
yards per month, and you will find a