VOL. 12 MARCH 18, 1910. NO. 36
Educational Purchase.
WASHINGTON, D. C.,
Feb. 28, 1910.
To intending Bidders on Coal and
Others Interested:
The Government purchases the greater
part of its fuel supply on specifications,
that is, the bidder guarantees that his
coal will give, by test, a certain number
of heat units in the coal at time of de
livery and a certain per cent of ash, and
if the coal delivered varies from the val
ues which the bider establishes, the coal
is paid for at a premium or deduction,
according as the quality is above or be
low the standards established by the con
tractor. ,
This method of purchasing coal having
given such satisfactory results with the
Government, as well as many commercial
firms, this office has decided to adopt it
for the purchase of the fuel supply for
the Service. Accordingly, the proposals
which it will soon issue, inviting bids on
coal for the fiscal vear 1910-1911, will
Cill for statements of the quality of the
coal which the bidder proposes to furnish,
expressed in terms of British thermal
units "as received" (the condition of
coal at time of delivery with respect to
he per cent of water carried) and ash
dry coal" (free from moisture).
The values which the bidders submit
with the price per ton on their bids will
be considered in determining the award
of the contract, and these values if
successful will become a part of the con
tract, being the standards upon which
the price to be paid for coal delivered
will be determined. Analysis of sam
ples of coal taken from every "delivery
will show the quality of the coal being
furnished, and from which, with the
values guaranteed by the contractor, the
price to be paid for the coal is deter
mined. If any prospective bidder does not
know the quality of the coal which he
proposes to furnish, he will be permitted
to forward samples of this coal to the
laboratory of the United States Geolog
ical Survey, Washington, D. C, for ana
lysis, the analysis determining the
values to accompany the bid. It is pre
ferred, however, that the bidder establish
his own values. It is important that
the standards determined by the ana
lysis of submitted samples, or the values
furnished with bids, do not establish a
higher quality than can be actually
maintained under the terms of the con
tract. In this connection it should be recog-