The Detroit times., 1913-02-24
RIG FIGHT ON ASPHALT
BIDS Is THREATENED
,con,Ins-d from Page one

AIR Bakers representatives also
call attention 10 the fact that the rec
concentrations OF the com missioner
\ vrere reported rs ready 20 be submit
eel "a the council tWo weeks ago. and
4 nat tbcy have been held mp for some
,,nLnown reason They also claim
that for several years the Barter As
: Mali paving co. has been getting tho
bulk of the asphalt contracts. This is
horne out By the facts. which show the
following contracts with the Barber
cCmpany:
1912 200 tons Trinidad and 2.0OG
tons Bermudez
l9ll--A considerable quantity.
j l9l0-700 tons Trinidad and 500
tons Bermudez
! l90g--5O0 tons Trinidad.
4 In this latter year the A. l.. Barber
| Asphalt Co. also received contract
{ FOR 500 tons OF Obispo asphalt, and IN
I the four years before 1909 the A. [.
( Barber company received the bulk OF
( the asphalt contracts. These are the
companies which have handled the
natural asphalt OF South America
This year the Barber Asphalt Paw
| ms Co has offered Trinidad asphalt at
$2l 90 TO $2l.65 per ton, according 10
whether the shipment is by water or
rail, from its New Jersey plant. and
Bermudez, asphalt at $27.55 10 S2Sl5
per ton.
Mr. Bakers bids are S2l.60 for Cali.
fornia asphalt in barrels: the Barber
compny includes the weight OF its
barrels.
Another company is Offering Aztec
asphalt at s20.sO, and the d. f. W.
hau Lee. 4 4
! specify TO the contrary, that this also
is net weight, and that IL is, ther efore,
under Mr.. Bakers lowest bid
Proctor Makes Defense.
Authorized by Commissioner Haap
er. Clarence A. Proctor, asphalt eI
pert OF the d. p. W. for the pas, ten
years, answered Mr. Baker as follows
Our specifications are those drawn
UP in Erie. Pa, two years ago as the
Uniform asphalt specifications. We do
not feel that We have TO advertise
I these, "a they are we'll knownAt, as
phalt contractors. We do feel that we
ought 10 saw that the asphalt must be
satisfactory 10 the department b'
cause We know that asphalts have Civ.
Ell us the best satisfaction
The reason why he cannot have
our asphalt delivered in tank cars is
that We hive no facilities for ahncling
II in that fashion. We have no track
room at the western yards for SIS ring
tank cars. and we have no space for
the construction OF tanks such as
would be needed for storing the as
phalt If We were 10 empty the cars as
they arrive Our tanks in the western
yards can hold a little over two tons
OF asphalt. Consequently We must
have the asphalt delivered in barrels.
Mr. Bakers asphalt may be very
good asphalt now, but until two years
ago his Texaco asphalt was lacking
in uniformity and could not be de-
pendeti>on in all circumstances. Since
then he has made improvements We
made trial or TeXaco last year, and
We shall make further trials OF IL.
AS FOR his California asphalt. We have
used manufactured asphalt from Cali.
fornia for years 10 mix with Trint
dad for our binder. Trinidad is low
in bitumer. so We have used Cali
fornia TO bring up the proportion. We
shall buy considerable California
asphalt this year, il my recommends
tions 10 the commissioner are fol
lowed
II is true that Mr. Baker has b.
Aztec people have also sent in net
weight bid and II this is true, Mr.
Baker is not the lowest bidder on
manufactured asphalt
As for a saving or money TO the
city | can merely point 70 our streets
and TO the fact that the cost OF main.
tenance has been extremely low.
attribute this 20 the fact that we have
used the best materials at the start
These materials have cost moFp--han
many tina thave been offered. but they
have proven, TO my mind. the cheap
est in the long run"
Mr.. Proctor has a laboratory at the
western yards where tests are made
of the asphalt submitted
Points Out Streets.
To verify his statement that Ber-
,mudez and Trinidad asphalt. though
expensive, has given satisfaction in
Detroit. he points 20 the following
streets:
Ferry-ave.. from Woodward-sve 70
Hastings-st., paved in 1887 and still
in use.
Palmer-ave., from Woodward-ave. 10
the Brush farm line paved In 1888.
Cass-ave. from Ledyard-st TO War
ren-ave.. paved in 1889.
Seoond-ave, from Holdenbave. TO
Forest-ave., paved in 1890,
Woodward-ave., from Campus Ma
thus TO Jeffersonaye.. resurfaced in
1898.
Campus Martius, resurfaced In 1895.
Mr. Proctor also has many others
on his list.
THE streets committee may do as
IL likes about the commissioners rec
concentrations" he says 1T Is not
for me 20 defy the committee. But
my reputation depends on the pave
ments which | lay. and want 20 lay