The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-07
GREENE DUE ON THE ASPHALT,
MS ASPHALT, WITH HOLES IN IT
THEY DON'T MAKE HIM MEND.
vayp. He'll he humping Over 1t soon
which Calls Up the Canal Asphalt.
the Canal Committees Report and
the Glorious SOL, 900, 900 Future.

Which Cails Up inc danaa ASphaN'
the Canal Committees Report and
the Glorious SlOl 100000 Future.
Con. Francis v Greene didn't get back
,esterdav from his vacation journeyings
with Gov Odell. His secretary said that as
soon as he reached the East the General
,,orld be at his desk in Mulberry street,
where an accumulation OF letters awaits
him. The secretary wouldn't say yesterday
whether the letters include copy OF the
cxpert's report on the condition OF asphalt
,avornents made by order OF Commissioners
~ Public Works Livingston. That report
sets forth that the asphalt pavement is full
NJ holes in many streets and that the holes
ara due to imperfect and inferior work by
the contractors Mayor LOWS sense OF
the courtesies that should pass between
officials is so keen, his cabinet members
saw, that he would not think OF blue PEN
cilling this report and shipping 1t on to Gen.
Greene, but it was thought at the City Hall
that Acting Mayor Charles V. Fornes. In a
moment of abstraction, might have sent 1t
no 10 Mulberry street.
According to an official biographer, Gen.
Greene resigned from the army III 1855 to
become vice-president Of the Barber As
phat Paving Company. He was with that
company until the formation OF the Asphalt
Trust. and Is now alleged in the complaint
in civil action to have been one OF the
largest profit sharers In the promotion OF the
Asphalt Company Of America. The as
phat pavements OF New York, which are
now full Of holes because Of the imperfect
and inferior work OF the contractors, were
almost all the work of the Barber company
and the companies absorbed in the CONSOLE
dation and whose responsibilities OF main
tenance were assumed and now stand IN
the name OF the Barber Asphalt Paving
Company.
Al the head Of the Barber company
until the trust was organized in 1899 Gen.
Greene got q salary Of s25, 900 a year; at least,
that was the salary which ne mentioned
when he disposed Of the report that he was
candidate to succeed George w. Aldridge
Of Rochester as State Superintendent Of
Public Works. As the head of the trust
up to the time. in 1902, when 1t went on the
rocks Gen. Greene had directing hand in
the consolidation of the Warren-scharf
Asphalt Company, the Atlantic Alcatraz
Company, the Metropolitan Company, the
Mack Paving Company (Which paved
Broadway and the Standard Paving Com
pany and some lesser companies, all now
together. All of these companies have had
4 share in paving the streets OF which
Commissioner Livingstons expert now
complains, and IL Gen. Greene's carriage
tocks in and out of the asphalt holes as no
drives from the railway station to his house
or his club he might serenely close his eyes
and say 81 made EN-" AS he was an
assistant astronomer in the Government
service for four years he may prefer to sit
back and study the stars.
An admirer of Gen. Greene calls attention
TO his versatility and fecundity. On March
8, 1899, Gov. Theodore Roosevelt appointed
Gen. Greene chairman Of a committee to
investigate and report on the canal ques-
tion, saying: THE broad question Of the
proper policy which the State should pur-
sue In canal matters remains unsolved and
I ask you to help me to reach the proper
solution" Gen. Greene was then one OF
the little band OF promoters busy with the
organization OF the Asphalt Company of
America, and three months and twenty days
after Gov. Roosevelt dated that letter the
Asphalt Company of America was incorpo-
rated in New Jersey. Gen. Greene 800 shares
Of stock in the Barber company had been
turned in at $500 a share, making S270, 600
a value which the shorn stockholders OF
the Asphalt Company OF America now
declare to have been false and unfair to
them.
The Warren-Scharf Asphalt Company was
taken in at a valuation OF 50 ,27S 800, al
though it is alleged that the promoters
first bought it for about 81 500 600, and
somebody--not the stockholders OF the
trust-got tho benefit of the difference of
t77s 100. 1t must have been just at this
time that Gen. Greene, making his report
to Gov. Roosevelt. wrote:
We think that the laws in regard to the
letting Of public contracts by the State can
and should be revised so as to make impossible
repetition Of the unfortunate results under
the 50 900. 900 appropriation. These results
under the present law were unfortunate
in the following respects: An unnecessary
expenditure for advertising, loss of public
money through unbalanced bids. and an
unnecessary expenditure through the use
o! force account:
One Of tho unfortunate results OF the
5000 ,OO0expenditure concerned the Warren
Scharf Asphalt Company, which Gen
Greene had taken into the Asphalt Trust
lie Warren-Scharf company had two
contracts under the s9,0OO.OCO act, and
when Gen. Greene was telling Gov. Roose-
Welt how unfortunate it was that the State
should be looted by contractors on cana
work the claim OF the Warren-Scharf com.
pany was under consideration by the
Canal Board. On the two jobs it's claim
for extra work and prospective profits
amounted to SIPS, 900, Of which ST. 900 wa
for loss of profits. The counsel for the
Warren-Scharf company insisted that the
plant had been left idle, and that tho State
must pay for the loss suffered by the failure
TO Use it elsewhere. The Canal Boarc
declared
We think differently Al the time that
the work was suspended. in May. 1898. 1t was
we'll known. not only to the State officials
but to the contractor. that no funds ooulc
or would be available to continue the worl
until after the session OF the Legislature IL
The following year, which would he at least
ar from that date. That fact beins
apparent to the contractor. the leaving of the
plant unemployed was nc its own risk and
does not form a basis for claim against the
state in this matter.
Ultimately the Canal Board awarded