The Mena weekly star., 1920-03-04
GOING SLOW WiTH
 ROAD CONTRACTS
Twelve Bidders for All or Part of Con- structicn, and Commissioners and Engineers Are Taking Time to
 Figure the Best-Federal Aid.

Polk county's road builders, includ- ing Commissioners Ira O. Smith, john Hood and Alex Coyle, and members of the firm of the Southwestern En- gineering Company, who went to Lit tie Rock last week to open bids for construction of the Jefferson Highway, returned without letting any con tract. It is probable that contracts will be decided upon this week.
 There were twelve bids received on all or part of the construction work. Some of the bids were on the usual stipulation of "all or none" of the work, but the commissioners and en- gineers secured withdrawal of this condition, and this enabled them to use the most favorable figures from the different bids. It is estimated that by so doing a total saving of $90,000 was made from the highest bids.
 With all the "all or none" provisions withdrawn the commissioners were able to sort the bids into four divis- ions, one for bridges, one for pipes and culyerts, one for concrete work, and the last for the balance of the va rious tasks involved.
 By taking the best offers in the diff ferent divisions the engineers were able to attain considerable saving over the offers for the entire job, and still expect further reductions to be made before contracts are formally entered into. It was thought best not to be in too great hurry to close the contracts. The local men were in- formed at Little Rock that contract for highway in another Arkansas county had been let after only few hours deliberation at a much greater price than that asked for the Polk county road.
 The contractors who submitted fig ures represent some of the best known firms in highway building in the coun- try.
 Hope for SlO0,0OO Federal Aid. Judge J. I. Alley, called to Little Rock last week on highway business, had an extended conference with the Advisory Board, composed of five members, which, with State Highway Commissioner W. B. Owen, makes the apportionment of the Federal and state funds to the various projects. Judge Alley went into details to show allowance. He pointed to the fact that the Polk county road was link in a great national highway, extending from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, that while the men behind that great cross-county project did not officially |designate the route down Western Ar kansas as the Jefferson Highway, yet it was and would be the preferred route, being 200 miles shorter from Joplin, Mo-, to Shreveport, La, than than the Oklahoma route, had all the advantages as a scenic route, and, in addition, was the only hope of Arkan- sas to have part and be on the Jeff lerson Highway. He also urged that, iri contrast with like enterprises in east ern Arkansas, the Polk county high way passed thru country where but a small percentage of the land was in cultivation and productive, therefore making the burden approximately heavy on the taxpayers.
 At the close Judge Alley was as- sured that his county had a splendid proposition, had it in good shape and would receive liberal treatment An engineer representing the Federal government told Judge Alley that he felt that Polk county should receive as much as $115,000.
 One element, Judge Alley states, came into the matter of cost of the Polk county road, and that was the common labor. In every project in the state save this, it is said, negro labor was used, and with this the contractors know about what they can count on. But they feel they cannot use black workers in Polk county, and this, it is believed, will add much to the cost of the road.
 It probably will be several days be- fore the contracts are let and the ex- act cost of the enterprise can be as- certained.