Arizona republican., 1912-02-16
The Paving Commission is
Said to Have No Auth
ority to Make any
Contracts.
TANGLE BECOMES
WORSE THAN EVER
Citizens Will Hold Meeting
This Evening in Effort to
Solve the Vexed
Problem.

Paving matters are again at Il
standstill
The paving commissioners have de-
cided that they will not ask for bids.
the Barber Asphalt company has de-
Clined to lay more pavement at the
former figure Of S2.09 per square
Yard. and the whole thing will be-
put up TO property holders who Will
hold mass meeting in the Hotel
Adams at 7:30 this evening
The plans and specifications have
been drawn up The council has ap-
proved them. Now the commission
ers are going L. ask the people for
an expression OF sentiment and +. p
Conway. of the Barber concern. SAYS
he viii do nothing toward securing
paving contracts until the paving
commission has accepted a bid. either
public or private. and agrees To- stand
behind his company in its efforts TO
secure contracts for additional street
work
Chairman Hackett Of the paving
commission said Yesterday:
In the first place. when the paw
ing question was started the citizens
associItion and selected committee
of eight to investigate the matter.
This committee secured an advisory
bid and practically closed it. so far
as price was concerned, with the
Barber people II was after this bid
was made and the price agreed upon
that. on recommendation Of the citi-
zens. the paving commission was
formed which took charge OF the
paving of the nineteen blocks just
completed
The Barber company now refuses
to lay any more pavement at the
original price agreed upon for the
first nineteen blocks. The commits
sion feels that its duty is to refer
this back to the citizens in the dis
trict for which bitulithic has been
adopted by the city council. And for
this purpose the commission urges
that all property owners who feel
an interest in paving meet at the
Adams AT 7:30 this evening at which
time the commission will state the
exact circumstances in the paving
situation and ask the citizens either
to recommend that contracts be en-
tered into for paving the district in
question at price those present may
agree upon. with the Barber COM
pany, or. il they prefer. issue calls
for bids for doing this work.
The commission assumes that it
was not intended to recommend or
advertise for bids on further work,
as the ordinance creating them as
commissioners defines their duties as
that of overseers or inspectors. to
see that the paving is laid according
To- plans and specifications after con-
tracts have been entered into by
property owners and the paving COM
pany."
Mr. Conway's letter follows:
Phoenix, AriZ. Feb. Is. 1912.
ITO the Honorable The Paving Com
mission. Phoenix, AriZ.:
Mr. Eugene Hackett. Chairman,
and Conference.-The Barber AS
phalt Paving company wishes to ac-
knowledge the receipt of a copy of
your notice To the property owners
of the city of Phoenix. and a copy
of the resolution passed by your COM
mission. Although no reply is asked
for. and no particular paving COM
pany mentioned. the writer assumes
that YOU refer to the Barber Asphalt
Paving company. and that a reply
from the Barber Asphalt Paving COM
pany is therefore proper in the prem
ises.
This company will not attempt to
secure any paving contracts. from
any property owner of Phoenix. until
either a public bidding has been had
or a private bid is asked for. ac-
cepted and recommended to the prop
erty owners by the paving commits
sion. and the paving commission
agrees to stand behind the Barber
Asphalt Paving company in its en-
deavorS To secure contracts from the
property owners at the agreed figure
1T is not the intention of the writer.
or his company. To assume an arbi-
trary position in this matter but the
course outlined above is the only
businesslike one. and. in fact. the
only possible one. which the company
could pursue. With fairness to the
property owners. only one price
should be given by this company. and
that necessarily should be a price
which is known. understood. and
thoroughly approved of by the city
authorities in charge of the paving
i'm the city of Phoenix.
Thanking the commission for their
courtesy in sending a copy of their
notice and resolution. We remain,
Yours very truly.
THE RARRER ASPHALT PAVING
COMPANY.
BY l.. p. CONWAY.
Superintendent for Arizona"