New-York tribune., 1907-10-09
WON'T REPAIR STREETS.
BREAKS CITY CONTRACTS.
ASphdH Trust Would Forfeit $780,
900 Rather than DO Work.

Actifs Borough President Henry S. Thompson
mas received word from L. Latin Kellogg coun-
SCI Ior the Barber Asphalt Company that his
company aoandons all the maintenance con-
tracts for twenty-seven streets in Manhattan
The company says it will lose money by main
tanning the streets in repair Mr.. Thompson
has asked the Corporation Counsel for advice
requesting him at the same time to force the
company to live up to it's contracts
when street in the city is paved with
asphalt the contract contains a provision that
the company doing the work shall maintain the
asphalt in good repair for a certain time usually
Tor ten years. The Barber Asphalt Company,
known generally as the Asphalt Trust has alb
soroed number of smaller companies and be-
SIDES has a number of constituent companies
Ihe contracts these companies had with the city
10 MAINTAIN asphalt pavements were taken over
oy the Barber company, among them being
'wenty-seven from the Fruin- -Bambrick Com
pany.
since succeeding William Dalton as Commits
sloner of Public Works Mr.. Thompson who for
good part of the time has been acting Bor-
ough President, has tried TO force all the COM
pahles IN Manhattan having maintenance con-
tracts with the city to get down to work and
90 all the repairing they had contracted to do
He has kept them at the job so we'll that many
nave vigorously protested that they were being
crowded The Barber interests have cried out
as loudly as any OF the companies But no con-
cessions were obtained from the Commissioner
or Public Works. who had in mind the charges
made against the Borough President to Gov
ernor Hughes and the allegations of many or
ganzations and citizens that the streets were
in worse repair than at any time in the history
of the city and that no attempt had been made
to maintain them to force the companies to
repair them
The Barber company a few days ago in
formed Commissioner Thompson that il It had
to maintain the asphalt pavement 1t had laid
deficit for the year would result. Yesterday
it abandoned all the contracts received from
the Fruin- -Bambrcl company. In doing so 1t
forfeits $4,000 and will undoubtedly be
obliged TO thrash the question out in court
To insure the carrying out Of the contracts
the city retains from asphalt companies certain
amounts Of money which It pays back to them
as the repair work Is done. 1t pays this yea'
by year. On the completion of the twenty seven
abandoned contracts the Barber interests would
have received about Sl5o,OOO but It appears will
ing 10 give up that amount 10 get out OF going
on with the maintenance work. II is said that
the increasingly heavy traffic. together with fire.
burns and other causes. has made the work
double what was expected.
Some Of the thoroughfares affected by this
abandonment Of work Fifth avenue from
seth to S0th street; 31st street. from Fourth TO
Fifth avenue; Macdougal street from Spring
street TO Waverley Place; Waverley Place from
Macdougal street 10 Fifth avenue: 40th street.
from Eighth 10 Eleventh avenue; 72d street
from Fifth to Madison avenue, 18th street. from
Fifth to Madison avenue, and 18th street. from
Sixth TO Tenth avenue.
Acting Borough President Thompson expects
to get an opinion from the Corporation Counsel
very shortly.