Local Labor Beats the Low Bid on the Kennewick-Finley Road
County commissioners chose Kennewick’s Wm. Morain over the lowest bidder because he promised local crews and teams instead of trucks.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
With a bid of $1,226.72 in excess of the lowest bid, Wm. Morain, of this city, was awarded yesterday the contract for the Kennewick-Finley state road by a two to one vote of the county commissioners. The award was opposed by Commissioner J. C. Syfford, of Hanford, who previously moved to let the contract to Nelson & Saulsberry, of Prosser, who were the lowest bidders.
That Mr. Morain was successful was due to the fact that he will employ only local help and will do the work with men and teams rather than auto trucks, and to the entire satisfaction which he has given the county in building the Benton City-Prosser road. Mr. Morain has not yet completed his present contract but he expects to have his outfits assembled here ready to begin work by March 1. He will put on a large force and rush the work in every way possible so that the road may be available for late spring hauling.
According to specifications the work is to be done on one end of the proposed road and the highway is not to be closed to traffic at any time.
In all six bids were submitted as follows: Nelson Saulsberry, of Prosser, $17,193.28; H. L. Wilson Company, of Walla Walla, $17,681; W. A. Morain, $18,419.95; Fral Co., of North Yakima, $18,437; Cascade Construction Company, $18,976; C. S. Brown, of Prosser, $30,500.
“That Mr. Morain was successful was due to the fact that he will employ only local help and will do the work with men and teams rather than auto trucks.”
The 1915 choice made local hiring and horse-and-team work worth an extra $1,226—a precursor to modern “local hire” and community-benefit provisions in public construction. It also shows how transportation spending has long been used to steer wages into a town.
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