New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-02
PARK BOARD ROUSES
PAVING CONCERNS IRE
Rejection of Lowest Bids for
Laying Pavement Leads to
Attack on Official.
CLASH AT PUBLIC MEETING
Matter Will Be Taken Up Again
Thursday-Work Must Be
Completed in 100 Con
secutive Days.

Following its rejection two weeks ago
OF all bids for the construction OF large
section Of the West Drive. IN Central Park.
at q cost OF sac. 400 tho Park Board will
open bids again on THURSDAY. Road paw
inS concerns have been stirred 10 a hisn
pitch ever since the board rejected the
bios for such action vas taken by that
body AZ = three-hour executive session
following serious charges against a park
official
Dayton Hodges n contractor. Of No.
1851 Broadway. made allegations at the
public meeting that Louis +. la Roche.
chief assistant Of Park COMMISSIONS
Stoye-. had gone 10 other contracting con-
Germs stating that hedges the lowest bid
dor was not able TO undertake such job
and that his credit Was questionable.
l. Roche was formerly in the Finance
Department. and has $4,000 year job
in the Park Department now as an OK
smincr. which post he has held for about
two Years.
Hedges. according 20 a statement he
made Yesterday. was the lowest bidder.
and the next lowest was the Warner. Quin-
y
duccd ~ tho board meeting rejecting tho
tpo lowest bids on the ground that the
materials submitted by the contractors
voro not m 10 specifications. Tho next
bidder was 20 got the contract II Was
Inc Sicllian Compauy which has done
considerable work for tho Park Depart
mont
n was hero that Mr Hedges and Mr..
Ia Roche clashed Following some re-
marks 10y the latter. Mr.. Hedges aros"
and declared that his character was AZ
stake. and then alleged that La Roche had
gone 70 tho Neuchatel COMPANY and others
supplying material 70 the contractors. say
ing Hedges could not carry out the con
tract should ~. got a. and making other
de-oratory remarks
La Roche denied IN. charges but &C
cordlug 70 Hedges. there uss corrohora-
ton ~ his statements from one 81 tho
men seen hy ~ Roche. who arose and
stated that u Roche had been 20 see him.
T. also vas charged that Ia Roche had
st,led himself representative Of the
Park Roard Commissioner Kennedy
said no Vas not. and then ~ developed
shat hc was representing only the Borough
OF Manhattan
AZ tho cIosr of ire executive meeting
that followed all tho bids were rejected.
When seen ycSicrday Mr.. Hedges said .
% am going 20 submit my bid again
and shall send the same sort OF ma
trriai 10 the board as was sent before. "
was tested %, chemists The other time
and va. up 20 the specifications, but this
time am hayinl sln chemists on the jon
II am the low bidder ncNt time I'm go
INK % .nslt On getting the contract II
I'm not. then 70 will mean that though
vas tho lowest bidder before I did not
a,tft and I'll be- ;he loser.
"Tns-e is no intention on my part 70
~ritIpi-e tho Park. BOARD, and did not
intend 20 rake o. squeal IN the meeting
T. Vas onlv when NJ Ia Roche said
things that ansered me that I got UP and
e>poscd h,s Visits 20 contractors 90 injurv
NJ, standing Thee companies notife1
rc that he had made such visits and
was corroborated IN the meeting.
And another thing When the board
demanded NJ samples one part OF IN :
,tno vas missing don't know where Il
went 20. because rent u With the two
other samples necessary under the speol-
hcatons
Neither does il look good for an en-
glove OF the Park Department To g.
around between tho time the bids are
opened and the contracts awarded and
do what was done.
NJ Hedges said he had done consider
able park work especially In other Dor
cuchs
Mr.. Ia Roche appea red before the board
las; THURSDAY TO speak again on the sub
iect but Commissioner KENNEDY said that
a. the absence Of Park Commissioner
stover there would be no further consider
alton Of a.
There were six bidders in all. The con
tract In question calls for the laying OF
bItumlnous pavement on the West Drive
from lIOth street and Eighth avenue
.oiitherlv to Tod street and from the Web
ster Monument southerly 10 J9th street
ard F,fth avenue The time allowed Tor
th,. completion OF the contract is one nun
dred consecutive working days
N,atN nIAtn