The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-09-14

MORE PUBLIC WORKS
Street and Water Commits
sionerS Receive Bids fer
a Batch Of I'm
p%rovements.
ASPHALT PRICES COME DOWN
New System Of Bidding satisfac-
tory to the Board and TO
the Public.
ASPHALT PRICES COME DOWN

The Street and Water Commissioner
met yesterday afternoon. The meeting
was devoted to the reception of bids for
improvements. There was many sur
prises, and the Commissioners believe
they are in a fair way to getting public
work done at a reasonable figure.
Bids were first solicited for the paving
of Fairview avenue and Church street
with asphalt. For nearly two years the
Barber Asphalt Company has enjoyed a
monopoly of the asphalt business. a Few
months ago the California Asphalt Com
pany put in an appearance and caused a
furry by undertaking the Barber people.
Competition has been keen since the oc-
currence, and the Barber Company, which
had been charging $2.35 a yard and up
wards, began to shave its price to the
neighborhood of s1.70 and $1.s0 a yard.
Yesterday a new concern entered the
race, and as a consequence competition
was keen, and the outlook is that hereaf-
ter asphalt will be laid here at something
like other cities nave been paying. The
new concern is the New Jersey Mexican
Asphalt Company. 1t has been doing con-
siderable work in Hoboken lately.
w DlQ2 WClt PClCd OoNtiAo StC
new company's bid was only sl.95 a yard.
The California Company asked $1.9S. The
prices opened the eyes of the Commits
sioners, and it was believed that the Bar
Der Company had again been underbid.
The establishment of the Commissioners
may be imagined when Clerk Bouten an
nounced that the Barber Company's price
was 81. IS a yard. There was more sur
-~s-1 ~Lo,.l q T T c1,o No la
the work for s1.50 a yard. The Grayden
bid was informal and had to be rejected.
The difference between what the Bar
Der people formerly asked and what it is
willing to do the work for now is 70
cents a yard.
President Boltwood was delighted and
SO expressed himself. Commissioner
Heintze was pleased and said that the
sweeping reductions in price which COM
petition had brought about would doubt
less encourage people in all parts of the
city to ask for the smooth surfaced pave
ment, which is so desirable. There are
many petitions for asphalt pavement be-
fore the Board, but the Commissioners
have refrained from acting on them ow-
ing to the fact that they considered ex-
orbitant prices were being asked for the
pavement. So long as the competition
continues it is probable that considerable
asphalt pavement will be laid. The Com
missioners say they expect the New Jer-
sey Mexican Company will either under
bid the Barber Company or force that
company to keep lowering its price.
After disposing of the asphalt bids the
Board suspended the regular order of
business and received bids for two sew
ers in Bergen avenue, one from Fulton
street to Walker avenue, and the other
from Myrtle avenue to Bostwick avenues;
for sewer in Sea View avenue. near Old
Bergen Road, and for the improvements
of Beacon avenue, from Summit avenue
to the Boulevard; Crescent avenue, from
Aston place to Belmont avenue; Fairview
avenue, from Bergen avenue to the Bou-
levard; Church street. from Jordan ave-
nue. to Bergen avenue: Clerk street. from
the Newark and New York Railroad to
Myrtle avenue, and Orient avenue, from
Ocean to Jackson avenue.
For the various improvements bids
were submitted under the new rules of
the Board, which were adopted at its
meeting of August II. The new rules are
The News. are intended to bring about
such reforms in bidding as will prohibit
the submission of unbalanced bids.
For all grades of public work the Board
directed Chief Engineer Ruggles to pre-
pare a schedule of prices, fixing the max
and minimum, which may be
charged for the several branches. The
schedule was the one adopted at the meet
ing on August "a.
The new system of bidding brought out
old time contractors and some new men
who have never been heard of before in
for public work. For the
several improvements the bidders we're
John H. Mullery, steuben Ca
paono. Bernard Cannon, Phillip Tumulty,
Y Connolly; q; H Holmes. William
8 Il. Fiaaherty. Jr'. s~heridan1shea go cos'
NJ. J. Curley. Thomas J. McCabe, Dennis
and James ]. Harrington. Dennis
bid for a sewer in Fulton street
vas inaccurately made out; Mullins pro-
-ested and the Board decided to consider
mis- bid. Mullins stated that in preparing
his estimate he had followed the instruc-
,ulty was that the Chiefs schedule pro-
for sewer basins while in the adj
for bids catch basins" were
bears in the schedule. The omission will
cause trouble, it is feared. The error is
o be rectified at once. 1t is, probable
.eived for sewers yesterday will have
% be rejected and new ones solicited.
Under the new system unbalanced bid
.annot be presented. as contractors cam
depart from the prices fixed by the
engineer. In this way it will be possible
o reach the exact cost of an improve
'reep in under the head of high price
TENS. The member of the Board are of
he opinion that in future public work
will be done a great deal cheaper than it
las been heretofore. /,
AS the Board of Adjudication the Com
nissioners called for remonstrances
Igainst the construction of sewers in
avenue. Union street. Manhattan. j
Sherman. Eye and Sea View
and the improvement of Pine
treet. No objections were presented and
work will be proceeded with.
ELEVATOR BOY HURT. !;
,.fztnr Efars Epaplnva HaR n