Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1895-09-23

CO.t "allleu .COIpOIatlOus u0Shns w
obtain contracts for the improvement
of said Sixth street caused to be cir
culated a petition to the common coun-
ell of the city Of Portland, praying for
the Improvement of said street by lay
ing a pavement Of Trinidad Pitch Lake
asphalt, ACCORDING TO SPECI
FICATION5 FURNISHED BY
SAID TRINIDAD ASPHALT Paw
ING CO."
"On the 3rd day Of May, 1898, said
petition was presented TO the common
council of the city Of Portland. The
petition represented that the siguer 8
hereon were the owners in fee of more
than one.half Of the property affected
by said improvement and abutting
on said portions Of said street proposed
to be 80 improved"
On the said 3rd day of May, 1898
Portland had what Is tened by the
editor Of the Oregonlan a Sound"
common council.
so the said Sound" common cound,
by resolution Of that date caused the
auditor and clerk Of said city to give
notice Of the proposed improvement Of
said Sixth street from the north line Of
Morrison street TO the south line Of
Hoyt street, excepting the lntersec-
tions of Washington aud Glisan streets,
according TO the following specifica-
lions, FURNISHED BY SAID
TRINIDAD ASPHALT CO."
al. PAvements Of Trinidad asphalt
shall have total thickness Of 81 inches,
composed of concrete foundation 0
inches, asphalt surface p inches. AyS
Ali asphalt used in this pavement
shall be dug or taken directly from the
"Pitch Lake" OWNED BY THE
GOVERNMENT OF GREAT BRIT
AIN IN THE ISLAND OF TRIM
DAD, aud shall be thoroughly re-
fined and shall not be mixed or
adulterated In any manner with any
asphalt from any other location, nor
with any OF the products Of coal tar,
nor with any other inferior bitumInous
materials Of any kind.
The contractor TO whom the work is
let will be required to furnish an Off.
cial certificate that the asphalt to be
used is genuine "rrinidad" Pitch lake
asphalt" etc. BY having a ''sound"
common council they bad made certain
that no would.be competitor could bid
on the work with any hope Of being
able to comply with the specifications.
FURNISHED BY THE SAID
TRINIDAD" ASPHALT co.
AS a matter OF fact the petition that
had been circulated by the agents Of
the "Trinidad" Asphalt Co. and pre-
sented to the "sound" common council
was not legal petition, In that 1t did
not, ''in fact' contain the names OF
one,half Of the legal owners OF the
property affected by the proposed inn
provement. And before said contract
was let to the said Trinidad" Asphalt
Co., and the Portland Bltuminous
Paving Co, q Temonstrance was filed
by certain property owners with the
said ''sound" common council protest.
ing against the letting Of the contracts
10 the said companies on the ground
that the price was exOrbltant with
other grounds, the demonstrators alieg-
ing that the said Trinidad Asphalt Go.
and the Portland Bituminous Paving
& Improvement Co.'S had .iraudulently
oonspired together to prevent bidding
for the said contract and to obtain
contracts for said improvements at a
grossly excessive price, whereby 1t was
agreed between them, that in pursu
anee Of their fraudulent purpose said
contract would be divided between
them aud that each OF said companies
would bid for and receive the contract
for the Improvement Of alternate
blocks aud parts Of said streets; all II
which was we'll known by the com-
mittees said common council.