prices change so rapidly that those used in bidding may not hold in every case, especially if there be considerable delay.

Materials should be ordered for shipment as nearly as possible in the order required. It frequently occurs that no special attention is given to this point; and, as a result, delay and unnecessary cost are involved.

Contracts for fuel, oil, water, electricity, and supplies should be made immediately, whenever it appears to the contractor's advantage so to do.

6. General

It pays well to have satisfied and loyal employees; and every effort should be made to provide and maintain such a force. Special care should be used in the selection of the skeleton organization, including the foreman; and these men and all other employees should be well paid, and given the best treatment possible. Where camps are necessary, they should be sanitary; and good food should be provided at actual cost.

It is well to prepare in advance a schedule of the progress of the work that it is intended to follow; and plans should be made accordingly so as to carry it out.

Daily unit costs should be kept, when possible, in addition to the usual cost system; and the foremen and all others interested should be advised how well they are found to be doing, comparisons being drawn with other work of a similar nature.

Nothing should be done by hand that can be accomplished with machinery or power tools.

In concluding this chapter, the author begs to make, for the benefit of progressive contractors, the following additional suggestion, based upon extended experience and close observation of bridge builders and their methods of operation:

It is almost always consistent with true economy to push every piece of work to completion as rapidly as practicable, even if by so doing there should be involved additional expense (of course within the bounds of reason) for outfit and labor; because the time thus saved can generally be more advantageously devoted to another job.