The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-30
ASPHALT APPROVED
Mayor Simpson
Signs the Trinidad and
Barber Awards.
BIS GOOD REASONS FOR DOING so.
The Barber Company to Start a
Plant Here and Keep the
Streets Repaired.

Street and Water Board today his APP
proval OF the resolution which the Board
passed August Is. 1893. awarding the
contract for paving certain streets with
asphslt to the Trinidad and Barber paw
Ing companies. The Mayor received
lntfmations that the companies We're
acting In collusion. and he requested each
company 10 make an agreement that they
would erect their wi plant In Jersey
City. The Trinidad Company refused to
make such = contract giving as their
reason that the Street aud Water Boar d
had awarded part Of the work to another
company. The Barber Company exscu-
ted the agreement. This is the message:
MAYORS OFFICE,
Jersey City, August 20. 1898.
To the Honorable Board Of Street and
Water Commissioners:
"GENTLEMEN:-I have CO nyidered the
resolution passed by your DO ard August
Is, 1898. awarding the pa VEN with
to the Trinidad Asphalt Paving Com
pany and the Barber Asphalt Paving
COMPANY. The bids OF the Trinidad
Asphalt Paving Company be lug S2.4
per square yard on cobb BILE or belgian
pavement and 50. 10 per squar re yard on
concrete foundation. and the % ids OF the
Barber Asphalt Paving Com p any at the
70 4Ao ~ 0A WI
or belgian pavement and So 5 per square
yard on concrete, both b iaders agreeing
to guarantee the pavsme MT for ten years.
! have read the preamble of the resolu-
ton and the facts are correctly stated,
executing the statement that the Trini-
dad Company has had . greater expert
enca In refining, should read thai it has
had . greater experience in refining
than laying the asphalt.
"The question of price 10 an important
one. The number OF years the pavement
Is guaranteed is an important element in
asphalt prices; the longer the guarantee.
the higher the price Mt the start. New
York City has awarded contracts to the
Barber Company on q fifteen year .guarau
tee, at s4.74 per square yard for pavement
laid on q coRcrete foundation and $3.50
per square yard when laid on old Belgian
pavement. The Barber Company's bid 10
jersey City with a ten year guarantee is
s.. IS per square yard on concerts aud 81 IS
on old Belgian feun dation; the same
company bid IN New ark with a five year
guarantees $2.00 on a concrete foundation.
DIFFERENCE IN b BIDS.
THE price nid by the Trinidad AS
phRlt Paving Company In Jersey City is
very low II the Barber price Is fair-as
compared with rates bid and paid in
other cities. The representatives OF each
company when Questioned by me sepa-
rately admitted tnat the bids they pre-
sented were the result of n desire to meet
competition from a bidder with whom
the two companies have mutually strong
rlvalries, and that bidders bid. though
expected. ldid not appear when bids were
opened at your board. / looked at first
upon both bidders rs having a common
interest. because the analysis of the re-
fined asphalt was very similar, aud be.
cause neither bidder seemed to show the
slightest interest In obtaining the award.
l do not discover opposition As to the
material. During the last few days
their attitude has been ~autagonistic as
TO the merits of tue respective companies
IN reference to the laying of the pave
ment.
..Ths Trindad Asphalt Paving Co. by
It's representative admitted that as a com
pany II did not lay pavement but sold the
refined asphalt 10 other coneers who aid
it; the Bsrber Co. in turn insisted that
nearly all she pavement laid in this couu-
try Was by that company, and that It's
methods Of laying aud tine materials it
uses dxes the standard OF ascnalr
paving.
Il have endsavored to satisfy myself
whether the opposition was genuine or
cellustve.
AN AGREEMENT ASKED FOR.
II asked If each company would &C.
ton. erect It's own plant, which will cost
between $4,000 aud SIC. 600, and do its
work with Its own plant and not subiet
the work to any other corporation, firm
or contractor. To this question / re-
ceived from Line representatives OF each
company an affirmative answer. /
caused d written agreement to Ihts effe CT
to be cent TO each company; the Barber
Co. signed the agreement. the Trinidad
Co. rsfused.
II pressed this question because state
ments were made 10 me tnat II tue
Barber 20. received any work it would
be done by the Trinidad Co., and the
extra price paid by the city would be
simply divided between the companies.
aud that II the Trinidad Co. received
aay work 1t would hand 1t over to u
local corporation to do the lay
ing, and take its profit out
Of selling the material. Ths Baroer Com
pauy which has NJ plaut here, py their
agreement. will erect one, and 1t Is fair
to believe that the Trinidad Company
having It's refinery In this city and lands
adjacent will lay any work awarded to
1t, aud thus 1t Is made possible to have
competitive plants, procured by compe.
tftion, and az a very small award of work
to either.
III such plants are located wa have
some assurance for competition. and they
will provide an opportunity for com petit
ton In case property owners want this
pavement laid Oh the assessment plan, for
III suCA WOEh Inc CONTRACT goes 10 the
lowest bidder. With these facts before
me. the question then 10 this: Is
the experience and skill OF
one company in laying the pave
ment worth the differences IN cost over
the price offered by u company who ad-
mits hat 1t does not lay the pavement.
III specifications go iuto' the laying of
the pavement with detail, aud I think the
laying OF the pavement ~ q very essen
tial feature; 80 much 50 that I would
laid.
PRoPER TO DIVIDE THE WORK.
"The resolution IL a proper Que in d.
| yiding tho work. thus getting che advan-
taRe OF the low bid in part and comparing
the work with that of the highest bidder
whose ability TO lay the pavement 10 un-
questtoped. Tbs general discussion de-
yelopsd by your resolution anh the arRu-
nients OF the bidders. have produced The
facts which | ave considered, aud 7
am convinced your board had the
right 10 consider. which bidder Of
tered the terms most advantageous to the
city and to decide as to the details OF get
ting the advantage of the terms.
although as \ general proposition /
think thaC contracts shouli be awarded
to the lowest bidder to encourage compe-
tition, still In this particular case the
composition has beeu extreme and of q
peculiar character. The awards are mod.
crate in amount, and / believe that the
city wants some Of this pavement laid
right, and on its Introduction wants no
MISTAKES made, and wants the pavement
Rnd ut fair prices. ] have deciued to let
tho resolution rtsnd. Should / return IL,