Evening star., 1934-04-11
.GOTWALS DEFENDS
CONTRACTS DATA.
Bridge Estimates Submitted
18 Months Before Award,
Congress Told.

Complaints that District officials
have inaccurately estimated the cost
Of construction projects, have per-
mitted discrimination" between bid
ders and have failed to hold con-
tractors to agreed terms were an
swered by Engineer Commissioner
John c. Gotwals during hearings on
the 1885 budget by Chairman Can
non of the House Subcommittee on
Appropriations, it was revealed today
Publication of the hearings revealed
that Maj. Gotwals was questioned by
the committee regarding the esti-
mates for the new Calvert Street
Bridge, a contract matter In connec-
ton with the building of the athletic
field at Western High School, draw
ing of specifications for stoker for
the boilers at the Children's Tuber-
culosis Sanatorium and estimates for
the laying of a water main In North
Washington.
Estimates in Excess.
1t was complained that the bridge
estimates Of District officials were
SITS 900 greater than the cost actually
included in the contract, recently
awarded to the low bidder. 1t was
brought out however, that the Dis
trict estimate was submitted Ia
months previously and that while the
low bid was below the Districts esti-
mates, other bidders submitted offers
which were considerably higher. One
bid was for 81 100000.
Maj. Gotwals explained that District
experts had taken as a guide in their
estimates bids received on the Klingle
Valley Bridge, built in 1881, that bid
ders on the new bridge were given
authority to substitute alternates for
various kinds of stone. the lowest bid
in any alternate to get the award
The greatest part of the saving, he
said. came from an extremely low
bid on limestone
Maj Gotwals declared that it would
have required crystal gazer to have
predicted what the bridge would cost
Disposal Of Surpluses.
Chairman Cannon declared it was
customary practice" for the District
to propose the use of surplus appro-
prlations for other purposes. but Maj
Gotwals disclaimed any intention OF
taking advantage of an unexpended
balance. He added that in this case
the money came out of gasoline taxes
and must be spent on streets Oh
bridges. There Is q plan to use this
SITS 900 for another bridge project
The first specific complaint was
that District officials had estimated
the cost of laying a water main from
Fifth and Upshur streets to Military
road at s368000. whereas the con-
tract awarded was for only s85 900
Maj. Gotwals explained the esti-
mates were based on specifications
calling for the use of cast iron mains
which had been customary He said
this type of pipe costs $50 a foot
Later, however, he said. an alternate
for use Of steel pipe was decided upon
and that the bid for this type OF
pipe was but $40 a foot. This latter
type was selected
That saving was not due to any
fault in making estimates. but due
I think, to careful engineering thought
in making use Of a new engineering
material" he declared
Athletic Field.
As to the athletic field at Western
High School. Chairman Cannon sale
it was charged that the contractor
failed to comply with his contract by
$50 900; that materials used were tina,
amount under the value required by
the contract; that the District hao
settled with the contractor for only
$4,000 in deductions.
Il have not thought about that for
two years." Maj. Gotwals answered
but the contractor did all the work
he was supposed to-"
Maj. Gotwals today declared ques-
tion about the $4,000 apparently re-
lated to alternate bids for various
types of work which had been called
for by the District but which were
not accepted by the District because
the cost was too high.
He said there was a deduction OF
about Sl,400 from the contractor S
payments on a finding that the top
soil was not what had been speci-
fled. He said agreement on that
matter had been reached after ex-
perts of the Department of Agri.
culture were brought into the case
The stoker ordered for the Chill
dren's tuberculosis Sanatorium was ei
a type which had not had two years
of actual successful experience, as re-
quired by specifications. Maj. Gotwals
agreed, in answer to questions from
the committee. He said the matter
had been put up to the controller
general and had met with his ap-
proval.
Maj. Gotwals said the stoker speci-
fications originally had been drawn by
the municipal architects Office and
were such that but one type was
eligible. This was an "overfeed' type
He said he was opposed to drawing
specifications which did not permit
competition in bidding.