New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-29
New Workers
Fight Jersey
Tube Low Bid
Commissioners Will Oppose
Awarding of Tunnel Con-
tract No. ? ON Allegation
Firms Work Is Unknown
Base Action on Statute
Quick Construction by Con-
Germ Ranking Second ON
List Wins Boards Praise

New York commissioners of the New
YorkNew Jersey joint tunnel commits
sion will not permit the awarding of
contract No. 2. which provides for the
sinking of construction shafts on the
site of the New Jersey terminal, to go
to the lowest bidder, who is favored by
the Jersey commission, when the MAJ
ter comes to vote on Tuesday, it was
learned on good authority yesterday.
Their action in refusing the low bid
in favor of higher ono will be based
on the New York statute under which
they are proceeding. This statute,
while requiring that all contracts of
$1,000 and over be awarded after adj
vertising for bids, contains no pro-
vision that the contract must be award
ed to the lowest bidder.
Concerns Status Questioned
Contract No. Of the New York New
Jersey tunnel has become the keystone
to the completion of the tunnel, and as
such the New York commissioners IRE
not willing that it should go to an un-
tested concerns. Due to the long delay
in completing contracts with the Erie
Railroad, on whose property the New
Jersey construction shafts are to be
sunk, No. 2 contract had been held up
for almost year. Contract No. /,
which provided for The sinking Of sim
liar shafts on the site of the Manhat-
tan tunnel, was let last October, ard
IL oh,
ton.
The low bidder CT Contract No. 3,
the Shaft Construction Company,
whose figures are S369.815.50, is APP
proximately $4,000 under the second
lowest bidder, Holprcok, Cabot g.
Rollins.
The Shaft Construction Company is
new concern, inco rporated on July
10. the day that the bidding closed on
this contract. Thomas E. Shea, prcsi-
cent, admitted to Clifford M. Holland,
chief engineer of The commission, ac-
colding to letter sent by Mr.. Holland
TO the New Jersey commissioners, that
he knew nothing about the construc-
ton work and was familiar with only
the financial end.
The company, Mr.. Shea stated, had
retained John F. O'Rourke, president
of the John F. O'Rourke Engineering
Construction Company, as their chief
engineer, and said the O'Rourke corr
Germ was at their disposal, but that
that company was not interested finan-
cially in the Shaft Construction Com
pany.
First Bidding on Contract
In the first bidding for this contract.
on July IL, the O'Rourke company sub
mitted a bid Of $488,498 Mr.. O'Rourke
further showed interest in the tunnel
construction when, last year, he made
an effort to have q concrete block,
patented by himself, used in it's con-
struction. He was defeated in this
after the New York commissioners had
gone before legislative committee.
Holbrook, Cabot & Rollins, the
second highest bidders, are at present
engaged on Contract No. /, on which
work they are now six weeks ahead of
time. This is declared by a member
of the Board of Estimate to be the
first time in his memory that any con-
struction company engaged in public
work will finish contract under time.
All SIN contracts entered in the
last bidding are below the estimate
OF cost and fair profit drawn up by Mr.,
Holland, the commits sion's chief engi-
neer,. for the present contract. The
TWO ioWeSI blds, 1t Is reckOned, show
a Willingness on the part of the bid
ders to take loss on the work. The
Holbrook, Cabot & Rollins firm, it is
pointed out, has it's plant set up on
the Manhattan side of the river and
could float it across the river at a
smaller cost than another company
could set up q new plant on the site
of the Jersey terminal
Members of the New York commits
sion are also far from pleased over
possible political favoring which came
into the bidding with the Shaft Con-
struction Company. According to the
memoranda of Mr.. Holland read to
the Jersey commissioners, John O.
Devlin attended a conference of the
representatives Of the Shaft concern
at his office. Mr.. Devlin is the Com
missioner of Public Safety in Bay
onne, and is prominent in New Jersey
Democratic circles.