Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-01
STEVENS WANTS
INVESTIGATION
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is a panaeea for all road troubles
fifth, he charges that | have not
allowed open and honest competition;
sixth, he criticises the use of convicts
on roads, and, seventh, he demands
an investigation of my department.
Needs No Technical Knowledge.
Il. As to this charge. it is too in
definite in character to admit of any
specific answer, further than cor
rect statement as to the example
given in the letter, and as to the
alleged confession of incompetence.
As to the latter, ! cannot recall the
admission of incompetence to Mr.
McGovern in the Hudson County
Court House or elsewhere, beyond a
TICKING remark to the effect that
some detail was not up to me and
ending ] am only the commissl 1ner.
AS a matter of fact my road-building
experience began with tn design
and construction of macadam roads
in Hudson county about 1886. Even
were the statement correct, the law
does not require of the commissioner
any technical knowledge, and none
of my predecessors have had any.
"As to the Trenton Lawrenceville
road, the contractor has not yet done
all the work required of him under
his contract. The road has failed in
places, but the failure has been due
not to be material employed, but to
deficient drainage and lack of proper
foundation. This former defect has
been remedied. The latter cause of
failure is pretty well proved by the
fact that wherever new foundation
was laid the road today Is in salts
factory condition. The law under
which the work was done, chapter
III, p. L., 1910, requires of the road
department no examination of site or
approval of plans Its duty is merely
to approve specifications and award
contract The rest devolves on the
county.
McGovern Did Not Stand Test.
MIR. McGovern's connection with
this job deserves mention. When bids
We're opened his was the lowest The
specification required the submission
of samples of the bitumen to be used
already fiuxed and ready for use. Mr..
McGovern's sample was not fluxed
and, consequently, not ready for use,
but consisted of can of asphalt and
one of hux. This informality, | take
1t, was sufficient to demand rejection.
The chemist to the geological survey,
who acts for the road department as
we'll reported that. nevertheless, he
An sol al
McGovern's request and as directed
by him The result was not up to the
requirements of the specification. Mr..
McGovern subsequently made a re-
quest for a repetition of the test
This, If granted could have led to no
result. The only question was wheth-
er the sample came up to the specl-
flcation, not whether, out OF the ma
terials submitted, a proper sample
could be produced. Whatever may be
the cost and quality of an asphalt, 1t
can be ruined in fiuxing. The sample
by Mr.. Newton, the next
lowest bidder, also failed. l recon-
re-advertising, but. at the
urgent request of the county. and in
view of the fact that the loss of time
incident to such course would pre-
vent the completion of the work be-
fore the winter, I agreed to approve
an award on the lowest qualified bid.
The standard specification provides
for the type of road cited by Mr. Nc
Govern as an example of what should
be done. This type is known as Fill
bertine. The name, | take 1t, is a
one. being derived from
the Filbert Paving Company of Penn
sylvania.
1.-THE short piece. cited by Mr..
McGovern, a good example of btu
minous concrete, was laid. as a
and to some extent as an eX-
pertinent before l took office. The late
engineer of Mercer has stated,
with my approval, that he was pre-
pared to recommend this, or like
for resurfacing all impor-
tant roads in that county, If it We're
possible to do so at the price of this
sample piece Such a figure, however,
1t has been impossible to obtain. Mr..
McGovern does not cite the unsuc
cessful Filbertine pavement laid on
this same street as a result of the
pavement is In deplorable condition.
l am informed that the freeholders
of Mercer are about to proceed to
the bondsmen to put this road
into proper shape. l am also advised
that this road has been severely, but
justly, criticised in the editorial page
of the Trenton Times.
AL ErfJanca watuat GtaR
20. The staff of the department holds
office under the civil service law II
have invited Mr.. McGovern and
others to, submit any evidence war
ranting removal. None has been sub
mitted and ! have been able to find
none. | shall not remove any man
for political reasons.
--.,.s-=-.s.'s-~u-R