New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-15
WAS THE CITY ROBBEDi
JOHN d. TOWNSEND ATTACKS THE AS
PHALT PAVEMENT CONTRACTS.
HE SAYS THAT NETWORK PAID EXCESSIVE,
PRICES TO THE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
GILRoYs ACTION AS HEAD OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

SEVERELY CRITICISED.
John D. Townsend we'll known in legal and
political circles OF New-York. delivered an adj !
dress at the formation Of the Independent County,
Organization in Cooper Union last month in.
which he attacked Tammany Hall and it's lead
ers and made caustic reflections regarding the,
possible sources Of wealth Of some Of the Wigs
wan chiefs Mr.. Townsends declarations and,
deductions attracted so much public attention,
that Mr.. Croker thought II necessary to replysi
and he occupied several columns OF the news
papers Of the city In doing 1t. Recently the
independent County Organization asked Mr..
Townsend to follow up his subject, and to pre-
sent facts which might prove useful to an in-
vestigating committee OF the Legislature should
one be sent down to New-YOrk this winter to
look into the methods Of doing business In the
several departments He compiled with the re- .
quest yesterday. with address Of over 5000
words ITO the People OF New-York City" de-
voted TO the subject of asphalt paving and in->
tended to show that since Tammany Hall Sc
cured control Of the Department OF Public Works
in 1889 all honest competition for asphalt paw
Ing work has been cut off, and the Barber
Asphalt Company has monopozed the industry
to the pecuniary injury Of the city treasury ags
gregating hundreds Of thousands Of dollars.
Mr. Townsend declares that before the "Si.
Gillian Company" and Warren. Sharf & Com
pany" paving companies were combined with
the Barber Company their bids were made at
SO 10 and even 81 80 square yard during $780,
After that they rose to a much higher figure. as
on March 81. 1892. when the Barber bid -
and the Sicilian 81 "a for the same job the
Barber getting the contract. Since 1887. Mr.
Townsend shows. the city has paid for asphalt
paving the sum OF 81 S64 525 81. In 1890 the high
est accepted bids were 81 IS square yard in
1891 "a 60 $1,000: in 1892. 81 "A: in 1893, 81 25.
Since the beginning of 1887 the Barber Company
credits itself with laying 4O6,1O5 square yards
OF asphalt. ali but $4,000 since January !. 1883.
Mr. Townsend brings forward statements from
officials OF other cities to prove that New-York
has been paying much higher prices for Trinidad
asphalt pavements than the price for laying
them elsewhere. In Utica the price paid since
1892 was from 81 % 6O-lOO to 81 50, with five
wear guarantee In Toronto il was laid for
from 50 40 to $3.50 In Washington the rate
with a concrete base and five years guarantee
was 81 TO-
Mr. Townsend gives detailed account OF how
the Barber Company obtained monopoly OF the
asphalt pavement business in New-York, ana
SAYS that when Thomas +. Gilroy became Com
missioner OF the Department Of Public Works
there were several companies I'm the business
and the kinds of asphalt which were generally
acceptable for paving were Trinidad Lake.
Trinidad Overflow" Rock asphalt. and the
.'V.nazuea" asphalt The companies then and
now in existence are the Scilian Asphalt Co..
the Neuchate the New-York Mastic Works. the
West Indies Asphalt Paving Co Safterward
merged into tn Trinidad Asphalt Refining Coz:
the Standard Asphalt Co. the New-York ana
Be.mudez Co. and the Barber Asphalt Pav'ng
Co. With the exception Of the Bermudez ana
the Neuchate all these companies dealt IN Trim
idad asphalt. The BerTnudez Co obtained It's
supplies from Venezuela and the Neuchatel
dealt mostly in rcck asphalt , 49,
Two kinds OF asphalt came from Trinidad-tne
lake and The Overflow" or land asphalt
Mr.. Townsend asserts that II has been shown
tina, one is IN good as the other. Mr.. Gliroy ex-
cluied all dealers in land" asphalt and as tina
Barber Company absolutely controls the impor-
tation of lake" asphalt II has the monopoly Ok
New-York asphalt street pavirg.
Another point made Is that on large proper
ton of the streets which have been repaved with
asphalt the asphalt has been laid over and upon
existing pavements which have been OF granite
or cobble-stone. The difference in the cost OF
laying asphalt upon such basis is much less than
where IL Is necessary 10 lay first concrete 1oun-
dation. This fact" says Mr.. Townsend was
nerfectlv well known TO NJ. Gilroy. but in pre-
senting to the Board Of Estimate and Apporton-
ment his estimated cost of such work. which he
IL required by law to do. he spoke OF the work 10
be done as upon the present stone pavements.
and estimated the cost a from - To - III per
square yard | am informed by the best OF ex.
perts that they would be glad to get such worN
al 81 20 per square yard The question now
arises How has the Department of Public Works
interfered so IA TO cause this state OF things?
When Mr. troy entered upon his duties In
the Public Works Department In 1889 he adver.
tised for asphalt equal To the best Trinidad
asphalt" and Some bids NJ. Townsend SAID
were offered as low as s. 10 to So a square yard.
Later on he changed the specifications so as to
require asphalt equal i'm all respects to that
mined from the Pitch Lake In the Island Of
trinidad" As nobody except the Barber Com
pany could get this particular kind Of asphalt
that company only could secure contracts
Mr. Townsend believes that the Board OF EST.
mate IL at fault in not looking closer into this
business of asphalt paving and advocates the
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