The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-06-05
HlTSANEW SNAG,
Asphalt Paving People Can't
Get Material.
Accordingly the Property Own
ers Didn't Bid.
HAD SOME CHEAP BIDS.
Hanley & Richie Offer to Put
Down Pavement at S1.O2.
others Range to $1.S9 Which Is
the Highest.
HAD SOME CHEAP BIDS.

The Topeka Paving company, the
local property owners company
which was going to bid on repaving
Kansas avenue last night together
with the other bidders, entered no
bid.
A sealed envelope containing the
specifications but unaccompanied by a
certified check Of $1,000, as is re-
CURED for a bid, was fled by the To-
fpeka Paving company.
Unable to procure any Bermudez
asphalt, which was the only grade Of
asphalt which the local company de-
sired to employ, except from the
Cleveland Trinidad company, one Of
the bidders last night for the repaving,
it was impossible for the property
owners company to enter a bid which
would approach a low figure
The only bid which the committee
of tellers. consisting of Councilmen
Nipps, Swendson. and Howe, seriously
considered as being within the esti-
mate was that of the Kansas Bitulithic
company. The committee as soon as
it was appointed opened up the bids
and then adjourned to the office Of
the mayor to consider them in private.
They reported back that they were
unable to come to a decision, owing to
the fact. that q number of the bids
were over the estimate, and asked for
/ further time. The council acCeptrd i
| the report of the committee, the crIn-
nnittee to make its recommendations
next Friday evening. 1t looks to an
unprejudieed eye as if this is the high
est bid.
During the session of the committee
there was some talk of brick and q
consideration of the rejection Of all
the bids as being too high. This
would have played the situation right
into the hands of those who have been
boosting for brick paving. This was
finally passed up. however. In the
meantime several members of the
| council will sound the property own
ers on the matter of brick and see If
it IS possible to secure quick action
on a petition for brick, claiming that
there is a reversfen Of sentiment be-
cause of the high bids. This would
necessitate rejecting all last nights
bids
The mayor said this noon: The
only bid worth considering and with
in the estimate is that Of the Kansas
Bitu1ithic company. The rest OF the
bids a re above the estimate in other
| particulars If not on the asphalt It
/ is impractical tO-tet separate bids Tor
the separate pieces of the contract
worI-it must be let to one party. We
I will either award the contract to the
/ Kansas Bitu1ithic company or reject
all of the bids. To do the latter
means too much delay. It is now get
ting late in the year. and to ask for
tnew petitions and readvertise would
| throw 1t way late.
Fred Webster, who is the local rep
+ resentative for the Kansas Bitu4ithlc
! company will call in an expert to aid
/ him in clfnching the contract for his
I firm The committee of tellers viii
/ have a meeting within the week before
Friday to go over the situation.
The estimates of the city engineer
on the work We're; Repavlng with
asphalt $3.50: reset stone blocks, 80
cents; new curbing. S1.25; old curblng
reset 75. cents. All the bids are inside
the estimate on the paving proper.
The first intimation which the prop
| erty owners had that it would be diff
| cult to get the asphalt at anything
which might approach figure pos
sible to make a low bid was contained
| in letter received by Jonathan
Thomas, president of the company,
| from the ref1ners handling Bermudez
| the latter part of last week The let
ter stated that owing to contingencies,
| etc It would be impossible for them to
| furnish the Bermudez directly to the
| local property owners company, but
they would be glad to refer them to
/ the Observation-Disclosures company which
/ was handling their product and no
| doubt the Observation-Disclosures company
! would be pleased to furnish the as
phalt AS the Observation-Disclosures
! company Itself was one of the bidders.
/ the property owners company saw
| clearly that they We're up against it.
Previous to this a letter which hint
| ed of the state of things was received.
| 1t was the first reply to a letter asking
/ for quotations for Bermudez- The re-
! ply said that as they understood the
local company was about to bid on
I