The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-03-28
IN lHE CRP.
Barber Asphalt Company Has
City by the Throat.
Resolution Rushed Through
Shutting Out Other Bidders.
FRESH FROM FAILURE
Old Repair Contract With City
Unsatisfactory Carried Out.
Mayor Parker Says the Deal
Looks Bad.
Contract Will Probably Be
Worth $4,000.
FRESH FROM FAILURE

The Barber Asphalt Paving company,
a trust, which according to the city en-
gineer beat the city of Topeka out of
$4,000 worth of work last fall, is work
ing a scheme to compel the city to give
it new five-year asphalt pavement re-
pair contract, which will involve the
expenditure of probably about $4,000
or S25, 900.
II seems almost beyond comprehen-
sion that any city officials should allow
themselves to be used as agents to ac-
complish this scheme, which will be re-
sented by every taxpayer in the city.
Yet within a week representatives OF
the Barber Asphalt Paving company
We're a the Throop hotel in this city,
and consulted there with certain mem
bers of the city administration.
Following close on this conference,
resolution was passed by the council
Wednesday night which makes it prac-
tically a "cinch" for the Barber
Asphalt company.
This resolution allowed only eight
days for receiving bids on the fiveyear
contract for street repairs. The adver-
tisement for bids was published for the
first time in the official city paper this
morning. The bids must all be in by
p. m. April 4. The official notice,
published in accordance with the reso-
luton of the council for the first time
today, is as follows:
Office of City City Clerk Topeka, Kan,
Sealed proposals will be received at this
ocs coe until N M Ffday for APFi ali ls9 material at
necessary to keep in repair the asphalt
pavement on the streets of the city Of
Topeka, Kan, for five years, as required
by specifications on file in the office
of the, city engineer. All proposals must
certifed check for 500 payable to the
as guarantee that a contract viii be
entered into within hin three days after after
fds.Se BIDS. Inc i-S' J. Il. sqH}IREs.,
City Clerk
The resolution providing for the limit
ing of bidders to days time was pass
ed by the council the last thing before
adjournment. 1t was very late at night.
The councilmen were tired out half
asleep, and not paying attention to
what was going on. The city clerk read
the resolution. No date for opening bids
was set in the resolution as read
What date do you want to set as the
limit for receiving bids?" asked the city
clerk of the councilman who introduced
the resolution.
"Oh call it April 4. We have to meet
then" replied the council.
Mr.. Squires made this notation, and
in the resolution as it appears in the
official minutes of the council meeting,
the date is given as April 4.
When the resolution was voted on,
only three or four councilmen voted.
The rest did not know what was under
II.
resolution carried, and the mischief was
done.
This is most glaring injustice. The
Barber company is already on the
ground, has it's plant, it's men and its
machinery, and knows how easy it IS
to bunco the city. No time is given for
companies outside of the trust to inspect
the field or submit bids. By the time
outside companies know that such
contract is to be awarded, the contract
will have been let.
1t is not only an injustice to the anti
trust asphalt companies. 1t is an in
justice to the city. 1t is an attempt to
extract another fat contract for the
Barber Asphalt company, which has
made itself odious by its d1sgracefuI
failure to fulfil it's old repair contract.
1t violated it's agreements with the city
and should have been compelled to for
felt it's bond
When E. B. Demarest the general
manager of the Barber company, was in
Topeka a few days ago consulting with
his friends in the city council, he said
a few significant words to a State Jour
nal reporter on the subject of the Bar
ber company bond.
1.-The city had no claim on us under
that old bond,' said Mr.. Demarest
1--WE didn't worry about that bond. We
had it fixed so that we did not fear law
suits. The contract and the bond did
not jibe, you see. They didn't hitch
up. The city knew it, and knew that it
had TO compromise. 1t was only
question of whether they would pay US
the whole thing or only a part of it"
That is the sort of people the city
has to deal with in the Barber Asphalt
Paving company. The character of the
work which the company did under its
old contract is shown by the condition
of West Eighth avenue, Kansas avenue,
and in fact almost every street where
repairs were made. The repairs are
worse than worthless.
There are plenty of asphalt COM
panies outside of the Barber trust
which do as good work as the Barber
company can do. The best piece of
asphalt paving in town, at the east
by ]. Bradley, of this city, with asphalt
from the Indian Territory. Asphalt
comes from Indian Territory, Califor-
mia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana,
Wyoming Mexico and Venezuela, as
well as from the island of Trinidad.
The Trinidad product is the monopoly
of the Barber trust. Here are the ad-
panies which would be glad to bid on
the work in Topeka:
Federal Asphalt company, New York
Life building, Chicago.
North American Paving company
171-173 La Sale street, Chicago
Eastern Paving company, Buffalo,
N. Y.
New Century Paving company, Elgin.
Illinois.
Interstate Construction company. Ft.
Wayne, Ind.
And many others, to say nothing of
j. Bradley of Topeka, who had the con-
tract for repairing the pavements un-
der City Engineer Kingman and who
handles the Indian Territory asphalt.
How are asphalt companies having
their headquarters in Chicago, New