The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-21
TO ANNUL ITS CONTRACT.
WARREN-sCHARF ASPHALT COM
PANY OUT WITH THE CITY.

The City Refused TO Pay the Full
Amount for the maintenance of the
Asphalt streets Last Year and Is
Permitting "a Rival Company 10 Do
Work the Streets Under Con-
tract.
The Warren-Scharf Asphalt Company
desires to withdraw from its contract
with the city for the maintenance of the
asphalt streets and for making repairs to
paving. A letter Of the company's repre-
sentative, Mr.. Leopold Alexander, express
ing she dissatisfaction of the company
! with its treatment by the city and its de-
sire to withdraw from the contract. was
before Council in committee of the whole
last night.
The action of the city in allowing the
Southern Asphalt Paving Company to
make repairs TO pavements laid by the
Warrenzscharf company and under its
maintenance contract, is mentioned spe-
officially as one of the causes of dissatis-
faction on the part of the company
It is presumed that the matter was dis
cussed by the committee of the whole at
some length, as the committee was in ses-
sion until after 1O:SO o'clock. This matter
| and house drainage are understood to have
been the main subjects of discussion at
the caucus At the brief meeting of Coun-
ell, which followed, a resolution was
| adopted, referring the offer of the Warren
Scharf company 10 withdraw from its con-
tract with the city to the street and lane
committee for investigation and report.
The maintenance contract between the
Warren-Scharf Company and the city was
entered into in 1895, during Mayor Meyrs'
| administration. 1t provides that the War
ren-Scharf Company maintain in good con-
dition all the asphalt streets of the city
upon which its usual FIVE year guarantee
had expired, for a period of five years at
the rate of cents per square yard per an
mum, the city TO have the option of re-
newing the contract for another five
years at the expiration of the fve-year
period Streets at that time under the five
| year guarantee of the company were to
| come under the contract at the expiration
OF the guarantee. The company also agreed
TO make all repairs to the asphalt streets
! which might be rendered necessary by cuts
| or excavations or other cause, upon notes
to do so, at the rate Of $25S per square
| yard.
The contract was considered a good one
| Tor the city as the peripatetic method
formerly pursued of repairing the asphalt
| streets was proving both costly and unsat-
| lsfactory The Warren-Scharf COMPANY
| had contract for the maintenance of a
portion of Broughton street at the rate of
~ cents per square yard per annum and
It's offer to take the entire work at 3 cents
per square yard, including the portion of
Broughton formerly under contract. was
| considered quite reasonable. In fact II
was generally thought that the city would
never nave obtained this contract If it had
MOI at the same time awarded the Warren
Scharf Company the contract for the
South Broad street pavement
! here Is where the trouble began Pub-
nc works Commissioner WiHink and some
members of the board of aldermen had he
| come very favorably impressed with the
! Vltri1ed brick pavements in use in other
! cities and desired to introduce this paw
| ing in Savannah. There was a long ayd
close contest between brick and asphalt
with the result that asphalt won. due n
| was claimed by the advocates of brick IN
| the maintenance contract offered by the
! asphalt company
The first hitch between the city and the
| company occurred over the South Broad
stress now Oglethorpe avenue pavement.
| Inc pavement was unsatisfactory and
| Commissioner Willink declined to accept
| IT. The matter was in dispute for several
months. The asphalt people endeayored
TO secure the acceptance of the pavement
by council without the approval of the
commissioner, and Ii was charged that The
commissioner was prejudiced against the
asphalt company because he had failed
10 secure the pavement of the street with
vitrifed brick. Council stood by the
commissioner, however, and the company
finally placed the pavement in first-class
condition, after which it was accepted anc
paid for.
The next hitch arose over the mainten
ance contract. The streets were in bal
condition when the contract was made. bu
after some delay they were placed in goo(
condition. After the completion of the Ogle
thorpe avenue pavement further repair
work was done on the asphalt streets. By
fall of last year the asphalt streets wer,
again in need of repair, Broughton anC
Liberty streets being in especially bad con
dition The company had no force here ca
pable of doing the work it seemed, and tn,
; streets were allowed to go for a considera
bic length of time unrepaired. despite re
; peated notices from the Public Work.
! Commissioner. A force was brought her,
by the asphalt company towards the clos,
of 1897. and the streets put in first-cIas.
} condition.
The entry of the Southern Asphalt Paw
ing Company of Baltimore into the loca
field is responsible for the final clash. an(
threatened divorce of the city and III,
Warren-Scharf Company. The Southern
secured the contract for Drayton street
the price being the lowest ever offered tn,
city for an asphalt pavement Commission
er Willink wanted brick on Drayton stree
| also, but the unanimous demand of IN,
residents on that street for asphalt pre-
. vailed with Council. The tearing UP of tn,
, streets by the Street Railway Company il
r revising its system and by the hous,
drainage contractors in the prosecution o.
! their work IS well known, especially as tn,
asphalt Davements remain for the greater
part unrepaired The question of the stree
railway repairs brought on the final clash
e Together with the fact that the city has
= refused to pay the asphalt companys bill
= for maintenance of the streets last veal
? in full, the street and lane committee
which has the matter In hand in connec
ton with the Commissioner of Public
e Works holds that as the company failed
I 10 maintain the streets according to lis
J contract that 1t is not entitled to receiv,