OVERHAUL. 79 



price for all earth carried past any opening in the road that 

 is, any place where a culvert or bridge was to be built. The 

 specifications had to be drawn to meet this requirement. 



With a view to guide the contractor so that he could make a 

 comparatively close estimate of the cost of earthwork, engi- 

 neers inserted the overhaul clause in early specifications. It 

 was a wise and a fair thing to do, and the overhaul specifica- 

 tion furthermore possessed the element of flexibility. Thus, 

 supposing that after bids have been received for grading a 

 piece of work according to profiles shown, a further study of 

 the problem makes it apparent that radical changes in the 

 location should be made. Then, if such changes are made, 

 the average haul of the earth must necessarily be either 

 greater or less than the average haul would have been under 

 the old profile. If the haul is greater the contractor will pre- 

 sent a claim for "extras"; if less, he will say nothing and the 

 company is the loser. Whereas if an overhaul clause exists 

 the payment is sure to be equitable, and no claims can arise 

 for "extras" provided the wording of the clause is clear as to 

 what constitutes "overhaul." This is a matter that merits at- 

 tention, for there are several points over which controversy 

 may arise unless the wording is clear. 



Thus in Fig. 1 at Sta. 504, the fill passes into cut. Shall 

 the contractor be allowed to move the cut between Stas. 503 

 and 504 to the fill between 504 and 505; or shall he be made to 

 haul it the full 500 ft. of "free haul"? There are engineers 

 unfair enough and unwise enough to take the latter stand, act- 

 ing under some such general clause in the specification as this: 

 "The engineer shall have full power to direct the method and 

 manner of doing all work, not inconsistent with limitations? 

 prescribed in these specifications." As a matter of fact were 

 a law suit to follow any such unjust ruling, there can be no 

 doubt that the court would hold that the contractor should b 

 permitted to move the earth as is customary in such work. 

 This being so, it could easily be shown that, ordinarily, drag 

 scrapers are used to move earth for the first one or two hun- 

 dred feet, the ordinary method of attacking the toe of such a 

 cut being with "drags," later using wheelers as the haul in- 

 creases, finally using carts, or cars. 



