The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-28

York and San Francisco to get in their
bids on the proposition within eight
days?
City Engineer McCabe says: '.The
council should have given at least three
weeks time for bidders to look over the
field. and make their BIDS
]. Bradley, of the Topeka Roofing
company, who did all the asphalt re-
pairing under City Engineer Kingman,
says: "At least 80 days should have
been given to bidders
Mayor Parker says: There is some
thing very queer about it. 1t will have
to be looked into. Not enough time is
given for bidders to learn of the work
and figure on it. This is a big contract
and we should go slow about awarding
it"
At matter of fact. it is folly to ad-
vertise for asphalt repair bids exclus-
lively in the official city paper. Such an
advertisement, should be allowed to run
in the eastern magazines which are
city has bonds to sell it advertises them
in financial papers. When it has an
asphalt contract to let it should adver-
tise it in the asphalt trade journals.
1t is a deliberate attempt on the part
of some one to freeze out competition on
the asphalt paving repairs.
City Engineer McCabe submitted his
estimates and specifications on the
asphalt repairs at the council meeting,
and they were approved. The estimates
call for maximum price of $2.25 per
square yard on asphalt repairs where a
concrete base has to be put in. For
asphalt on the old base, the maximum
is $3.50 per square yard. The repairs
must be guaranteed for five years. Most
of the proposed repairs will be in the
80 class. 1t is estimated that about
S., 900 worth of work was left undone by
the Barber company on it's last contract,
when it forced the city to let it out from
completing the work as it should have
been done.
(1sa-
neer McCabe is that binder course
must be laid. Mr.. McCabe says that he
thinks this specification is all right,
and does not cut out free competition.
J. Bradley, who represents Oklahoma
asphalt, says that the Barber company
is the only one which uses a binder.
The American Asphalt journal claims
the binder is patented by the Barber COM
Many miles of asphalt pavement in
VII hape fTo 70 6eo@
through the inferior concrete foundation.
to a i9 of cr1ahed
stone and pitch and roll it over the con-
acconnpiish the purpose and also even the
irregular surface of the concrete and en-
able the contractors to use an inferior and
cheaper material in the foundation. This
covering is called the Binder Course The
Barber Asphalt company Immediately pat
ented the process, hoping thereby to dis
criminate against all other asphalts by
having inserted in their specifications a
Binder course of pitch asphalt and crush
ed stone A binder course is not always
used. There is no reason, whatever, for it,
if the concrete foundation is of good quail
ity. On the contrary there are good rea-
sons against it"
According to this. the binder provision
absolutely prohibits any bids from any
company except the Barber Asphalt Paw
ing company.
Otherwise the specifications seem to be
open to free competition, though it is
stated that Refined Trinidad Lake AS
phaltum (the Barber company's monop-
oly), or other asphalt equally as good,
itself what is tequally as good" That
gives opportunity to gracefully knock out
everything except Barber company asphalt
if the council is 80 inclined
The council has now only one way out
of the dilemma. 1t should exercise it's
right to reject all bids and readvertise 1t
should give every company a fair chance.
But if any company is to be Disseminated
against it should be the Barber Asphalt
company, which has not fulfilled it's con-
tracts properly in the past.