Evening star., 1933-02-25
BID DPEDDL|NG END
PLAN IS FAVORED
American Institute of Archi-
tects Official Makes Rec
ommendatiOn.

Elimination of bid peddling through
the adoption of the Huddleston plan
was recommended this week by William
Orr Ludlow of New York, chairman of
the Committee on Industrial Relations
of the American Institute of Architects,
according to an announcement at the
headquarters here.
Bid peddling, one of the worst
features of the building industry today,
Is cheap business, unfair and inde
fensible," said Ludlow in urging every
architect and builder to study the Hud
dleston plan. formulated by Prof Eric
T. Huddleston of the University of New
Hampshire, new procedure now being
put into practice with considerable
success.
Bid in Two Parts.
1.-The plan" Ludlow explains, simply
provides that general contractors bid
shall be in two parts-the first contain
ing figure for his own work and
profits, and the second embodying
list of subcontractors with their bids.
which the general contractor desires to
submit as making up the remainder of
his total contract price.
The subcontractors are notified that
they may have list of the general con-
tractors bidding. They are also notified
that their bids are to be sent to the
architect as we'll as to the general con-
tractors.
They are further told that their
original bids will be accepted or re-
jected without modification or change,
except for additional or less work re-
quired by the owner. Their bids as
fled should therefore be the lowest fig
ures at which they are willing to do the
work.
The general contractor is selected
on the basis of the first part of his bid
his own work and profits-and the
subcontractors are selected at their
stated price from the entire list of
those submitting bids, provided that
those chosen must have the approval
of the general contractor with whom
they are to work in the usual rela
tionShip."
Under the Huddleston plan, accord
ing to Ludlow the standing and ability
as well as the prices of the general and
subcontractors will be given due weight
and the owner will reserve the right to
reject any or all bids and to accept
at the prices submitted any bid that
he believes is best for his own interests.
Morale Submerged.
The morale of the building indus
try Ludlow declares, has too long
been submerged by bid peddling, which
has fastened itself onto common prac-
tice largely by the kind of short-sighted
or avaricious owner who demands a
cut-rate price and expects protection
against poor quality by the architects
inspection.
This practice unfortunately has been
allowed to grow by the architects and
builders without any serious attempt to
destroy it. This is due, perhaps. to
desire to get the price down to meet
competition, sometimes due to original
price promises or perhaps to the fear
of losing a client or often through be-
lieving that nothing can be done
about it.
Subcontractors have been complain
ing bitterly of this practice for years.
Contractors have 6eplored it. Archi-
tects acknowledge its evils. And the
public has suffered from it, because
what is saved to the owner in his con-
tract price by bid peddling it made up
by the subcontractor in extras and in
other ways. because if contracts bring
no profits the lding business ceases"