New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-25
poTTEN JOBS IN PAVING
.rAp1E CONDITION OF The
E1GHTH-AvE ASPHALT
..r, .orousLr POOR WORK AND A MISERABLE
SYSTEM OF REPMRs-THE cIrY's MONEY
WASTED. WHILE THE coNTRAc-
ropS GROW RICH.

.vor1 ~,.v has probably spent more money
than any other municipality in
.h,s country. While there are some exceptions,
-, ,aer,s 10 he that with this great eX
,,.,ro of money go the worst lot of paving
49,. cha. any frst-class city can snow.
~ Loot eight wears of Tammany's misrule has
&c o. legacy TO the present administration
.r,r,nr obiect-lessOns In what pavements
,,a M, no and some perpleXng problems
., how the city IS 10 extricate itself from the
d,ecuIty into which the absolute breaking down
q, Movements has precipitated 1t before a third
=, the guaranteed period of the paving COM
ranv's contract has EXPIRED
Few people appreciate the immensely OF the
.ums Of money which have been expended on
nayements in this town in the last six years
The paving OF new streets is carried on quietly
and without attracting attention by the method
OF city ordinances and assessments upon the
AUDITING property-owners. AS these amounts do
not come out of the general tax levy, and do not
figure in the budget of the Board of Estimate
and Apportionment little attention Is directed to
them. but they sometimes run as high as $1,000
a month, and the annual sums which go into the
pockets OF the contractors are large
A second regular drain upon the revenues or
the property-owners is the annual appropriation
for repavine which is made by the Board OF
Estimate and Apportionment and which comes
out of the general tax levy; this runs from you
900 10 100000 year. In addition TO these APP
preparations the Legislature. by specIai act III
1889. authorized the issuing OF S5oooVoo Vi ooHuS
nv the CITY at the rate Of 81. 600 900 year and
directed that the proceeds should be expended in
paving and repaving the city streets THESE
amounts were promptly issued. and used up by
the Tammany government. and when they had
been exhausted in 1892. second act was passed
authorizing the issuance Of 100000 more bonds
for the same purpose in lots OF H'ooco~ each
year In short there has been spent in round
numbers on the pavements in the last six or
eight years average Of S.5Oo'ooo year.
These large sums OF money go through the hands
Of n comparatively small number of contractors.
Whether II is the natural result OF the nature of
the work. or of an impression that only the IA
vored ones can get and successfully carry out
contracts with the city. the fact remains that
the ten or fifteen millions Of money which has
been spent upon granite and trap-block pave
ments in New-York City in the last ten years
has all gone through the hands Of not more than
two dozen contractors, whose names appear and
reappear in the bids made to the Department
of Public Works And whether II be by reason
Of the fact that but few are free to undertake
new contracts at any one time, or whether 1t be
by understanding among the contractors. the
fact is that in the majority of cases not more
than three or four contractors will bid on any
one job and in some cases there will be only one
bid.
DIsPARITIEs IN THE CONTRACTS.
The fact that the contracts are for regulating
and paving" and that the item Of regulating
or grading new streets TO make ready for the
paving varies somewhat in different cases. rem
nd l%SiS Of q
bids made 10 the Department of Public Works
at different times and on different jobs mpos
sihle But some of the dsparities revealed by
the examination of the records Of the depart
ment for the last ten years seem too greg TO be
explained by variations in the regulating.
Thus in case the price paid for trap-b.ock
hvement 81 So per square yard In another
Vase one year later the price paid was s. 80 a
square yard. This latter price, though for an in
ferior pavement, is far above the average con-
tract prices for granite-block pavement which Is
Of superior quality. and the prices on granite
itself seem to have varied in short intervals OF
time from 81 Il a square yard up TO g and 81.
II the fact that the work on stone pavements
Is limited TO a small number of contractors ex-
cites remark, the limitation is much narrower
still when IL comes to the matter Of asphalt paw
ing Asphalt can only be obtained from a few
France Switzerland and Sicily respectively pro-
duce the main supply Of this substance. The
laying OF asphalt pavements requires a con-
siderable plant Of machinery, force OF skilled
workmen. and is controlled in part by patents.
The several millions Of dollars which have been
expended by the city since 1889 in laying asphalt
pavements have consequently filtered through
the hands Of about four companies. These are
the Barber Asphalt Paving Company which has
laid large portion OF the pavements in Wash
.ngton: the Sicilian Asphalt Company, the Matt
Taylor Company and the Waren-Scharf Asphalt
Company. The asphalt pavement laid in this
city has been of three classes.
Ffrst-Pavements laid on a concrete founda
ton. the old pavement being taken up
acknowledgements laid on the old Belgian
blocks
Embellishments LAID on the old macadam
for foundation
OF the first the Eighth-ave and Madison-ave
pavements examples. Most of the work on
the cross streets has been done on the second |
plan while the Boulevard is an example of the |
third species Of work.
GUARANTEES FOR THE WORK
Some Of the work has been done on a fifteen |
year guarantee. That is. the city has withheld |
30 per cent of the contract price only to be paid /
10 contractors al the rate Of per cent wear for
the last ten years Of the guaranteed term in case
they keep the pavements properly In repair or |
else to be expended by the city in repairing the |
pavements If the contractors have failed to do so
after being served with written notice.
Other asphalt pavements have been put down !
on simply five years guarantee The prices paid |
for asphalt pavements seem TO vary without rule |
or reason. The general rule Is that pavement /
laid on old Belgian block or macadam foundation |
IL cheaper than that on concrete, and that the
shorter the term OF guarantee the lower the price,
but this rule does not seem TO hold in ell cases.
Thus the Eighth-ave. contract, calling for re-
moval Of the old pavement and substitution Of
concrete foundation ard fifteen-year guarantee
was let to the Matt Taylor Paving Company at
IS 81 square yard. while the contract for Park