Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-15
FREEHOLDERS OK.
B|TUL|TH|C AWARD
Contract Given by Board to
New York Company
Despite Protest.

Declaring that the specifications
we're approved by State Commissioner
Stevens and that the protest received
yesterday afternoon was from a dis
gruntled" contractor. the Board of
Freeholders by a vote of to APP
proved the bid of the Standard Btu
lithic Company, of New York. for the
paving of Myrtle avenue. with war
renite." The bid of the concern was
$24,697.30, and was the lowest of five
bids received for the work by the road
committee Monday afternoon.
The matter was the subject of con-
siderable debate between Freebooter
Malta, on the one hand, who wanted
the resolution awarding the contract
| referred back to the road board, and
| members of the road committee on
the other who denied the assertions
contained in the letter. which was
written by c. e. Mcdowell. a local
contractor.
The letter declared that the speci-
fications on file in the county engi-
neer's office are not the same as those
on file in the State road commission
er's office, as called for in the adver
tisements for bids, and are not APP
proved by him, also that the bid of
the Standard Bitulithic Company, the
lowest of the lot, was not in accord
ance with the specifications on file in
the county engineers office.
These facts" the letter read, Il am
prepared to prove, and are irrespective
OF the fact that the closed speciflca-
tons do not permit any one Compel
ing Tin facD with the Bitulithic Com
pany. and this we protest against
Freebooter Malta argued that by
referring the matter back to the road
board the latter could have the adj
vantage of noting the outcome of the
controversy in the Board of Works.
1t had come to the attention of some
OF the freeholders, he said, that the
pavement In question was a patent
controlled by one concern, and 1t was
his opinion that the county should
arrange Its specifications without be-
ing compelled to purchase from this
company, if that were the case espe-
clally since the State Department of
Roads would not approve specifica-
lions which unduly limit competition
between bidders.
Freeholder Gilbert, chairman of the
road board, denied emphatically that
the bidders had been under any re-
strlctions and declared that for such
roads as Myrtle avenue, for which the
| contract in question was awarded the
county road officials had found, after
much experimenting, that warren
lite" was the only pavement that
stands the racket"
In the plan to permanently pave
several thoroughfares like Springfield
and Bloomfield avenues, granite
block was the pavement selected, he
/ ga id hIit Whpra fhn ctr &c
ly to be torn up at intervals for pipe
| laying, the ''warrenite" was pre-
ferred, and added that the only OBJ
| jections had come from "disgruntled
contractors" I'VE have had some
experiences with the gentleman who
makes the present objections" he
said This man has been with va
rious paving concerns that made con-
tracts with this county in recent
years, and in nearly every instance
| the contract was not completed"
The Directing contractor. Mr. Gill
bert stated later on. had on last
Monday submitted a bid for the work
on Myrtle avenue. which bid was
thrown out on account of being ir-
| regular in having been sent unsealed.
Specifications Approved.
Mr. Gilbert said that State Road
Commissioner Stevens. after a con-
ference with Governor Fielder and
Attorney General Wilson, stated that
ii was impossible TO advertise differ
emily. The specifications. he said,
were approved by Colonel Stevens.
County Engineer Reimer said the
specifications were drawn up careful
ly by him with consideration for the
particular kind of paving required for
Myrtle avenue, individually, and de-
clared that he would defy any object
ing contractors to prove that war
renite" is anything but superior to the
kind they are promoting. He had no
apologies to make for the specifica-
tons as drawn by him, he said.
According to Director Evans, the
"warrenite" paving laid down In the
county in the past had proved to be
the most lasting 1t was explained
by Freebooter Gilbert that the patent
part of the pavement is only the top,
which was a very small portion OF
the complete work.