Atlanta Georgian., 1913-03-12
COUNTY ASPHALT 7
EXPENSIVE, CITY
B|DSD|SCLOSE
Battle for Paving Material Con-
tracts Shows Illogical Differ
ence in Prices.

Illogical differences in the prices
charged the city and county for as
nhalt were brought to light today as a
resuIt of the bitter fight between va
rious companies for the 1913 asphalt
contracts of the city and county.
The fact that the sewer and streets
committee, in joint session, refused to
accent the lowest asphalt bid and post
noned action over the protest of Chief
of construction R. NJ. Clayton has
started many wild reports.
A majority of the joint committees
seemed to favor the lake asphalt of the
Barber Asphalt Company, regardless of
its higher cost. They postponed action,
if was stated, to get the benefit of the
advice of an asphalt expert which
county Commissioners w. T. Winn and
2 thurman have gone North to hire
Greer Advocates Delay.
Councilman j. j. Greer was the prin-
cinaI advocate of postponement, stat
ing that he had been informed that
lake asphalt made a more durable pave
n7ent than the artificial asphalts, al
though it did not analyze as well.
The bid Of the Barber Company, a
branch of the lake asphalt trust, was
s29.5O per ton, the highest submitted
The lowest bid was that of the Texas
Company. $21.75. The Texas product
analyzed better, also. The bids of the
standard Oil and other companies We're
between these.
The surprising fact made known to-
day, though, is that the county paid
s3S.40 per ton for the Barber asphalt
used in paving part of Marietta street
from North avenue to the Howell Mill
road In addition, the county is paying
Warren Bros, of Boston. $15 per ton
ROYALTY for their mixing recipe This
makes the countys asphalt cost S5S.40
per ton.
City Pays No Royalty
Captain Clayton said today that the
city paid 70 royalty for any mixing
recipe The county's price per ton for
asphalt is, therefore, more than twice
as much as that paid by the city.
Constant efforts have been made
to influence me to draw specifications
favoring lake asphalt for % years de-
clared Captain Clayton. But I'll quit
my job before I'll be guilty of such dis
elimination"
Chairman Shelby Smith, of the coun-
~ commission, is an earnest advocate
of lake asphalt 1t is said that the
,-l,ol, ,,,,bIic works ooro p1itten of tbe
county commission favors it over other
asphaltic materials. The action of
The council committees in delaying ac-
ton was to wait on the advice of the
county officials. The fact of the eX-
pressed preference of the county Of
ficials and the great differences in the
cost of materials: in fact. the differ
ences in the prices paid for the same
materials by the city and county, have
intensified the bitterness of the fight
of the various asphalt companies and
stimulated rumors.
Clayton Urges Action.
Captain Clayton told the committee
there was no reason to delay action at
all. He said the bids had been submit
ted under standard specifications and
that the samples had been analyzed by
The Pratt laboratory, which he con-
sidered as capable an authority as any.
He denounced the theory that some
materials were better than others,
though they won't analyze as well.
Thomas H Goodwin, the lawyer,
made a speech in favor of delaying the
acceptance of a bid for lake asphalt.
When Councilman Claude l.. Ashley
asked him whom he represented, he said
he appeared only as a citizen.
The lowest bids on all other mate
rails were accepted.