The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1932-05-27
COMMISSION HAS
NO PLAN TO GIVE
COUNTY ROAD AID

NOON1 I NOAO ALI
STATE OF MONTANA
HIGHWAY COMMISSION
Helena
May IL, 1882.
Hans Rasmussen, Manager,
The Producers News,
Plentywood, Montana.
Dear SirS:
The Highway Commission in
session on May 10th gave further
study to the proposition which has
been presented by yourself and
others demanding that Federal Aid
work in Sheridan County be given
to the county to perform on a
force account or day labor basis,
at agreed estimated prices, and
without competitive bidding. The
matter was discussed with Off
Gals of the Bureau of Public
Roads who were present at the
meeting.
The Bureau of Public Roads adj
vises US that they have in some
cases in the past allowed Federal
Aid on day labor or force account
projects handled by counties in
states where the state statute per-
mits, as an unemployment relief
measure, and that they are pre-
pared to do this in the future
However, they have invited our at
tention to Sec. 1870 of the Revised
Codes of Montana, 1921, the per-
tinent part of which reads as fol
: lows:
"1790. Contracts how award
ed. All contracts for work or
2 state highways shall be let BY
J the state highway commission
When the estimated cost Of
r any piece of work shall exceed
} one thousand dollars, it shall h,
e the duty of the state highway
commission to let such contrac
by competitive bidding, upol
such notice and upon sucl
terms as the commission by it
rules and regulations prescribe
provided that if the commission
shall find such work may b
K done and performed by fore
n account or by days labor in
q more efficient manner, it ma,
so conduct the work, and pro
5, vided further that the commits
n sion may use convict labor az
i in its judgment, is deemed pro
e per-"
This is the law in Montana un
n der which the Highway Commits
" sion must operate. 1t provide
i that any piece of work costin
n more than $1,000 must be let
# contract by competitive biddin
h unless the Commission finds tina
the work may be done in a NOR
efficient manner by day labor O
o force account methods.
?. 1t is an indisputable fact tha
y most road work and particular
y grading cannot be performed q
4 efficiently or economically on
force account basis or by day labc
re as by contract. Therefore, tn
N Commission cannot perform sue
L work in that manner and compl
er with the law. Furthermore, til
III law makes no provision whateve
IN for letting the county do the wor
ru but provides that the state ma
e. conduct the work by day labor {
force account if the work may
W done more efficiently in that maj
at ner.
It. The members of the Highws
,e, Commission are of the opinic
s. that under this statute we cam,
ty give work to counties. We sha
on require in connection with all CO.
et tracts let this year that the CO..
w tractor give preference to the en-
in ployment of Montana citizens al
a that he pay the prevailing rate
,e- wages in effect in the county
m. which the work is being performe
We shall endeavor to have
work in our contracts perform,
by hand labor in cases where tn
id can be done as efficiently as
machine methods.
am Last year there were a few 81
bv facing contracts let to aid unel
al ployment which included t
crushing Of the gravel surfacil
by the contractor and the hauli1
,ed and placing Of it by local peol
M with trucks or teams. This sort
an work can be performed in abe
mo as efficient manner in this W
r., as by letting a contract includi
a;1 the hauling, which was the reas
1ht the Commission was permitted
,yo do this It may be that we sh
tho find ourselves able to let oil
UaS surfacing contracts in the futl
-, with the hauling and the placi
riv of the gravel to be done in |
ex. same manner as was done last f;
fhe At present we have practica
~ no funds for construction becal
for we have not yet been able to
our 1882 issue of gasoline tax
- bentures, but the procedure alb.