New-York tribune., 1902-01-22
TRICKERY IN ASPHALT.
CITY CLUB ASKS MAYOR TO HAVE CON-
POSITION OF PAvEMF,NTS EXAMINED
OMNIBUS SPECIFICATIONS.

The municipal government committee or the
City Club yesterday sent to Mayor Low letter
with reference to asphalt paving in this city
The club has been informed that the city was
swindled under the Van Wyck administration
The committee says:
We have information. which we think to be
mixtures have been used for surfacing the streets
of such various composition as TO constitute an eH
Tents have been carried on under the very vague
time. which were of such character as 70 adnlI I
all kinds of material from which pavement could
We point that. If this be true. then the specih-
cations framed as TO exclude almost MOTH
ing that they framed to admit almost
anything that the contractor might elect to use S
upon some Of the streets where travel is heaviest
and charged for at the same rate as the paving on
the streets in which the basis had been Irini-
ton In the two cases has been so different as to
raise very serious question Of honesty in the
We also appeal to your honor to have engineers
Of your department make careful inquiry as to the
condition of the pavements recently laid as to the
date OF paving and the evidence of wear. and the
geston in the premises that some system of forfeit.
in addition TO the guarantee OF maintenance,
constant repairs at short intervals should not be
allowed to embarrass the traffic of the thorough
grade material make such repairs necessary.
The letter expresses qualification because Of
the stand toward asphalt taken by the new ad-
ministration. and makes a number of sugges-
tions regarding the paving specifications
adopted by the city. The letter continues:
The proposed specifications confirm. by the
changes which they make TO the conditions OF
contract, the position which this committee would
have taken with respect TO the old specifications.
namely. that II impossible TO have free com
petition dfsinterested contracting parties under
the specifications which have been used during the
last administration of the Department of High
ways. Your Commissioners OF Accounts in theE re-
port show that by the OF vague terms. mean
ingless terms contradictory terms and obscure
conditions. no bids for contracts could have been
successfully framed by paving companies fnde
pendent of another with any certainty that
they would be within the Of the specica tions
Moreover, under the old Specifications a discretion
practically nullifed any defniteness OF statement
or conclusiveness In bidding for the work TO be
done. The inference is unavoidable that the paw
ing or the city OF New-York has been Some under
conditions which practically prohibit that Sree
petition which the ctys best interests dem&nd and
which the law required.
This committee therefore petitions your honor to
secure review OF the operations OF the Depart
set forth clearly whether such competition was
attempted whether the contracts for asphalt
paving were not uniformly let 20 parties in in
terest The committee also petitions your honor
that examination OF the pavements laid within
the last two years be made. and that specimens of
asphalt composition be subjected to the very com
Department of Accounts. and that to this inquiry
there be added some searching investigation OF the
method OF laying the beds OF these streets as to
rock and cement
The letter IS signed by Thomas r slicer
chairman municipal government committee OF
the City Club. and by James ". Pryor, secre-
tary