The Topeka state journal., 1909-03-12
City Hall Lobbyists Are Kicking
Today.
Claim City Made Mistake in
Paving Contracts.
'sASPHALTIC A GRAFT %
So Say Those Who Claim to
Know the Scheme.
Many Objections Registered on
New Filler.

The reaction has set in. All of the
unfortunates who have been unable to
land the contracts and reap the bene-
fits of the pavement bids are buzzing
around the city hall today. Some of
the disappointed men are right in their
assertions and others have kick COM
ing that is uncalled for
There is still a lot of talk about the
granting of the honey of the pavement
contracts to the Gilfillan firm from
Chanute- Some still insist that TINS
was a bad mistake-others say that 1t
was the only and the best thing the
city could have done.
Here is the fight that a number OF
the more penSive put up:
Gilfllan submitted bad piece OF
paving brick. This was as bad a mis-
take as submitting a bad check-the
streets are paved with brick and not
checks. Furthermore the paving brick
submitted by the Chanute man was not
opened until after the bids were han han
died. There were several of the brick
men in the office of the city engineer
attempting to examine the sample sent
by the winning contractor but 1t was
wrapped up in such manner that
pin point could not be inserted between
the package and the brick. All of the
other samples were in plain view and
were put on public exhibition. This is
not the fault of the city engineer but
the fault of the contractor.
When the package was finally opened
it was found that the sample was one
of the gas belt variety. The gas belt
brick are all right but it is not very
good exhibition of civic pride to con-
tract for an out of town brick when
there are plants in this city which are
hiring men and sinking money all for
the purpose of furnishing brick for city
uses OF course Mr.. Gildllan may pur-
chase his brick from a Topeka firm
with the accent on the may" but the
southern Kansas product will undoubt-
edly be piling into the city in few
months.
Work of Topeka Firms.
In speaking a good word for the To-
dustry for the city it might be well to
mention the noble efforts they have
have made to keep in stride with the
modern ideas in brick-making. For in
stance take the Topeka Bulidlng
Vitrified Brick company with kilns and
yards west of the city. Just recently
they have spent thousands of dollars
installing new machinery for the one
peka paving. They have hired new
help just for this purpose and the plant
has been remodeled and enlarged In
many ways. A week ago Mr.. A. A.
the manager of the plant, took
a special trip to Iowa for the special
purpose of securing an expert who is
now at work at the plant at an i'm
nense salary. His position as foreman
means an altogether new series in mod
arn methods and this is what the To-
peka firms have been striving for.
Not long ago when the brick block
paving came into favor this company |
made thousands of the brick and when |
there were a number left over and it |
was attempted to use them for build |
ing purposes the brick layers struck |
saying the brick were too heavy. This |
meant a loss of thousands of dollars |
to this one firm alone and the bricks |
l. Ar,t
specifications not lacking fraction of |
an inch and thus they were worthless
except for paving. In the paving |
brick itself the left overs are sold |
for regular building brick and the
companies receive a better price for |
instance the Y. M. G. A. |
building is built of regular paving |
brick.
This shows the actual loss sustained |
by a local firm which has been strug-
Cling for years and has at last gained |
4 footing only to fall into the rut. 1t
IS said by the brick men that in letting |
contract the city should have a little |
regard for local interests. But the
brick manufacturers do not blame any
person in the city-they complain be-
cause of a lack of attention toward |
goods.
There was a statement in the State
Journal last night that was rather
1t mentioned the old
are coming since the brick grafters
have been pulled from the throttle.
The reporter did not mean this in ref
erence to any Topeka firm-there are
others. Besides this there was con-
siderable complaint from the people
living in the southwest part Of the city
who said they could hardly get busy on
heir asphaltic pavement because the
brick men were bothering them. This
1oes not cast any reflection upon the
prick men of the city-especially since
t was proclaimed today at the city
1all (not by the brick men especially |
hat this new asphaltic scheme was a
AXE This statement came from a
luTo Der of men who claim to know.
This is their explanation:
There is something the matter
With firm when it claims to put down
his kind of pavement at $1.19 and still
ldmit that they make a profit of SO |
,ents. 1t means that the graft is shin |
ng clear through the deal. It will be
loticed that this man Blake who is be-
lind the thing refuses to take any con-
ractS himself He chaSes around over
he country organizing companies in
owns like Topeka and after he sells
hem the machinery he skips The