New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-20
ASPHALT TRUST BATTLE
PROMISED At ALBANY
Bitter Fight on Combine Before
Highway Commissioner Is
Independents Plan.
TALK OF 100000 900 GRAB
Specifications of Present Con-
tracts Favor Monopoly Even
More than Before, Say
Opposition Leaders.
TALK OF 100000 900 GRAB

Sensational proceedings are likely at
the public hearing which the State Com
missioner Of Highways. John y. Carlisle.
will hold in Albany on Wednesday cover
Ing proposed specifications OF highway
forecast that was made last night BY
4. W. Dow. OF the firm OF Dow e. Smith,
consulting chemists. OF No. 1871 East sd
street.
Independent asphalt companies are go
Ing to make a desperate onslaught on the
so-called trust. according to Mr.. Dow,
in an effort 10 get contracts for some OF
the work on highways on which the state
will expend some 100000 The indie
pendent asphalt people are centring their
fight on 4 specification for asphalt which
will enable them to make bids for paw
Ing and roadmaklng. \ representative OF
the Independents. George Calvert. OF No.
III Broadway. said last night:
The proposed specifications under
which this vast sum will be used were
prepared by Mr.. CarlIsle's board OF con-
sulting engineers. and at the hearing on
Wednesday n warfare Is promised such
as has not been witnessed In the state
In many years. Contractors engineers
and highway building and material ex-
perts Will be at Albany in profuslon.
THE present fight dates back to the Dix
administration. when monopoly on high
way construction was accorded TO csr-
tain brands Of asphalt. which were desiS.
mated under the term OF natural asphalt
This so-called natural asphalt is practi-
cally controlled by the trust. When the
Sulzer administration came in IL was
expected that this monopoly would cease.
but when the first lot Of contracts was
advertised last summer II was found that
I'm a majority OF those calling for asphalt
construction the natural asphalt people
had most Of the proposed contracts tied
up for them
''The Warner Qulnlan Asphalt Company
brought an injunction suit In July against
the State Highway Commissioner to re-
strain him from awarding any OF these
contracts where the specifications pro-
vidod for natural asphalt This injunc-
ton suit is now pending in the Appellate
Division.
The independents contend that under
the proposed spccincat tons for building
the future highways Of the state they are
drawn so as to favor grossly the paving
products OF the asphalt trust The pre-
vailing price In New York State OF So
called natural asphalt is approximately
sS2 A ton. while the so-called oil asphalt
Is $50 a ton"
Mr. Dow. In commenting on these speci-
fcations. said: IL have examined these
specifications. and they are n great sur
prise, after the reinsurance from Mr.
Carlisle last summer TO the effect TINT
he would have the specifications OF New
York State rewritten by an expert and
that they would be open to all good paw
Ing materials The specifications he has
submitted are worse. II such thing is
possible, than those which he meant TO
replace. They are so written as to per-
NIT the use OF most inferior materials.
and at the same time exclude many OF
the highest grade asphalts."