The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-02-14
FAILS
TO, APPEAR AT
PROBE HEARING
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The investigating committee, at its
morning session today, continued to
delve into the varied activities Of the
Highway Commission, much Of the
information sought being in the ma
ture of information for members of
the committee to enable members to
properly weigh later testimony.
A., d. McKinnon, project engineer,
was called to the witness stand to
explain various methods of letting
of Federal Aid Road projects.
The witness said that under the
system used in North Dakota, coun-
ties make application for Federal
Aid projects, the Highway Commits
sion provides surveys and plans which
were given to theI Federal Bureau
Of Roads for approval, and one-half
the cost paid by the county and one
half by the, government. The High
way Commission, he said, was the in
termediary. The actual contracts,
ne said, were let by the county
boards Of commissioners, but in one
case, he said, the Highway Commits
sion refused to agree with the Bot
tneau board of commissioners on a
contract, and no contract was let.
Asked About Paving Job
Mr.. McKinnon also was asked con-
corning plans for a paving JOB from
the east end Of Main street to be-
yond the penitentiary. He said it
was customary for the Highway
Commission engineer at the contract
letting to discuss the best bid and
most responsible contractor with the
county board. In this case, however,
he said, there was no discussion,
and the commissioners drew up a
resolution TO let the work to the
Haggart Construction Company, de-
pending upon finances, before repre-
sentatives of the Highway Commits
sion reached the meeting, the day
after bids were opened.
With regard to the Bottineau coun-
ty job, where the Highway Commits
sion disagreed with the county board,
he said, the board thought the low
bidder, South Dakota man, was not
responsible, but the Highway Com
mission, after wiring the South Da-
kota Highway Commission and u
South Dakota bank, concluded he was
responsible.
In virtually all cases the contract
is let to the low bidder, he said. He
explained one case, a bridge job,
where the contract was let to the
second highest bidder. by agreement
between the board and the Highway
Commission and Federal authorities.
He was asked about plans for a
paving project from the end of Main
street, Bismarck, east beyond the
penitentiary, 1884 miles in length.
He gave the various bids. He denied
there was any discussion with the
board as to the type of pavement to
be selected, and said that no steps
had been taken by the Highway Com
mission toward letting contract be-
cause funds were not available.
The bid which the board of coun-
ty commissioners, accepted, an asph-
latte concrete base with bithulithic
surface, was somewhat higher than
the bid on straight contract. He said
the low concrete bid with grading
was $1l5409.80 and with the black
base, $123,365.1O. The low bidder on
the black base, he said, was the Hag-
CART Construction Company Of Far
60.
did the Burleigh county board
discuss with you the type of paw
ing ?" Mr.. ;McKinnon was asked.
NO." he replied.
They said the board finished look
ing over plans about 5 p. m. the day
Of the letting and next morning when
he got to the board office the reso-
luton was drawn up recommending
the letting the contract, with. the
proviso that persons benefited pay
their part. He refused to give an
opinion as to whether the asphaltic
type or the concrete was better.
He was asked concerning survey
ing. He said the Highway Commits
sion let the work out to contract en-
gineers, but had three parties of, its
own in the field last summer. He
gave the cost Of the state survey
work at $50 to $50 a mile and de-
clared this was the basis of the con-
tract price.
As a Road Builder
! Testimony taken at the various
secret sessions of the special inves-
tigating committee appointed to in
quire into the affairs of the State
Highway Commission has been made
public. Most of it is preliminary,
and in the nature Of acquiring leads.
for. future investigation. &,
There are some interesting fea-
lures, however. The story of Tread
we'll Twichell, political war horse,
road-builder, farmer, former speak.
er of the House and philosopher,
has some interesting side-lights.
Some Of the leaguers evidently got
some JOY in delving into the career
Of thread" as road builder.
That Overhaul"
The overhaul features the con-
troversy covering Cass county's pol
itical boss relations with the high
way commission. 1t seems the con-
tract was let for about .$65, 900 in
the first instance, Mr.. Dan Jones
testified at the first secret session.
"Then when this was-all DONE" he
testified, "why -Twichell came in
with a bill for something like $47,-
600, claiming it to be all for over
haul, that is, they hauled clay four
or five miles in some instances"
Mr.. Jones testified that the Is
miles Of the road built by Twichell
cost about $4,000 a mile. He testi-
fled thst it was his belief that the