Show City Engineer Shoots High in inI I Estimating Cost of Improvements I City Engineer Kelsey IB is shooting in Jn tho the air at an unnecessary expense to the tho city Ills estimates of or cost of ot public Improvements for tor which contracts contracts contracts con con- tracts have hn-e been let this spring have b been en above the bids bid of successful contractors Here Is 13 a list flat or of the work done this spring and anti the cost COlt with tho the engineers engineer's estimate Letting Engineers Engineer's Class Clan of ot work Contractor Price rice Sewer J J. J D. D to u. u to 10 J 1541 U Street paving 1911 ng 37 27 P. P 1 J. J Moran toran oran II 9 Inter outlet A. A Campbell 00 20 2778 8 Sidewalk SO 36 SG Frank Doran 2459 30 alk 1 02 Frank Doran es Sidewalk 95 Frank Doran 37 i Sidewalk S. S Birch 6 Sewer U Strange anti ana II Street paving 38 33 P. P J. J Moran Street paving pa H 41 41 P. P J. J Moran 02 1956 Street p paving 39 P. P J. J Moran T. T Sewer Kennedy 4 48 3 60 Sewer Davis and Heuser Sewer Sever 1 iO Davis Da 19 and ana Heuser Sewer Se er 1 Kennedy leute Sewer ver Kennedy V Difference i The city engineer explains this discrepancy by saying ying that the estimates were made on last years year's prices and ad that this year e there ts la more competition tion Uon and that labor and material are arc cheaper A As a mat matter r of fact the thE holding up of tho the estimates gives elves tho tIle contractors greater leeway and makes improvements Improvement cost more for tor the th taxpayer t payer Likewise It will wU be noticed that If Ie the rule of ot cheaper labor and material applies apples to all al contractors Pat Moran Is not nol forced to follow It With the thE exception of or a n Job Moran Morans blue bids have far tar exceeded the tho engineers engineer's estimates |