New-York tribune., 1918-03-17

Contracts To Be ''Prohteer-
Proof" Experts
Report
New Board Named
To Garry on Work
Cantonments, Hospitals,
Terminals and Factories
To Be Erected

WASHINGTON, March 16.-With the
the War Department to-day to handle
the largest single building programme
IN history-aggregat S1,0S4 900, 600
"a board of eminent experts appointed
by Acting Secretary Crowell reported
that the present form of construction
contract is ''profteer proof"
The new construction division will
replace the cantonment division, which
did the preliminary work Of building
National Army camps, and will carry on
an immense building programme in
volving hundreds of thousands of work
men and extensive structures for the
army throughout the country 1t will
be under the imme ediate direction of the
chief of staff.
Headed by Professor A. N. Talbot, of
the University of Illinois, president of
the American Society of Civil En-
gineers, the board includes John Law
renee Mauran. of St. Louis, president
OF the American Institute OF Archi-
tects; Charles T. Main. of Boston, presi-
dent of the American Societvsof Me
chanical Engineers; John r. Alpine.
representing the American Federation
Of Labor; r. Goodwin Rhett, of
Charleston, S. c.. president of the
Chamber of Commerce of the United
States; f. W. Rice, Of Schenectady, n.
Y, president of the American Institute
OF Electrical Engineers; Frederick L.
Crawford, of Brooklyn. president of the
General Contractors Association of
New York, and Oscar A. Reum, of Chi
cago, representing the Building Con-
struction Employers Association.
A survey of the work to be done
oy the new construction division III
dlcates the magnitude of the govern
ment's preparations to push the war
to a successful conclusion. There are
already under way in the United States
eighty-five big jobs. aggregating sos
oOU,OOo. There are in prospect now
10 more, representing S27S, ,o00O 900 In
addition. there are forty jobs for hous-
ing troops, representing $500 900 900.
while hospital construction alone rem
resents $10,00000O
The work in prospect includes stor-
age terminals at Boston, Philadelphia,
Charleston, S. c., and twenty-eisht
other points. Signal Corps cantonments
and aviation fields at forty different
points. powder loading plants and ord
nance depots on the Atlantic seaboard,
housing FACILITIES for ship workers at
sixteen different points, tuberculosis
hospitals at Denver Col. and AzaleA,
n. c.; remount station at Charles
ton, mechanical repair shops in Texas,
three great Office buildings in Wash
ington, in addition to those under way:
a hospital at Fort Riley, Kansas; an
isolation hospital at Tenafy, n. J.;
extensions OF the Springfield, Mass,
arsenal, gas making plants and gas
shell filling plants at many points
Because of the hundreds of millions
OF dollars involved the board was asked
to examine the present form of con-
tract and, if necessary, propose a new
one. The board reported:
"The form of contract permits start
ing actual work weeks and even months
before the details are completely
worked out and delineated, and permits
the government to push the job at any
speed it may elect. changing at will its
scope and plan, but paying only what
the work actually costs, plus a fee
which is so reasonable as to be above
the reach Of fair-minded criticism.v
This form of contract, so thoroughly
approved, is known as the "cost plus
sliding scale Of fixed fee" in which
Ixed fees to contractors range from 7
per cent on contracts on 100000 or
less down to as low as Ia. per cent on
the very largest amounts.
The fee, according to this form, is
fixed when the contract is let, and if
the cost exceeds the estimate because
Of higher labor and material prices the
contractor receives no additional com
pensation whatever. Labor and mate
rial prices always will be subject to
approval by the government.