The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-05
MONOPOLY BROKEN.
California Asphalt Com
pany Secures a Contract
From the Board of
Works.
GLEAV0oD AVENUE IMPROVEMENT
Barber People Have Been 0utbid
in Public Works Competition
Desirable.
GLEHVooD AVENUE IMPROVEMENT

Uccildulcs
Some surprise was occasioned at yesterday
afternoons meeting of the Street ami Water
Board when, by unanimous vote. the Com
missioners awarded to the California As
phalt Company contract for the improve
ment of Glenwood avenue. This is the inn
provement over which there was some
trouble.
When the property owners first petitioned
for an asphalt driveway some of the people
liable to assessment for the improvement
objected to asphalt being used on the ground
that it would result in all funerals bound for
the Catholic Cemetery passing through
Glenwood avenue because of its smooth sur
faced roadway rather than remain on
Montgomery street The objectors did
nothke the idea of having to view a constant
stream of funerals They maintained that
it would destroy the cheerfulness of their
homes These objections were finally over
come and asphalt was decided upon as the
pavement needed and desired
1t was in October that bids for the work
We're received Up to that time there had
been only two competitors in the field for
this class of work. They were the Barber
and Standard Asphalt Companies. The
Barber people practically enjoyed a monop-
oily of the work, as in every instance almost
when bids were received the Standard peo-
pie were either three or five cents yard
higher than the Barber. This fact was crit
icised in the local papers; but the Barber
concern continued to carry off the plums un-
til the Glenwood avenue improve
ment came up. Then the California
Company entered the race and
surprised the other companies as well as
the commissioners by asking only s2.13
yard for asphalt. The Barber Company's
bid was $2.35 a yard, and the Standard,
S2.3S.
The bids were referred to the Committee
of the Whole and since that time a rigid in
vestigation has been going on as to the
reliability of the new concern. This is
what Commissioner Kaiser has to say on the
subject
After receiving the bids we at once began
to inquire as to the formality of the new
company's bid. It was formal in every
particular. 1t was the lowest bid and so
much lower than the other companies that
we began to make inquiries as to who the
hackers of the concern were. After con-
siderable delay we found that the head
hacker of the company was John
d. Crimmins. of New York. We
were told that the company had
laid some pavement in New York. We
inspected every bit of the work the company
has done in this city, and as far as we could
see it compare favorably with that done by
other concerns. The Barber people. be
leve, raised the contention that the Califor-
nia Company cannot and does not furnish
lake asphalt but Goes furnish land asphalt,
which is cheaper and not as good as the lake
asphalt. We questioned the backers Of the
California Company on this point and were
informed that only lake asphalt will be laid
We have the company's bond, and as far as
we can learn the company is just as able to
furnish lake asphalt as anyone else. There
dEb ceItdiHfJ TSSpOL5ipfe lHeH p0nluu INC
enterprise, and by reason of this new COM
petition New Jersey will doubtless reap
great benefits
The California concern it was learned
from another source is in the business to
stay and proposes as soon as the weather
permits to build plant of its own here
where employment will be given to large
forcs of men. The hackers of the company
say that they will be able to underbid the
Barber people for all public works
For more than a year the Barber Com
pany enjoyed practically monopoly of the
business in this city. It has laid every bit
of asphalt there is in the city. 1t prices, it
has been alleged for work done here have
been higher than have been charged in other
cities
It is proposed by the officials to lay COM
siderable asphalt in the city during the com
ing year. It is expected that with rival
company on the field, the Barber Company
viii cut down its prices. If that is done as
phalt may be laid at about $3.50 or S1.s5 a
yard, which sum is paid by other cities for
the pavement.
The Street and Water Commissioners say
that they would not be very much surprised
if the Barber Company certioraries every
award Of contract that is made to the Cali
fornia Company, on the ground that land
and not lake asphalt, as specified, is to be
laid.