The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-12

helped in its breaking by having the speci-
ncations changed so as to admit them to
competition. That act gave indianapolis
me Bermudez Company. the warren-Schar
raying Company and the Western Paving
Of New York and the last of Ghicag s%o T rhe
M~arren-Scharf Company and the Western
raving Company. use Trinidad asphalt.
company. OF New York. operating under a
grant or the government Of the island. This
company has exclusive control over the
lake. When the Bermudez Company be-
came powerful enough to Interfere in the
asphalt business, the Trinidad Company
bought the fields in Bermudez. Venezuela.
ana so all three companies are now prac-
ucally controlled by the Trinidad Asphalt
Company through their sources of supply.
dnese are the three companies which bid on
all contracts here and all three are con-
trolled by one company. There is no COM
petition in Indianapolis. The business here
is divided under an agreement which was
made when the Bermudez Company showed
its great strength. This agreement provid-
ea mat the asphalt business in this city
should be divided as follows: Western Paw
ing and Supply Company. As per cent:
warren-scharf Asphalt Paving Company. so
per cent; Indiana Bermudez Asphalt Com
pany. % per cent. This agreement was in
competition here.
THE EXPOSE IN NEW YORK.
Some time ago the commissioner of ac-
counts of New York made a report to May
or Van wyck. in which he called attention
10 the vast difference in the cost per square
yard Of asphalt paving. Under the heading
of Open Competition he showed that the
price of ten cities ranged from $40 to sl.95
a square yard; and under the heading of
No Competition the price in the other cit
les ranged from SOL TO BIS a square yard.
The city engineer and Mr.. Royce. of the
Western Paving Company. commented on
these figures as compared with the cost of
improving Pennsylvania street from Wash
ington to Ohio street, but they carefully
avoided the cost Of asphalt a square yard
in this city. They said that the cost in diff
ferent cities could not be compared because
OF the varying conditions, but any one &C.
customed TO figuring on contracts can cas-
lily make allowances and reach a fair COM
parison. Such a comparison will show that
the price in indianapolis is largely In excess
OF that paid In any city where there is conn.,
petition. 1t is easy TO show that this city
pays a higher price than is charged by the
same contractors elsewhere I'm Indiana. In
Bluffton, Columbus, Logansport. Michigan
City. South Bend and Vincennes the low
bids during the past year ranged from si.43
to $1.I5 a square yard. My recollection OF
the exact prices were: Fort Wayne. Sl.431a
a square yard; South Bend, S1.49 a square
yard; Evansville. S.65 and $1.15 a square
yard. and Button. S1.6s a square yard: The
price charged and paid in indianapolis Is
1olAchh0 oDAg az IS "a
and has materially increased under the Tag
CART administration"
The official announcement OF the letting
of contracts in the State shows that in all
the smaller places from which reports were
made the cost was less than. 81 a. square
yard. Or Aug. z. 1897. Button let two
contracts TO the Indiana Bermudez Com
pany at s1.s7 and sl.73 a square yard. On
Dec. q. 1897. Wabash awarded a contract
to the Barber Asphalt Company at s195.
On Feb. 3. 1898. Columbus awared a con-
tract TO the Ayers Asphalt Paving Company
at $1.59. In 1898 Wabash awarded another
contract to the Barber Company at $l.95.
On April %. 1898. Fort Wayne awarded a
contract to the Alcatraz Company at $50.
COST IN OTHER CITIES.
The cost of asphalt paving for 1895, 1896
and 1897. as compiled by a committee of the
American Society of Municipal Improve
ment. consisting Of A. D. Thompson. of
Peoria, ILL.,. and N. p. Lewis. of Brooklyn.
shows the cost OF asphalt paving a square
yard to have been as follows: