Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-05-26
ITULlTH IC
AND PRICES.
What An Atlantic City NeWspap-
er Says About the Matter
Where Contractor Gets Off.

49, 1AAkAA
/ patented material to contractors at
S1l45 a yard ready to be put on the
streets, makes the following clipping
from the Atlantic q City ReYiew of in
terest here. 4In considering the mat
4 ter, however, il should befremember-
ed that while the price Of 81. 20 for
plain tar seems high JIG covers, at
Atlantic City, a three finch course of
mixture, while, PerthgAmboy uses on
ly two inches. The trelative excess
of cost, however, of 81 per square
yard VIII remain apparently the
same.
The article from the Atlantic City
paper is as follows:
An investigation of the real facts
in connection with tar pavements,
has been made in detail, which shows
that the contractor, outside of the
bitulithic combine, who tries to Sc
cure the work of paving Atlantic ave-
nue., will have to put in a price of
nearly SO per square yard in order
to make a 80 per cent. profit on the
money which he puts into the work
and still comply with the ordinance.
The magnanimous offer which is
carried in Ordinance No. 13, and UNI
der which the bitulithic company has
~endeavored to create a semblance of
competition, contemplates that out
side contractors. who wish to secure
the work, will be supplied with the
roadway mixture and the hot chips
for the surface, and will pay $1.55
per square yard to the company for
these materials.
The real value of these materials
based ON the current prices of coal
tar is 70 cents per square yard; while
it is true that the company offers a
plan which will make it necessary for
the contractor to have a plant, the
cost for erecting and dismantling
such a plant on a job of the magni-
tude of Atlantic avenue, would only
amount to a few cents per square
yard, so hat the enormous profit to
be derived by the bitulithic company
is evident under the plan of selling
the mixture under the price named in
the ordinance.
As an evidence of the kind of faith
exhibited in this offer of 81. 55, 1t
can be clearly shown by the figures
in this column that the independent
contractor, can buy tar in the open
market, make a 20 per cent. profit on
his work and pave Atlantic avenue
with a bitulithic pavement (Which,
however, would not bear the patented
trade mark named) for $3.50 per
square yard, while at the same time
he would have to bid $3.11 per
square yard in order to make the
same amount of profit and buy the
material from the trust.
The manner of dealing already al
luded to is still further evidenced by
the fact that the company's petition
which was circulated among the
property owners on Atlantic avenue,
guaranteed that not more thar 50 20
per square yard would be charged by
the bitulithic company for this pave
ment, and it is plainly evident from
these figures that no Independent
contractor could afford to pay $1.55
for his material and do the work for
less than $3.11, no real competition
can be had and no n can bid upon
this work unless they secure, by Sc
cret agreement, more advantageous.
terms than are carried by the ordi-
nance.
A glance at the bids which were
submitted on Monday for the paving
of Pacific avenue with natural lake
asphalt will convince n open mind
ed person that Atlantic City should
not attempt any class of tar construc-
ton. The total figures which We give
show that the cost of the tar pave.
ments to the city will be very much
in excess Of the cost of a good asphalt
pavement.
The lowest bid for Pacific avenue
was $1.49 per square yard. This
price included the entire paving and
all the grading, and along side of this
figure the proposal of the bitulithic
company t make the contractors pay
6 cents more for the bare materials
which go into the bitulithic pave
ment. without any foundation, exca-
walton or guarantee, all of which
must be assumed by the contractor at
his own expense, is simply ridiculous.
AT a conservative estimate the cost
of the concrete and of the mainte-
nance under the guarantee period,
with it's resulting bond premiums,
etc., to say nothing of the contrac-
tors profit, will amount to over 81
per square yard.
If any further evidence is needed
to show the excessive profits which
are sought by the bitulithic company
a glance at the records of the city
engineers office will show the pro-
posals that were received in January
of last year for paving Atlantic ave
nue., and will indicate that while the
companies included in the bitulithic
company submitted a price of $2.27
and $2.35. outside bidders named a.
figure of $1.94. the total difference
between that bid and the bid of the
Warren Rrotbors being over 100000.