Arizona republican., 1922-02-10
DATE FOR OPENING
Of BIDS ON HIGHWAY
SYSTEM ANNOUNCED

That bids for the completion OF
Maricopa' county's highway program
under the second bond issue of S4,-
500, 600 will be opened on February
27 and that the differential TO be
allowed between the cement and the
asphaltic concrete types of road
would not be announced until after
the bids were opened, was the state
ment made by A. +. Jones, chairman
of the county highway commission
to the board of supervisors yesterday
afternoon at joint meeting between
the two bodies held in the office OF
the supervisors.
The supervisors called the meeting
to urge the highway commission TO
give contractors 30 days notice before
| the bids were to be opened and thaJ
/ in calling for bids, the commission
/ announce the differential they would
| place between the white and the
! black types of road. Thomas Mad
| dock. state engineer was present at
the meeting by request OF the super
visors.
Chairman Jones. speaking for the
commission, said that since the rul-
ing OF Judge Lyman sustaining the
appointment of the commission, they
had asked all contractors who had
showed any interest in bidding on
the roads how soon they would be
prepared to bid. The latest date
| announced by the contractors he said
was February % and the commits
sion had discussed two dates, Februv
ary 25 and p.
Rv not announcing the differential
they would place between the two
types of roads. Mr.. Jones said. the
commission felt they would secure
better bidding and keener competi-
ton in the bidding than II the dif-
ferential were announced. The COM
mission intended, he said. TO call for
bids on the two types of road but
were OF the opinion that no fixed
differential could be placed between
the two types as. the differential de-
pended to a great extent on the value
OF the road to the taxpayer rather
than on the cost of putting down the
pavement. The dfferential. he said.
could be determined much better
from the class of bids received after
they were opened. Mr.. Jones held
that the commission would serve the
taxpayer in a better manner by not
announcing the differential.
Thomas Maddox, state engineer
| stated he believed the commission
| would secure more bids with keener
! competition il the differential they
| were going to place between the two
types of roads was announced. BY
holding the amount Of the differential
| in reserve, he said. the contractors
might be scared away from the job.
| Mr. Maddox said he believed both
| the black and white interests would
offer close bids because Of the ad-
vertising they would get out Of the
roads and he favored playing one
against the other.
Most of the members OF the board
of supervisors held the differenuai
should be announced and that to call
for bids with the differential secret
was unfair 10 the contractors. Chair
man Jones stated that several large
contractors who could Law both kinds
OF paving had been asked by the COM
mission 10 submit bids on both types
of road.
At the close Of the meeting the
supervisors announced that bono
of $4,000 would be required from
each OF the five members OF the sec
ond highway commission. The bono
for the first commission was the
same amount for each. The com
mission members stated they would
fix UP their bonds in the next few
days and file them with the board.