The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1881-08-31
THE ASPHALT CONTRACTS.
The Reply of Bailey a. Fletcher TO
the Letter of the commissioners.

ahC tttRtg VI DNtity I" GtctcneF 10
the Letter of the Commissioners.
Mcssrs. Bailey & Fletcher, contractors,
through their attorney, Mr.W. c. Murdoch
yesterday filed an answer to the letter of f.
V. Greene, assistant engineer of the Dis
trict in which he requested them to notify
the Commissioners verbally, or in writing,
on or before the 3lst inst, what steps they
proposed to take to carry out their con-
tracts. The reply is rs follows: "On the
21st day of April, 1881, the Engineer Com
missioner advertised certain streets to be
paved, and on the 18th day of April, 1881,
certain streets to resurface with asphaltum.
After protracted correspondence with G.
Hart Smith, president of the Balti-
more Chemical and Tar Company.
of the city Of Baltimore, and
through, him with Messrs Campbell
Hannay & Co., of Port of Spain, Trinidad,
very reputable firm, engaged in the bust
ness Of exporting asphaltum from the island
of Trinidad to other countries; and with
several other parties in this country, en-
gagged in the business of importing asphalt
tum, we felt assured that we could get sitfli-
cient asphaltum to do the work proposed,
and made our bids at fair and reasonable
rates, affording us profit with which we
were entirely satisfied. We were the low
est bidders for the work by about $4,000,
and expected to have the contract, awarded
to us. The Engineer Commissioner delayed
the award for twenty-thrce days and then
only awarded portion of the work to Ns.
The result of the delay in the award was
that the opposing bidders were enabled to
go on and purchase all the asphaltum in
the market, and obtain from a very
able chemist an opinion that such as
phaltum as we could procure was unfit
for use. This opinion was submitted
to the Engineer Commissioner and resulted
in his condemnation of the asphaltum in
question,and closed our supply from the
one place where 1t was certainly obtainablo.
1t is believed by persons in our business that
the Messrs. A. l.. Barber & Co., have per-
fected arrangements with parties in tho
island of Trinidad by which they control all
the asphaltum coming to the United States
from that island, except such as was to be
found outside the lake proper. We have
every reason to believe that IL we secured
all the contracts which called for the use of
asphaltum, we could break up this combi-
nation and procure a supply from the lake
itself. In point of fact Mr.. Campbell Han
nay had already arranged with one of the
owners at La Brac" to furnish his house
with all he ordered. In addition Mr.. Meyers
had opened new deposit close to the lake,
and was himself on his way back to the
island of Trinidad, after perfect
ing arrangements in New York
city to supcrintend the shipment of as
phaltum to this country, and to our order,
when t'-e action of the Engineer Commits
sioner, condemning his cargo and prohibit
ing any further use of such asphaltum, pre-
vented any further shipment from that de-
post; and the final award to us of only n
portion Of the work, and that award coupled
with extraordinary provisos, placed us in
the market under suspicion, and the result
was we were powerless to break the combi-
nation against us or to purchase asphaltum
in any direction. Under such circum-
brought to this country by Mr.. Meyers and
proceed to refine it at our risk. The result
proved the opinion of the New York chem
list to be utterly false and worthless. The
asphaltum proved to be of better quality
even than that in use, and we were per-
mitted to use it, with entire satisfaction to
the Engineer Department, in the ex-
ecution of Our contracts. This con-
dition of affairs, which we respectfully
submit: we are not responsible for, leaves us
at the mercy of A. l.. Barber & Co., unless
the Commissioners will aid lis by extending
the time to the end of the fiscal year. This |
extension Of time would enable us to do
portion of the work this season, and during
the winter months to procure asphaltum
either from the Island of Cuba or through |
Mr.. Meyers and others from Trinidad, or
from the Commissioners themselves, who
have issued an order to the Engineer Com
missioner for fifteen hundred tons ofasphalt,
which he proposes to do this winter, as we
are informed. We, therefore, respectfully
ask that the time for the execution of our
several contracts be extended to June 30,
1882, because we believe, under all the cir
we are entitled to such an ex-
tension because we believe it to be for the
best interests of the District that the
scheme of A. l.. Barber & Co. should be
broken up, and the work of paving the
streets of Washington and suburbs with
be open to competition; because
we do not believe that we deserve punish
ment at the hands Of the Commissioners
for trying to save to the people of the
District the sum of $4,000; because in no
way does the District, by our action,
lose any money. Had our bids been set
aside, the Commissioners would have been
compelled to pay the advanced price put
upon the work by Messrs. Barber & Gran
ford. AS it Is, we have completed Rhode
Island avenue and N street at our price,
and have laid 1000 square yards on Penn
sylvania avenue in addition. Because our
price for the work is fair and honest, yield
ing profit of at least 90 per cent, and the
price of A. L. Barber & Crawford an ex-
orbitant price, yielding a profit of at least
40 per cent; because the prices agreed upon
between Barber & Crawford show, upon the
face, an agreed division Of the work at an
advanced price upon the former price,
which could only DO obtained by a COM
bination excluding all other bidders and
because we honestly believe that it is the
duty of the Commissioners to protect the
lowest bidder from the schemes of UNI
opposition and conspiracies, to |
prevent the execution of contracts taken in !
good faith by such bidder, and which, of
course, inure to the benefit Of the District |
itself"
The paper was referred to Attorney Rid. |
die for his opinion on the subject.
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