Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1920-02-13
ROAD BUILDERS ARE
SAID TO Be IN on.
PR0F|TEER|NG PLOT.
PRICES GO skYWARD ON WORK
ccHEDULED THIS YEAR IN ILL.
nOlS-Ct;ARcE EiNG EXi rs
WITH CONTRACTORS AS ITS
ORGANIZERS.

aoDIiuSUtIu, lii.i L Nsf. lltif " i'4
be roundup within a Jew days OF the
matelIal producers and road con
Gttuctors by The state highway de.
pattment.
1t is not certain they have not star
Ga out to POINTER on road coHsuuc.
lion his year. Last .sear at the tirel
invitation tWenty.lhree contractor,
Submitted lids on ~ miles Of road
way at total coSt oil eo,la5.Stl That
was an average c. S2S.HiS 4 mile.
At the first offer ct WORK this year
nearly 100 contractors appeared %
look on" They were Oncred sixty
..snt mites OF roadway. only ten bid
ders stepped forward and they only
submitted figures on tity and one
third miles. Fer tina. they asked
S2.l21 800, That is an average OF
az. 100 a mile, which is 80 per cent
Al excess OF last year.
Bids have been asked on other road
sections fer Feb IS, but The DEPART
ment will probably POSTPONE opening
them. They want to find out where
they are headed. The average cost
per mile last year was a little over
,. 1000 mile, and il is anticipated
that the bids scheduled for Feb. IS.
will run much above $4,000.
On the bids received "Wednesday
contractors made hgures on the basis
CT paying common labor - cents AM
hour dCWustate and they said that il
would cost S or more IN Cook County.
Some OF the contractors charged to
The one bid - per cent OF the cost OF
their outht. State engineers say this
should DC spread over four Or five
years, The profits asked ranged from
from 20 to ~ per cent. That TO 4 (
laynan appears eXolbi-ant The state
pays for material just as soon il It'll
is delivered along the route OF the
road in order to encourage the st0rI
age OF enough that the construction .
may proceed rapidly when once start
ed. Why 81 per cent profit should be-
charged Oh such transac ion has not
been explained. The contractor takes
no risk on the material.
The stare engineers said today that
sand and gravel sold lest year iog 81
10 10 cents d ton bat tina bids receiy- (
cd yesterday alc on he basis Of 50 TO
80 cents s.t0ae last year was quoted (
at 80 to 50 cents a ton Ini7 year a.
30 cents to Sl.2o. Brick last year
were available at S25 - 527 per thou
sand, This .eaI III 81 to $3.50 per.
thousand. Cement last year was Sl,T0.
TO $3.50 barrel anQ no" Size 10 $I.>J.
q barrel These figures CG the stat
highway engineers give them lie sUa-.
picion that prices on .u@t c0astruc-
ton are TO 90 still higher,
The IlIoe can be pushed beyond
reach OF The state commented Frank
|, Bennett, auFCrlnten1e Of public
works The EFFORT u one or two
contractors to lay the blame on the.
specifications ~ wasted The MuuiC
ipal Contractors Association has for
mally CCmE.imented the state on tn
lair trea.meE, contractors have re-
ceiyed
"Our specifications have been
adopted in Minnesota, Wisconsin. Kan .
sas, Michigan, Missouri, Iowa and IN
diana which is good evidence they are .
well adalted to this section OF the
country.
The charge we hold bacl. E per
cent Of the money due the contractor !
until the jc5 is completed is not true. /.
We only hold back 10 per cent AIchi-.
gan holds back % per cent, and under
certain conditions New YORK hoI Isl
back % per cent
1T is impossible any contractors /
have completed one-third OF their
work before getting any none on ac- /.
count OF red tape, because the con-,
tracts awarded last year have no,
been One.third completed, We pay
contractors monthly within ten or u /
teen days after the end of The month
in which the work was done. In Ok.
ceEtional cases We have paid semi
monthly.
eve have required contractors tOI
put added surface to payements when
they have been out OF grade. II al
contractor accidentally gets ont ctt
1rade slightly, but gives us road oi
iull thickness. we change the grade
II il is not material"
II there is any reasonable criticism
ct our specifications said e. ict Eng
ne9 Older. lit is that they should re-
qnire a stronger pavement. 1t has
been The tendency in this country ana
also England to make puycment5 TOO
min and TOO light