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Injuries: Severe concussion of the brain, puncture wound of the left
side of neck, which bled the entire night of the accident and which
has left an ugly scar; fracture of the left side of the skull, leaving a
large scar; lacerations and severe brush burns of the entire face; both
wrists and legs were stoved so badly that it was several days before
the hospital could tell whether or not they were broken, bruises of
the entire body. This child, who is 9 years of age, could not turn
his head for 6 weeks because of the puncture wound. He gets tired
easily, has moody spells, whereas, before the accident, he was a nor-
mal, lively, happy child. He suffered severe shock.
and suffering--

Total..

Mental pain

$2,500. 00

2, 616. 50

Betty Wrightstone versus Ralph Mitzel (Pennsylvania National Guard)—Injuries

Medical expenses:

and damages, May 21, 1941

Carlisle Hospital__

Dr. Shepler--

Dr. John H. Harris.

Trips back and forth to Carlisle to doctor for treatments, etc. (90 trips).

Total..

The

Miscellaneous expenses: Clothing ruined, coat cleaned; mother's coat
cleaned because of blood from Betty while going to hospital...
Injuries: This child is 13 years of age. Prior to the accident she had a
clear, unmarred complexion and was a robust, healthy child. She
suffered severe shock to her nervous system, a fractured right wrist,
severe laceration of left eyelids which has left a purple scar, a deep
laceration over the bridge of the nose, which is also purple. Severe
lacerations of left wrist, leaving raised, purple scars, one about an
inch and a half long, another about an inch long, and still another
about an inch long. She had 14 lacerations of the left hand.
arteries were severed in the left wrist, and she has very severe scars
on her legs and thighs, which will be very noticeable when she wears
a bathing suit. She suffered a compound, comminuted fracture of
the left leg, leaving a posterior displacement, and a partial disability
of the thigh. Plaintiff developed embolic pneumonia as a result
of the exposure.
She is very depressed and nervous and given to
moody spells. In June 1940, the plaintiff was forced to return to
the hospital and have a piece of bone removed from her leg, and
there is a grave possibility that she will again have to return for
another operation.

Loss of time: This child is forced to lose 1 year's schooling, which means
that she will have an additional year to remain in school. This, of
course, will result in 1 year's loss of wages. The permanent scars will
be an obstacle to her in securing a position in the future, and there
is a possibility that she will have a permanent injury to her wrist as
a result of the arteries being severed. This, likewise, will hinder
her in her school work, as well as in securing a position. She has a
feeling of inferiority, due to the scars. Damages.

Total

$306. 00 100. 00 62. 50

50.00

518. 50

25. 00

3, 500. 00

4, 043. 50

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STEIRS BROS. CONSTRUCTION CO.

FEBRUARY 9, 1945.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House and oidered to be printed

Mr. FERNANDEZ, from the Committee on Claims, submitted the

following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 1036]

The Committee on Claims, to whom was referred the bill (H. R. 1036) for the relief of Steirs Bros. Construction Co., having considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.

The amendment is as follows:

Page 1, line 8, strike out the words "the claim" and insert in lieu thereof the words "all claims".

A similar bill was favorably reported by this committee and passed the House in the Seventy-eighth Congress.

The facts will be found fully set forth in House Report No. 1479, Seventy-eighth Congress, which is appended hereto and made a part of this report.

[H. Rept. No. 1479, 78th Cong., 2d sess.]

The purpose of the proposed legislation is to appropriate the sum of $500 to the Stiers Bros. Construction Co., of St. Louis, Mo., in full settlement of all claims against the District of Columbia for furnishing and installing for the District of Columbia one backwater gate at the unit price of $500 named in its bid and under its contract No. 13722, dated September 15, 1939, with the District of Columbia, and for which no payment has ever been made.

STATEMENT OF FACTS

From the evidence submitted it appears that this company entered into a contract with the District of Columbia for the construction of two backwater gates at a cost of $500 each or a total cost of $1,000. Inadvertently, due to the improper placing of the figure $500 on the form furnished the contractor by the District of Columbia, known as schedule of prices, it was interpreted as the price of the two gates. The District of Columbia requested the contractors to use this schedule in making their bids.

This schedule called for furnishing and installing two backwater gates with appurtenances in the west side diversion sewer. On this schedule there is a line for the amount and under that there is a space for a figure with the words underneath "lump sum." In the submission of this schedule or bid the contractor erroneously put $500 opposite the words "lump sum" in the unit price column, and then put $1,000 in the last column on the page headed "amount." When the bids were opened, despite the fact that it was apparent on the face that the company had bid $500 for each gate and that they were making a bid of $1,000 and not $500 for the two gates, the contract was interpreted as being $500 for the two gates and it was so held by the Comptroller General.

The Stiers Bros. bid totaled the sum of $801,620 which did not include the other $500, and in fact covered only one backwater gate. The contractor, however, signed the contract for a total amount. In a report from the government of the District of Columbia, dated March 13, 1944, they state:

"The sum of $500 specified in this bill represents the price which Stiers Bros. Construction Co. claims it intended to bid as a unit price for one backwater gate, but which amount was entered by it on the bid sheet in such fashion that it was interpreted as a lump-sum bid for furnishing two backwater gates. Although it appeared to the Acting Chairman of the Contract Board, District of Columbia, at the time bids were opened, that an error had been made and that Stiers Bros. had intended to bid $1,000 for the two gates, nevertheless the bid was otherwise interpreted and the award made and the formal contract signed by Stiers Bros. on the basis of a lump sum of $500 for furnishing both gates. In returning the formal contracts to the District, Stiers Bros. wrote that it signed the contracts with full knowledge of the ruling of the District on that item.

