The New York herald., 1872-08-01
THE CONTRACT SYSTEM.
What II Cost to Lay Wooden Pavements- Meet
ing Of the Commissioners Yesterday After
noon-Testimony Of Chemists in Re-
lation to the Hamar Pavement.

The Commissioners appointed under chapter $50
OF the Laws OF 1872 to examine into the facts and
circumstances relating TO the contracts made by
the Mayor &C., OF this city with several persons for
paving different streets In the upper portion OF the
city was held in the Chamber Of the Board OF Alder
men yesterday afternoon The contract OF the
Hamar Wood Pavement Company for paving Filth
avenue from 124th street to 13Oth street ana other
portions OF the city was the first case called.
Mr., e. a. Feurtis, q civil engineer was the first
witness called and testified TO taking blocks from
the streets paved by the Hamar Company; ex-
amined the pavement on the 18th OF July, 1872;
aminod two OF the blocks; they were perfectly
sound; have studied chemistry; assisted in the
analysis; Professor Chandler assisted me; the
block contained l44 cubic inches; 1t took
three days to complete the ANALYSIS; I was
not present more than hour on the
last day; the blocks used were commcn pine, OF
commercial nature; have purchased several MIL
lion dollars worth of spruce in different parts OF the
work; can't swear TO the marketable value OF
spruce in this city Mr.. Gardner an old builder, In
formed me pine was not worth near half much
as spruce; l never purchased any lumber with
him; the tar and gravel were practically worn Oh
from the pavement; in my analysis found no zinc
in the blocks: If the blocks had been Burnatized
there would have been zinc in them.
Professor Henry Wurtz, chemist of twenty-five
years. practice, was next called. Have been an ex-
aminer In the Patent ONCE Washington the effect
Of chloride of zinc On wood and Its fbres is to conf
bine it, and renders it in such condition that il
cannot be dissolved; wood with Zinc in it requires
q special and careful examination TO detect 1t;
wood will consume six pounds of liquid to the cubic
placed place the blocks 'e osamined 1'' by me % IN my
hands. The Professor here read to the COM
missioners his report of the analysis OF two OF the
n n
ashes upon the blocks being burned. Professor
Chandler testified that the iIamar blocks analyzed
by him contained no chloride OF zinc; zinc Is q
very. difficult metal TO detect especially when IN
small quantities.
recalled and testified that the blocks analyzed by
him were taken iroln the pavement IN Filth
avenue, where they had been taken up for the pur-
pose Of putting in gas pipes they were anayzed In
the United States Assay ONCE.
Messrs. sterry and sandord were called, and tes-
titled that the blocks analyzed wero taken from the
Hamar pavement in FOrty-siXth street by them on
Tuesday night An anldayit was read from John
nc had furnished the lamar Wood Pavement Com.
pany with large amount OF BurnaiiZed ,. wood.
which had been used by them IN fulfilling their
H. N. Beers, one Of New Yorks reformers, was
called for the prosecution and testified that he had
rived at the conclusion that 1t would not cost more
than 81 IS per square yard to lay any wooden pave
in Chicago wa was 81 80 per square yard; IN Boston,
for putting down Durnatized spruce was s2 so; In
Newark, S3 "A; the amount contracted Dy y. II.
Green President OF the Hamar Company, for
paving certain, streets in this city was 50
per square yard; the different wood pavement
Companies In this city refused to put down any
more pavemcnts because they were compelled to
pay 81 per square yard to the ConmOn Council for
the purpose OF getting their contracts. The actual
cost of the Miller wood pavement Is 81 Is per square
yard. This includes wood, tar, sand and labor.
Contractors have informed me that when they
made bids they were asked by "the powers that
be' how much money there was in It; they would
be compelled to add 81 additional per square yard
to their contract IN order to get 1t through.
Mr.. CalkIns told me he would take contract to
pave any street with wooden pavement for So 70
per square yard.
Stephen II. Ingerso, wood pavement con-
tractor testified that the testimony OF the last wit
ness inaccurate as to the amount paid per square
yard: have heard contractors had to pay some
thing to the Common Council to get q contract
through; IL cost $4 30 per square yard to lay the
Hamar pavement can afford to do the work II 30
cheaper per square yard in Newark than in New
York because when You get your work done IN the
former city you get your money, while in this city
you can't get 1t at all. (Applause.)
The case was here adjourned until halfpast four
p M. today