Perth Amboy evening news., 1905-08-17
FREEHOLDERS ARE ACCUSED OF
M|SUS|NC THE PUBuC'S MONEY.
At Meeting Yesterday Afternoon Mr.. Bloomfield Made
a Plain Statement Said 100000
Had Been Wasted

tiOn of the Sth, has been spread De-
fore the public in the papers OF the
county and elsewhere, for us to re-
view to a certain extent what has
already taken place, so that the true
situation may be properly placed be-
fore the community. Not unmind-
full of the scandals that have follow
ed at times the proceedings of your
board, fully aware that the grand
jury about a year ago, after careful
deliberation, made presentment
against you in court, we, on the ell
eventh of July, 1905, obtained a
( copy of your so-called plans and
specifications for the steel spans and,
after spending some hours with a
civil engineer, in going over said
plans thoroughly we came before
you on the following day, the 18th
of July, 1905, and asked of you that
you make certain concessions to us,
in the interests of fair play toward
all contractors, with view to pre-
venting scandal in the letting of the
contract and with the full belief that
If our wishes were carried out the
county, by having many more bidders,
would receive lower bids and there
by be benefited.
Among such requests was one that
the time should be extended two
weeks, to enable those wishing to
contract, to have an opportunity to
go to the site of the present unfinish-
ed bridge and test the bottom of the
river thoroughly.
We also requested that you should
draw up one set of plans, with spec
ifications, covering in detail the ma
terial to be used in the proposed al
teration of the bridge and ask for
bids on each item of the material
necessary to be used in such altera-
ton, so that there should be fair
competition and no loophole for any
charge of sharp practice.
We also requested that You re
ceive certified checks with the bids
instead of by your method of having
them deposited the day before, with
/ the county collector.
Although we made two or three
j
ones, and in each case they were re-
fused. Your refusal to acede to ou1
requests as taxpayers representing
large interests, many millions of dol
lars invested, employing thousands
of men, combined with the report re-
ceived that day of the building oil
! the bridge in Maine for $40, 900, sci
on foot an investigation. The re.
suit of that investigation was en-
bodied, to a certain extent, in re-
4 quests made to you on the second OF
4 August, 1905, of which the follow
ing is a copy:
81. That no more money shall
pany, the contractors, on account OF
said bridge.
"2. That the said bridge on ~ac-
count of faulty construction shall
not be accepted by your board, and
for the further reason that the con-
tractors have not finished their work
according to the specifications and
contract.
49, That suit is entered against
said contractors and their sureties
for not less than $4,000 for the re-
covery of damages accruing to the
county by reason of the failure t.
perform their contract.
"A. That no work shall be givel
out for the alteration of said bridg
by the Introduction of steel span
on stone or concrete piers, to TAX
the place of like amount of wood
en- construction.
90 And we hereby notify you tha
six steel spans of $50 feet each, t,
rest upon stone or concrete piers
can be built and placed in position
complete. for the sum of $4,000
or little less"
No Excuse for Present Position.
We claim there is no excuse TO
the position you are in. There i
not one of you, if you Intended put
ting up a building, but what woul'
employ an architect, instruct him a
to what you wished, and after h
had submitted plans which met wit
your approval, have him take off tn
quantities, obtain the lowest marke
price for the required material an
labor, and then either build by day
work, or award a contract If the pric
was reasonable. Had such a cours
been pursued, under the supervisio
of engineers capable to guide you
5 you should not be, today, in the pos
ition you are in. / want to give sue
members of this board, who hav
} not gone into the matter CAREFUL!
: little food for reflection.
4 Go down to that bridge, count tn
l number oaf spiles used in its cor
g struction, measure up the number c