From the evidence submitted it appears that without a question of doubt the contracting board of the District of Columbia had knowledge of the unit price of $500 per gate. It also seems that general understanding of all concerned this unit price was the basis in the total bid in this instance, which was $1,000.

Therefore, it is the opinion of your committee that the bill be favorably considered with amendment. Appended hereto is the report of the District of Columbia, together with other pertinent evidence.

Hon. DAN R. McGEHEE,

GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,
Washington, March 13, 1944.

Chairman, Committee on Claims,

United States House of Representatives, Washington, D. C.

MY DEAR MR. MCGEHEE: The Commissioners have for report H. R. 4107, Seventy-eighth Congress, second session, entitled "A bill for the relief of the Stiers Bros. Construction Co."

The sum of $500 specified in this bill represents the price which Stiers Bros. Construction Co. claims it intended to bid as a unit price for one backwater gate, but which amount was entered by it on the bid sheet in such fasion that it was interpreted as a lump-sum bid for furnishing two backwater gates. Although it appeared to the Acting Chairman of the Contract Board, District of Columbia, at the time bids were opened, that an error had been made and that Stiers Bros. had intended to bid $1,000 for the two gates, nevertheless the bid was otherwise interpreted and the award made and the formal contract signed by Stiers Bros. on the basis of a lump sum of $500 for furnishing both gates. In returning the formal contracts to the District, Stiers Bros. wrote that it signed the contracts with full knowledge of the ruling of the District on that item.

Thereafter, at the contractor's request, the matter was referred to the Comptroller General of the United States who ruled, under date of January 8, 1940, that the amount of $500 stated in the contract could not be modified to read $1,000. On May 10, 1943, the Commissioners requested the Comptroller General to reconsider his prior decision, pointing out certain facts omitted from the earlier submission, but the Comptroller General on May 28, 1943, affirmed his first ruling. A copy of the letter of the Comptroller General of May 28, 1943, which is selfexplanatory, is attached hereto and made a part of this report.

During the time that the contractor's claims for compensation for items which had been omitted from his final payment were under consideration by the Commissioners, the contractor filed against the District of Columbia civil action No. 16602 in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Among the items in suit was the claim for $500 for this backwater gate. On June 15 1943, judgment was entered in the civil action against the District of Columbia

in the amount of $2,536.86, which judgment is final and has been paid pursuant to appropriations of the Congress.

In view of the fact that the Comptroller General of the United States has twice ruled that Stiers Bros. Construction Co. is not entitled to payment of the $500 which is the subject of this bill, said rulings being based upon applicable decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States and of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and of the further fact that this same claim for $500 was a part of the subject matter of a civil action in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in which a final judgment was rendered, the Commissioners recommend that the bill do not pass.

The bill and report thereon have been submitted to the Bureau of the Budget, and the Director of the Budget advises that there is no objection on the part of that office to the submission of this report to the Congress.

Respectfully,

PRESIDENT,

GUY MASON,

Acting President, Board of Commissioners, D. of C.

COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF THE UNITED States,
Washington, May 28, 1943.

Board of Commissioners, District of Columbia.

MY DEAR MR. YOUNG: I have your letter of May 10, 1943, as follows: "Inviting attention to your decision (B-7687) of January 8, 1940, advising us 'that there is no authority for modification of the amount of $500 stipulated in the contract as payment for the work under item 20-A,' of contract No. 13722, with Stiers Bros. Construction Co., dated September 15, 1939, for the construction of the Rock Creek diversion sewer, west side (PWA project, District of Columbia, 1025-F, unit 6).

"The work under this contract has been completed and final payment voucher executed by the contractor with reservation of certain claims, one of which is for $500 under item 20-A of the contract. The various claims made by the contractor are now under consideration by the corporation counsel but review by you is requested of your ruling of January 8, 1940, in the light of facts which were not incorporated in our letter to you of December 15, 1939.

"In your opinion (p. 4, par. 2) you state 'it does not appear that any discrepancy in the bid was noted by the representatives of the District of Columbia until after award.' The records of the District of Columbia reveal that the discrepancy was noted immediately upon the opening of bids. A memorandum dated August 19, 1939, addressed to the Chief Clerk, Engineer Department, by Harold A. Kemp, Chief Engineer, Department of Sanitary Engineering, states:

I am returning herewith bids for the Rock Creek Diversion Sewers, West Side, which were opened August 18, 1939.

"Several changes have been noted, in red, in the extensions of unit prices and totals. ""I would appreciate receiving six copies of the photostated schedule of bids for our office.' Italics supplied.]

"The schedule of bids and the bids themselves were forwarded to the Commissioners with endorsement dated August 24, 1939, which, insofar as it is material, stated 'Bid of Stiers Bros. Construction Co. (as corrected) $801,120.' The award was made by the Board of Commissioners August 25, 1939. Thereafter the following memoranda appear:

"To the DIRECTOR OF SANITARY ENGINEERING:

"AUGUST 30, 1939.

""There is forwarded herewith for examination by you, form of contract for construction of West Side, Rock Creek Diversion Sewers.

"If same is satisfactory, will you please initial contract in the upper left hand corner on page No. 16, where marked.

"Your attention is called at this time to item 20A. This item calls for a lumpsum bid, but it appears that the bidder was confused and gave a unit price of $500, with a total of $1,000.

"If this interpretation of the bid is not correct according to your views, will you please advise this office.

"W. N. HANDIBOE,

"Acting Chairman, Contract Board, District of Columbia.'

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