The evening world., 1894-10-11
1T FAVORS ASPHALT.
Law Regarding Granite Dressing
Hinders Faving Contractors.
Workmen Thought the Tob.n Bill
Would Benefit Their Union.
President Gompers Intimates that
Tammany Interests Framed II.

1t has just been discovered that law
passed last Winter by the Legislature.
and intended for the protection of the
worhngmen of New York city, was so
framed that it will throw many men
out of employment in the city and thou
sands in other places.
The immediate effect has been 10 hold
up nearly fifty small contracts for paw
ing, on which bids have already been re-
ceived.
The law was introduced by Assembly
man Tobin, at the request of the Central
Labor Union, and provides that "all
stone used under contracts for municipal
works and improvements must be
worked, dressed or carved upon the
ground where the work is being done"
Corporation Counsel w. IL. Clark has
given his opinion to Commissioner
Michael L. DAILY, of the Department of
Public Works, that this law applies to
paving, as well as to building and other
contracts.
In consequence the contracts for forty
SIN pieces of paving, on which bids were
opened Sept. IT, still remain uncNecuted,
the contractors declaring that the re-
strictions imposed ny the Tubin law are
pn2hl,bltory, pp9.lr me aEgresate, amount of
DdNlIls 10 ne uDle lS ABOUT ly2,HOO SlnAfe
yards, the bids fn" the work aESrcEating
tl22, 800. The largest jobs are for paving
Front street. from Whitehall to Rousp-
Welt, and Montgomery street to Corlcars
street, and Water street, from Whitehall
to Rutgers street.
The contractors are James Pollock, 239
East one Hundred and Twenty-eighth
street; William Il. Baird, 339 sixty third
street; John G. Smith. S29 West Forty
eighth street; James A. Geartz, SO West
Nihety-seVenth street; r. Thilman, jr.,
l@$ West One Hundred and Twenty
seventh street, and u, II. MCCullagh.
They say that the effect of this law
iS TO triple the cost of granite paving
blocks to the city, and throw 4,v0oO PAYERS
I and rammers in New York and Brooklyn
out of work, owing to lack of materials
Il cannot believe that the trainers OF
this law intended such "A sweeping appl..
cation cato, of Its provisions'' said Deputy
we must abide by the decision of tn,
Corporation Counsel. our attention was
called to II by Comptroller Fitch. VII,
asked for a construction before paying
the bills for contracts already com.
pleted, the law saying that it snoult
| apply not only to contracts made after
its passage but to contracts execute
previous to its passage.
THE Corporation Counsel said that the
law was unconstitutional so far as 1t re-
lated 10 old contracts, and then Com
missioner Daly issued this circular letter
TO ali contractors who had bid for paving
Then the contractors decided not to eX.
ecute the, contracts for which they hat
bid. and the matter is in statu quo"
tractors:
Sir: You are hereby notified that according tt
an opinion given in writing by the Counsel to TIN
Corporation In relation to the application Of th
Act. chapter 277 Of the laws, OF 1894 all ston,
used under contracts for municipal works anC
improvements including all contracts now in ex
istence as well as those hereafter to be made
| must be worked, dressed or carved upon tn
| ground where the work is being carried on o
| ~ pf hn oil 80 N,tL
| and that this provision includes chsoled an
dressed stone for buildings, for basln-heads cross
walks, curb tagging, paving blocks and all kind
| Of stone which require dressing or working I
any size dimension or shape.
which may be used and placed under your exist
| ing contract for from and after this dat
must be dressed and worked on the ground whcr
the work is carried on, or within the boundarie
OF the city OF New York. and that any falur
on your part to comply with this notice will i'm
pose upon me the duty Of rey9king your contract
| Commissioner OF Public Works
II have just learned of this decision
Of the Corporation Counsel" said Sam
uel Gompers, President of the Ameri
can Federation of Labor, this morn
ing. II cannot believe that the men o
the Central Labor Union who desired
any, such operation of It, They un
doubtedly meant it to benefit, not t
hurt their fellow workingmen of New
York, and 1t seems to me there mus
| De SOlllclllllB "TOnB SOUle"ntTe.
1T Is singular that although this Law
went into effect April 10, we don
hear a word about 1t until Oct. II.
think | see a very large African in thi!
wOodple. but / do not care to express
my opinion further than that until
have had an opportunity to eXamin,
| it and think about It,"
The enforcement OF this law wou.C
make granite block pavements abou
twice as costly as asphalt. Perhaps thi
is the wood pile Mr.. Gompers has Ii
his mind, and perhaps the african" IL
| the wood pile Is to be found in tn,
fact that several leaders in TammanI
Hall are largely interested in the Trinit
Asphalt Paving Company.