B-131403, APR 16, 1957

B-131403, APR 16, 1957

TO HONORABLE RAYMOND BLATTENBERGER, PUBLIC PRINTER:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF APRIL 5, 1957, WITH ENCLOSURES, IN WHICH YOU REQUEST A DECISION AS TO WHETHER YOU MAY PROPERLY DISREGARD THE BID FROM HALLIDAY LITHOGRAPH CORPORATION IN RESPONSE TO INVITATION DATED MARCH 21, 1957, IN WHICH YOUR OFFICE INVITED BIDS ON THE PRODUCTION OF A TOTAL OF 389,000 COPIES OF AMMUNITION STOCK RECORD FORMS.

WHEN THE BIDS WERE EXAMINED BY THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BEFORE AWARD, HE NOTED THAT THE BID OF $480 FOR 389,000 COPIES OF AMMUNITION STOCK RECORD FORMS PROBABLY WAS IN ERROR SINCE IT WAS ENTIRELY OUT OF LINE WITH SIX OTHER BIDS WHICH RANGED FROM $732 TO $1,357.75, AND WITH YOUR OFFICE ESTIMATE OF $887.66. UPON TELEGRAPHING THE BIDDER, THE LATTER ADVISED THE CONTRACTING OFFICER BY TELEPHONE ON THE SAME DAY, WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY LETTER DATED MARCH 28, 1957, THAT THE BID WAS IN ERROR IN THAT THE PRICE FOR 389,000 STOCK RECORD FORMS SHOULD READ $850 INSTEAD OF $480.

IN VIEW OF THE WIDE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE PRICE OF HALLIDAY LITHOGRAPH CORPORATION FOR THE FURNISHING OF A TOTAL OF 389,000 STOCK RECORD FORMS AND THE PRICES QUOTED BY THE OTHER BIDDERS FOR THE SAME QUANTITY, THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT THE ERROR ALLEGED BY SAID CORPORATION WAS IN FACT MADE. ACCORDINGLY, SINCE IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE BID OF THE COMPANY WAS ERRONEOUS, AND AS SUCH BELIEF WAS CONFIRMED AND THE ERROR EXPLAINED BY THE BIDDER PRIOR TO AWARD, THE BID OF THE HALLIDAY LITHOGRAPH CORPORATION MAY BE DISREGARDED.