The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-06
Saving of $4,000 Effected.

awarded.
Saving of $4,000 Effected.
Taking the city engineers estimate
on the asphalt contracts and the rate
heretofore received a saving of nearly
$4,000 is effected for the property
owners along the three streets for
which bids were received, and the
board is correspondingly pleased.
Asphalt is now cheaper than brick
or stone and it is expected that from
now on there will be a general scram-
BILE for asphalt whenever a street is up
for paving. University avenue, one of
the streets to be paved this year, had
| sandstone scheduled as the material
but not property owner can be found
who wants it now. At the hearing
which will shortly be called, it is ex-
pected that the property owners will
be a unit for asphalt.
The rate yesterday was really on a
basis of $1.S5 per yard, that of $1.75
being for the two residence streets on
which a thinner coat of asphalt is de-
manded. On Ninth street the regula-
ton two inches of asphalt is required.
The board of public works and City
Engineer Rundlett are at a loss to ac-
count for the cut unless it be a differ
ence- between the Barber and Conway
interests. Last year an agreement ex-
listed between these two firms and
| general rate of 1920 and 1925 per
square yard prevailed. Since then it is
| said the agreement has been broken
and it is now war to the knife. Some
color is lent to the story of an asphalt
war in st. Paul by the presence of
Charles McCarty, the secretary and
| treasurer of the Conway company, who
is now in the city,
Third Party Proved a Surprise.
The fact that there would be third
party in the contest was not known
until the last minute. H. Gartner
| handed in the bids signed James Han
ley and intimated that it was Mr..
| Hanley'S presence that was RESPONSE
| bic for the cut. He said the bids of
! the Barber company were ridiculously
| low, too low for a profit in fact, but
he would be found on the ground again
! just the same.
| Ninth street property owners, from
! jackson street east, are now bewailing
| the fact that they were not included in
! the contract. Ninth street it's entire
| length was originally scheduled for
| paving, but those below Jackson
| street succeeded in having their sec
| ton of the street taken out of the Or
| der.
That it is a paving war, pure and
simple, is shown in the statement by
| City Engineer Rundlett, that the
cheapest paving he has any record of
is in Buffalo, where a rate of 1920
| prevails. In that city no retained
money is required while here Is per
cent of the contract price is retained,
| bond insisted on and a ten-year
guarantee demanded. In the case of
brick st. Paul demands only five
| year guarantee.
F. r. Gartner, Hanley's representa-
tive, claims to be responsible for the
slash in prices. He says the Barber
people did not know of his entrance
until yesterday morning and immedi-
ately got busy with their knife. James
Hanley is Detroit contractor and
was formerly member of the board
of public works of that city. Mr. Cart
1 ner claims that Hanley forced the Bar
! Der people out of Detroit by making
a standard bid of $1.86 and the fact
| that they were afraid of him was shown
in the, bid of that figure yesterday. He
says that if his employer is given a
fair show in st. Paul he will be found
on hand every time a paving contract
is up for consideration.