Evening star., 1925-05-21

his files showing that back in April
he wrote to the Associated General
Contractors indicating that it had been
planned to advertise for bids for the
principal parts of the work on the
bridge.
Walbridge Is Emphatic.
The principal reiteration of the con-
tractors that the engineers could not
build the bridge without undue eX-
travagance came from George B.
Walbridge, president of the associa
tion. I'VE have got the facts and fig
ureS to substantiate our charges he
asserted. IF we did not have such
information we would be classed as
fools. If the Engineer Corps can, as
Gen. Taylor states. disprove our
charges of inefficiency, then by that
very fact it must have proved dis
honesty. Otherwise, as an example.
how could they have estimated the
cost of S10,000,000 on the Muscle
Shoals project. that now. according 70
expert engineers, will cost $40 900 900
TO complete?"
B. Byers of Pittsburgh added to the
criticism of the work OF the Army
Engineers. Gen. Taylor's statement
that the Army Engineers are doing
no contractors nearby equipped for
this work is untrue" he said. 1T Is
is regrettable that a man in his po
sitiOn does not know the resources OF
the country better than he does"
The contractors have already COM
muniCated with four of the largest
dredging companies in the country,
located in Baltimore, well equipped To
do dredging, landflling and core Dor
learned
none has been approached to do the
work. This alone refuteS Gen. Tay-
lor's statement the contractors state.
Charge $4,000, 900 Waste.
Taking as an example % projects
that they have investigated and which
has been done by various govern
mental agencies, the contractors de
clare that private bids covered by
bond for the completion Of these un-
dertakings amounted TO S73, ,434,0 ,000,
and that the Government undertook
this construction work, which re-
suited in a cost of S140,090, 900, or,
the contractors say, a cost to the
public of S66, $50 900 on % projects
undertaken by the Government last
year. The total amount of the work
done by various governmental agen-
cieS during last year. they say,
the contractors claim. could have
been done under the bid and contract
system for exactly half the amount,
or S250.000, 900.
MIR. Walbridge, supported by his col
leagues, said that the Government was
running the contractor out Of bust
ness.
We, as contractors, are not only
losing a vast amount of work, but, as
|,x- f,N,. III ~,
creased cost and at the same time
financing the Army engineers and
other governmental agencies to com
pete with US and drive us out of bust
ness" said Mr.. Walbridge. He added
that the situation was so serious that
If the Army engineers continue to
gather dredging equipment there
would soon be no private dredging
companies in the country.
why does the Engineer Corps ac-
quire 50,000,000 worth of equipment,
leave some of it idle and still ask for
more if it had no intention of spread
tng?" asked Mr.. Byers.
Out of Army Control.
Col. Sheriff. coupled his reply to
the charges of the contractors with
statement covering the entire situa-
ton regarding the construction of the
DTlQSe. Inc Army Engineer corps,
he explained does not control the
bridge project, but it is being built
under the direction Of the Arlington
Memorial Bridge Commission, of which
President Coolidge is head. The COM
mission personnel is composed almost
entirely of civilians. No move is
made without the authority of the
commission, and the President is kept
fully informed of the progress of the
work and the plans.
1t was made plain that the bidding
for the bridge is to be divided up SO
that real competition will be obtained,
and private contractors will have their
full chance in the race for various
items in the bridge.
Col. SherrillS statement follows:
referring to statements in the
press to the effect that the Asso-
ciated General Contractors. at their
meeting yesterday afternoon, severely
criticized the methods being followed
by the Arlington Memorial Bridge
Commission and by the Corps of Engi-
neers are entirely without foundation
or fact. AS to the Corps OF Engineers,
the chief of engineers has already
made a statement refuting these
charges. The Associated General Con
tractors have for years been attack
ing viciously the Corps of Engineers
and its administration of public i'm