Omaha daily bee., 1922-03-01

L eAANNittAkthN Al A tNAtt .AfAAa AAt
cost record shows that this states
msHt is not true, aud We request
that yohF honorable body call IN
the larger construction companies
that sublet q great part ot their
work and ask them 10 produce ihs
subeontFaets,
While this department does not
deal with any subeontFaelors, We
have access 10 such contracts made,
and We find that the gross amount
taken out by the general contractor
has varied from 10 p cents per
cubic yard, depending on what the
general contractor furnished, and the
average net profit 20 the general
contractor for the past four years
is approximately 4 cents per eubis
yard.
County oiheials Claim Part Of the
Work on Comparatively Level
Roads Was Let by Contract When
Same Could Have Been Con-
strueted Considerably Cheaper by
the Department With Blade
Grader.
Wish TO cali your attention TO
conditions existing when the work
was first organized. We had no
maintenance fund and no funds from
which the department. could pur-
chase equipment and handle a part
OF the work. We did everything
possible in 1918 and 1910 TO persuade
the county officials 10 take these
contracts and handle the work with
county equipment. A few OF the
counties contracted the work and as
a rule II was difficult 10 get them
TO do the work according TO the
contract and specifications, and
majority OF the counties taking the
work lost money.
When the maintenance law be-
came effective, January !. 1920. we
organized 32 grading crews and Sc
leeted the more level sections Of
road from the state highway sys-
tenn and constructed l,S00 miles that
year, so that any project agreements
entered into with the United States
secretary OF agriculture, since Janu-
ary |, 1920. we lave cut out the
level stretches of road from con-
tracts and handled the work by
cheaper methods, except in cases
where there were drainage condi-
tions that made il impossible to
build a suitable road with blade
grader.
These gradin. crews and equip
ment were turned over to the coun-
ties the latter part OF 1920 and 1921.
Since that time we have furnished
service and competent operators
when requested. as mentioned in Sec
ton number four.
County officials Claim the Cost of
Engineering Is Excessive on State
aid work; That Young Men Are
Employed md There Is Too Much
Red Tape.
Our cost for engineering and su-
pervision is less than the cost of SINH
lar work in the average state. The
cost of our Office work is no more
than necessary to keep a complete
record Of all work done.
AS to the engineers being young
and incompetent, to build up a large
organization at the time of begin
ming work was difficult task. Com
petent help was scarce and as the
men were coming home from the
army, we, selected the best men
available. A greater number were
world war veterans. These men
had experience before entering the
service on either highway or rail-
road work and large per cent Of
these men were army officers and
we consider that the man who has
graduated from the university and
has had experience on the practical
side of the work, so that he has a
thorough understanding OF what
should be done and who had the
executive ability to serve as an Off
Ger, during the world war. should
be qualified to handle one of our
Jobs in the field.
County Officials Claim That Fed
eral Laws. Rules and Regulations
Cause Useless Delays by Red
Tape and Useless Expenditure of
Money.
This complaint comes almost en-
tirely from the man who is desirous
of scattering the money all over the
state in the same manner that coun-
ty funds have been squandered in
the past; and if there is any specific
charges against any part of the work
of the bureau of roads. we are GER
tain that the bureau will be pleased
to furnish your honorable body with
all available data in connection with
such complaint.
American ,eo;on ConJuc+s