Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-31
MAYOR ASKS PROBE OF
MECHANIC ST. JOB AND
RAPS BOARD OF WORKS
Vetong Approval of Contract Mr. Haussng Declares Com
nissoners Ignored Him in Authorizing Work, and Mayors
Engineer Regulations Not Lived UP to by Contractor

Condemning the Board of Works
for the manner in which it granted
permission for the repaving of a
small portion of Mechanic street with
wood block by private parties, and
charging that the pavement as laid
is not up to specifications, Mayor
Jacob Haussling today vetoed the re-
solution approving the contract for
the work.
Appended to the veto of the mayor,
which was received by the board at
it's session this afternoon was a re-
port on the work by j. w. Howard,
civil engineer, who has been engaged
by the executive in an investigation
on the Broad street work.
The mayors letter in part follows:
IT return herewith, without my ap-
proval, a resolution adopted by your
honorable body on July "a last, APP
proving an appended contract be-
tween the National State Bank and
Progressive Investment Company,
party of the first part. and O'Gara
& MCGUIRE, corporation, party of
the second part, for the paving of
Mechanic street for a distance of 1876
feet with wood block pavement.
Calls circumstances Peculiar.
There are some circumstances OF
this transaction which are so peculiar
that / feel they should be detailed
at some length. In October, 1912. the
Board of Street and Water Commits
sioners adopted a motion giving the
parties of the first part, already men,
toned, the privilege of paving pri-
vately that portion of Mechanic
street upon which their properties
abut with a smooth, durable pave
ment according to standard specifica-
tions of the City of Newark. The
granting of permission to private
parties to pave streets at their own
expense is not unusual, but I do not
recall any other instance during my
service as Mayor when a simple mo-
ton of the board was employed to
convey the city's consent to the doing
of such work. Ordinarially a reso-
luton requiring action by the Mayor
is the form employed in such at mat
ter.
II do not care to speculate upon
the reasons which led to this unusual
course, but in this instance will con-
tent myself with the statement that
| would feel warranted and justified
in refusing executive approval to the
final stage of a proceeding, the pre-
liminary steps in which had been
authorized or attempted to be au-
thorized without submission to the
Mayor. In word, if the board has
legal power to authorize such work
without consulting the Mayor, then
it seems to me it logically must have
the power to approve the contract al
so independently of the Mayor.
Regulations Not Complied With.
IN the early part OF July, this
year, Mechanic street was suddenly
torn up and the wood block pave
ment was hurriedly laid for the dis
lance mentioned in the resolution.
Some three weeks afterwards the
contract for this work is laid upon my
desk and my signature invited to the
resolution approving it. Under the
circumstances, have taken some
pains to ascertain whether or not the
regulations prescribed by the city in
such cases have been complied with.
They have not been complied with
wholly or substantially.
"At the time the motion of per-
mission was granted by the board of
1912. the latest wood block pavement
laid in the city was that in South
~ ttY.fsa ntat1 - n
street work was not done in accor-
dance with the specifications for that
pavement or for the pavement of
West Park street, laid some years
previously. At the time the Mechanic
street work was done, your honorable
body had adopted certain specifica-
tons looking to the paving of Broad
street with wood block. The Mechanic
street work is not done in accordance
with the Broad street specifications
Thus. whether we hold that the Four
teenth street specifications constitute
the standard of the city, or whether
we hold that the Broad street speci-
flcations constitute the standard of
street work does not meet either
SldnuuTQ.
Not Up TO Specifications.
Moreover, the Mechanic street
work does not comply with even the
specifications set up in the contract
itself. The wood is not of the
quality demanded, the oil is not of
the specific gravity stipulated. the
treatment with creosote resin has
been omitted and the material has
not been laid upon the style of
foundation agreed upon or grouted
in the manner prescribed by the con-
tract. There are some minor
deviations from the contracts re-
quirements, but those | have men,
toned seem to me to be sufficient.
I'VE thus have the spectacle of a
contracting firm entering upon a
1t1hlfr tub of ha nit 90