The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-05-14
T. w. EAGAN WRITES
ON STREET PAVING
Has Some Remarks to Offer in Reply
to Alderman Curriers' Com
munication.

tiele dated May 9th, and printed IN your
issue of May 18th.
Mr.. Currier seems to have used the
name Of Morse q Eagan quite often in his
statement. / would like to inquire of Mr..
Currier If any Of the above named firm
have chased after him for this contract.
and under what authority has he brought
1t into this controversy as he has done.
We quoted a price, or rather, submitted a
bid, under the advertisement Of the street
department for $4,000 blocks. If the city
Of Barre wishes to purchase same at the
price we named, they are az liberty to do
so. III they do not care to purchase the
blocks at that price, no one as far as this
firm is concerned wishes them TO do so.
The only objection that we would offer at
any time was when Mr.. Currier went to
/ Barre quarries and purchased blocks di-
rect from the workmen, just on the eve OF
a settlement with our men for the ensuing
year, | believe that there is no place in
the country where the paving cutters are
paid any better prices for making blocks
than they are in Barre and | do not be-
lieve that there Is any firm in the business
that are handling this work on as close a
margin as the firm Of Morse u Eagan.
wish to take exception TO the statements,
OF rather the insinuations, Of Mr. Currier
that this firm are jobbers. If we are not
manufacturers In this line, then there are
no manufacturers manufacturing granite
in Barre at the present time. We hire
our men and we pay them each and every
month for what they have done, not by the
day, but by the piece, which is done in
many other lines Of business throughout
this country. We buy the stone suitable
for this purpose from the different quarry
owners, paying them By the thousand
blocks for same when blocks are delivered
on the car at quarry. We probably have
at the present time 125,000 blocks at the
different quarries in Barre manufactured
10 this way. II have any idea as to
what jobber is, be agrees to sell a Ger
tain article for certain manufacturer or
different manufacturers, receiving a GER
tain percentage for the amount Of such
sales. We buy the stone hire the men to
make these blocks, and put our money in
to them, and fix our own price as TO what
we shall sell for in different parts Of the
country.
AT the price which we have quoted the
city Of Barre, there is very small margin
Of profit, and / win venture to say not one
quarter as much as Mr., Currier obtained
on his business when he was ia the mer-
camille business in Barre If the city of
Barre does not wish to buy them at the
price we hage named, there certainly will
be no hard feelings on our part. but win
say that think that the cost of handling
and storing these blocks would be very
fair profit to any one in the business, and
| question very much the figures as given
by Mr.. Jurrier as being the cost Of doing
the work, and | think / know as much
about handling paving blocks as he does,
and | think he will be better posted as to
the advantages he has obtained In his re-
cent contract when he has been longer in
the business.
think that we own or control all Of the
blocks at Barre quarries at the present
time, excepting those made BY one paving
cutter, and at the rate that the street com
missioners have started out to do the work
no doubt he will be able to supply the
blocks as soon as they need them.
ii I was resident of Barre ! would
make this suggestion: That the street
commissioners advertise for bids to exea-
yate ahd lay granite pavement on con
crete foundation at least inches thick,
specifying the number Of yards, same to
be laid according to the plans and specif-
cations made by the city engineer, the con
tractor purchasing his own blocks and do
ing his own work and letting it to CON
tractor who thoroughly understood this
business. / believe that your city would
get better service and get better street
than they will under the supervision of
men who know nothing about doing work
of this character, and they will get 1t for
less money, and they viii get guarantee
behind it, if they make proper contract,
that win protect them for number of
years and see that the street is kept In
proper repair.
would like TO ask Mr.. Currier if, when
he was In trade, he sold his goods at the
workmenis price Of manufacturing with
the freight added, which Is practically
what he asks the people Of the paving bus
iness to do. would further ask him II
he was instructed by the city of Barre to
purchase public monument for said city
If he would 90 to one of the stone cutters
working for Mr.. Barclay or some other
concern, and get him to build the monu-
ment, or would he 80 to the firm of Bar
clay Brothers, or some other reputable
firm, and make his contracts II he should
choose the former way of doing this busi-
ness, | do not think the people Of Barre
would uphold his action or consider him a
very sharp business man, for If the manu-
facturers who Invest their money III Barre
employing their help, paying out thousands
and thousands OF dollars every month for
same, have not made your city what 1t is,
who has, and II your city requires work
Of any character, who are better entitled
to the credit Of doing this work. or the
small profit they may make out Of same
than these same manufacturers
As | said before, the firm Of Morse s2
Eagan have large quantity Of blocks on
hand at the present time and could supply
the city with same If they wanted the
blocks, and do not believe there Is any-
body else that Is in a position to do 10 in
this section If you do not want the blocks
gentlemen, you are not obliged to have
them, and we care very little whether You
do or not, providing you purchase them
somewhere and fix up your street. If YOU
purchase the blocks Of US, you will get
them when you want them; and you need
not pay for them until you use them, and
it will not be necessary for you to 20 to
the expense Of $4 or s. per thousand, as
y0u will If VOu buv them In fah Iofq with