Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-02-23
tionally div season.

. . sT
gineer has done and will continue to
do, as does the Record, all the pri-
vate work he can get to do, and his
charges are just about as reasonable
as those Of some JOB printers may
be more so who knows? i
The Record Editor states that "un--
less the county engineer is to be OF
actual use the year round, we do not
believe he should be hired the year
round' / agree with you, Frank,
and so do the County Commissioners.
Incidentally that very idea was the
hardest thing I had to overcome in
securing my contract. I have since
proved to the County Commissioners
that this Office has not only been one
of the busiest County Offices but that
if all Of the road and bridgework
were to be handled through this Office
it would require more than one En-
! gineer most Of the time. @
This winter I have worked more
overtime than did last summer and
/ have done no private work either.
The Record seems to think they
know something about Engineering,
but their own statements prove that
they know absolutely nothing about
it, for anyone with even ordinary in
telligence can see in their argument
on roads that they start with the as
sumption that each road job is like
every other-that it was a very sim
pie matter to compare one job with
another. This is absolutely incorrect
as there are only about sixty diff
ferent things for road contractor to
take into consideration when bidding
on a Federal job. Many Of these
can be determined accurately, but
some must be estimated and woe UNI
to the poor estimator. On bridges
it is not quite. so difficult, there be-.
ing only about forty things to take
into consideration. Then why is it
harder to figure bridge costs than
costs on road work? But it must be
so because the Record has so stated.
! In the last weeks issue Of the Rec
ord the Editor says that "Mr. Tong is
authority for the statement that
heavy topography is better pay to
the contractor than fiat work. l
though / was given credit by the Ed
itor for little more sence than to
make such a statement, for only a
fool could do so, certainly no one who
has been in the business for twelve
years or even designed one mile Of
road.
AS bridges seem to be the subject
of conversation lately and the Record
does not know whether the Commits
sioners have been throwing away the
!, tax monies so freely as on road work,
will say that regarding the Glencoe
Culverts the Linton Bridge Construc-
ton was the only bidder The County
was, not robbed at this letting because
the law states that on Emergency
work the County Board may let the
contract for a price not exceeding the
last contract price received on SIM
{. liar work. The last similar work
that was let in this County was the
Federal work and The Linton Bridge
Construction Co. as the lowest bid
der on this work by a large margin.
There has been no case during the
past season when the County bridge
work has hot been let at price low
er than similar work on this years
Federal contract.
The Emmons County Federal Road
and Bridge work are recognized to be
among the best in the eleven states
under the supervision Of the Minneap-
oils Office Of the Bureau of Public
/ Roads, and the Linton Bridge Con-
structin Co. as our local contractors
have q record hard to beat-both in
price and quality Of work.
At the Hague Bridge letting the
Local construction was $50. 90 under
his competitor. There have been va
rious insinuations that Mr.. Fogle was
in some mysterious manner able to de-
termine his opponents bid-maybe he
did could not prove that he did or
did not-but ! do know that the Coun-
ty will get as good bridge and get
it cheaper than if the unsuccessful
bidder had been successful. Why?
Simply because the Engineering would
have been several hundred dollars in
stead Of about fifty. If as minated
by several, Mr.. Fogle knew the other
bid what was the result? Emmons
County was saved quite sum Of
money. II Mr.. O'Donald had learned
Of Mr.. Fogle's bid and had made his
accordingly, securing the contract BY
small amount, those doing the kick
4 ing now would have conpratnla+aa5