The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-06-09
INVESTIGATION IN SIGHT
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ASKED
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS CITED IN.

Councilmanic Board Wants to Know
Many Concurrent Actions Taken-Mul-
tiple Gong Recommitted-No Money to
Move Bandstands-Error in Resolution
Concerning the Issuance of Bonds Cor
rected.
stacles that permanent pavements"
for the city of New Haven have to con-
tend with, the latest being two resolu-
tions passed in the councilmanic board
last evening. Every one is acquainted
with the trials and the misfortunes that
have attended the movement all along
since the first steps were taken in the
court of common council last year in
accordance with the act of the general
assembly of 1895.
How the war waged between the ad
Vocates of the different materials used
in laying permanent pavements" until
finally asphalt of the Pitch Lake vari-
ETY., or some such material of equal du-
rability, triumphed and the order went
to the board of public works, the part
which that board played in the matter
Chat part of it made known to the pub
ltc) is of too recent occurrence to be
any more than reverted to. Trips were
made by a special committee to inves-
tigate the different asphalts, notwith-
standing the semi mandatory order of
the court of common council as to the
Pitch Lake variety, and the contract
awarded to the Boston Asphalt COM
pany for the use of Sicilian asphalt.
1t now began to look as if three
streets at least would be relieved of the
mud which has long infested the high
ways of the city, But another formid-
able obstruction was met in the resolu-
tions passed last evening, the first be-
ing offered by Councilman Pickett of
the Tenth ward, who said in support of
his motion that certain rumors had
come to him that taxpayers We're OBJ
iecting to the assessments which are
contemplated, and that they had sought
counsel in the matter. If the city had
no power, now was the time to know it.
The resolution is as follows:
Whereas, The contract for laying as
phalt pavements recently ordered by
the board of public works combines the
cost of construction and also the cost
of maintenance for a term of ten years;
and,
Whereas, The statute authorizing the
sale of pavement bids expressly stipu-
lates that the proceeds of such sale
shall be used for the original construc-
tion "of the pavement" use, for no 9TH
er purpose whatever; therefore be it
Resolved, That the corporation
counsel be requested to furnish the
court of common council information
as follows;
First-Can any money derived from
the sale of pavement bonds" social
ed. be legally used for pavements to be
made according to the terms of the
contract recently awarded to the Bos-
ton Asphalt company for paving por-
tions of Orange, Trumbul and West
Chapel streets?
Second-Can assessments as stipulat-
ed in the act authorizing the city of
New Haven to lay permanent pave.
ments be legally collected from the
owners of property on said streets for
a portion of the expense to be incurred
under the terms of the contract made
with the Boston Asphalt company, and
If so, for what portion of such expense?
Third-Can assessments as stipulated
in the act in question be legally col
leeted from the street railway compa-
nies for a portion of the expense to be
incurred under the terms of the con-
tract with the Boston Asphalt compa-
ny, and if so, for what portion of such
expense?
The resolution was passed unanl-S
mously.
The second resolution was offered by
Councilman Clark and is in substance
and intelt an order for the board of
public works to appear before the streer
committee, upon whose recommended
ton the action of the court of common
council was based and to answer such
questions as the board deem sufficient
to enlighten it as to the reasons why
the contract for the permanent paving
was awarded to a firm whose bid was
$40, 900 more than the cost of the kind of
asphalt directed to be used by the court
of common council
Whereas, The general assembly of
1895 passed special act authorizing the
city of New Haven to sell bonds to pay
for new pavements in New Haven
should be laid under the direction and
control of the common council of New
Haven, and
Whereas, The court of common coun-
Gil of 1895 passed orders directing the
board of public works to cause portions
of Orange, Trumbull and West Chapel
streets to be paved with the best Pitch
Lake asphalt, said vote having been
passed in accordance with the recon-
menda tions of the committee on streets,
which committee had made careful in
vestigation concerning the durability of
the different kinds of asphalt in use,
and
Whereas The board of public works
has recently awarded contracts for paw
ing streets in question with Sicilian
the price would be by the lowest bid
der, who proposed to lay Pitch Lake
asphalt and also over $4,000 in excess
of the price it is alleged a reliable firm
offered to lay Sicilian Rock asphalt of
the best quality for. Therefore be it
Resolved, That the committee on
streets be and is hereby directed to re-
quest the board of public works to ap-
pear at a special public meeting of
said committee and answer such ques-
tions in reference to said contracts and
the awarding thereof, as the committee
consider it important that the court