New-York tribune., 1903-03-16
TO SPEND s6,OOO,OOO FOR PAVING.
SUMS APPROPRIATED AND WORK CONTACTED FOR
TO BREAK ALL RECORDS.

NaarIy $4,000 will be spent in paving and re-
having the streets of the city OF New-York during
the current year. OF this sum Manhattan and The
Bronx will about E0oo.ooo, Brooklyn ABOUT
q 900 and Richmond and Queens the remainder
Public Works Commissioner Livingston said yes
terday that the indications we're that prices LOT
ssrhalting would range higher this year by from
iG TO . per cent than last year. Last year con-
tracts were made at 81 o5 yard. This year, M
Livingston thinks, the prices will be nearer u %
The sums appropriated and the WorK unoer con-
tract and to be contracted for this week break an
records. and will give to the Low administration
clear title to having the busiest Of all periods OF
the city's history with reference to work on the
highways.
Contracts for paving worth $5So0oo will be
awarded by Borough President Cantor and Pubic
Works Commissioner Livingston tomorrow. Ror-
ough President Swanst-om and Commissioner Reo-
field in Brooklyn Saturday awarded contracts
for paving and repSving worth $SOoOoo the con-
tracts in The Bronx. Richmond and Queens nave
reached relatively the same stage. that by the
FIRST Of next month nearly all this work VIII Dc
practically Inder contract
Contracts for paving and repaving about fifty
seven streets have been prepared by President
Cantor and will soon be advertised in The City
Record These involve an outlay Of nearly 10000
Commissioner Livingston on Saturday sent out
notices contractors for work TO the value OF
S5eooce that the frost out of the ground
he should expect them TO begin work within forty
eight hours from this morning, and that failure
fher par comply with his order would mean
q forfeiture OF their contracts
The bids opened by Borough President Swan
etrom and his staff on Saturday comprised the
greatest for repaving in the history of any OF the
boroughs It was stated last year when an ap-
preparation 100 coo made for this borough
for this purpose that il would be impossible in a
municipal government to spepd the money with a
fair return 1t was declared by one Of the most
prominent engineers in the country that 1t would
be practically impossible TO contract for that
amount Of repaving and get the work under way
I1F4 @Ia dypiYi
this done, hut four months were spent IN
reorganizing the whole system of government in
Brooklyn. made necessary by the changes in the
charter. which virtually made the Borough Presi-
dent the Mayor Of Brooklyn. with more actual
power than the Mayor Of greater New-York- The
contracts had TO be formed. the specifications
drawn and then submitted for approval to the
CORPORATION Counsel. Some Of these contracts lay
IN the hands Of the Corporation Counsel for sew
eral months until could satisfy himself that they
were properly drawn. In the mean time the
soecfhcations were so drawn by President Swan
stron1. Commissioner Red6eld and Mr.. Lewis Cthen
Engineer Of Highways Chief Engineer Of the
Board Of Estimate and ApporttonmenD that open
corupetition could be obtained, that company
would have the monopoly that had been enjoyed
for several years by the asphalt trust The result
that prices were startlingly lower, and the
predictions that the work could not be accom-
pIished in one year were not only proved to be
wrong but the work actually accomplished
in little six months.
The administration in Brooklyn has done more
in one year than the former administration did in
four.
The BIDS TO be awarded tomorrow by Borough
EdEeconbe Seventh and Ninth aves- He has not
decided whether 10 use sheet asphalt block
pavenent in these streets. but the contracts will
be let this month They also include: