The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-14
A COMPROMISE WITH THE lLLEGAL NARRENITE CONTRACTS WOULD BE
 | COMPROMISE WITH DISGRACE


J r-HE FARMER has from time to time fur-
 nished its readers with certain facts regarding the progress of Warrenite paving in Bridgeport, and has from time to time interpret ed those facts in accordance with reason.
 1t presented the facts with respect to the Warrenite contracts of 1913, end has presented the facts about the Warrenite contracts of 1914.
 It sees no occasion to change it's views in either case, though some of it's contemporarle who have been in possession of the same facts, have recently, for some nlysterinus reason, ex- ectltsd a double somersault and now believe or say they do, that the contracts of 1914 should be ratified by the paving commission and thus lsenlized-
 Ii is such sudden reversals of form as this that bring the press in constant doubt before the speople There is no question but newspa- perz share the common danger of being mis- takens
 But in this case there is no mistake. The facts are numerous, thoroughly established and disastrous to any theory that the illegal con tracts ought to be legalized
 These contracts are for pavement that has not met approval in the state of Conneeti- cut to the extent that the large contracts sud- denly made for it under e former regime were The occasion of serious scandal
 Tn New York state John A, Fl ennesseY, graft investigators ade this paYenaant the object of some Hery serious observations
 New Haven where some of it was laid, the ptples are far from gsa tisfied
 Itand Rapid ail 8t 9ther cities the eff forts 6k The makers to inhict their pavement have been. met with IitiggaEi on. which has ter minated to the satisfaction of the cities.
 Al Of these facts were known here and adr vancs AerE le the contracts sei peared that even theg w vafren Bros must have believed there was doubt as to tn validity os the contracts, because their counsel wrote tC Mayor Wilson that tte co pany did not wi tt begin u5of ' rnEnission was toaopS pose. The contracts at that time were made without form of bidding, and after bill pro viding funds to pay for the work received queer handling in the General Assembly.
 Now come the contracts for 1914, made without competition or bidding, and without lawful authority, and without funds lawfully provided to pay for the work.
 Under this arrangement it is attempted tC take the work from the paving commission, anc t0 c0nf1de it to the director of public works anc the committee on streets and sidewalks of tho common council, the latter a body which fail. to command very large share of public conf dence.
 Mayor Wilson has betrayed an almost des psrate eagerness to have the contracts validat ed by the paving commission. The reports o what he has said give better idea of his atti tnde and his anxiety than anything that coulc be printed here.
 This very eagerness, standing by itself points very strongly to the conclusion that thu contracts should not be legalfzed, and will con tinue to so point until it is adequately explained
 City Attorney William H. *Comley, has ren dsred an opinion that the contracts are illegal
 City Engineer Terryesays that he was no consulted regarding the pavennent and aver that it is not suitable to lay on streets whert there are trolley tracks
 The paving commission declines to validaf, the contracts, says that the price of the pave ment is too high, that the manner of makin, the contracts cannot meet with it's approval an, that it will supervise no contracts not subrnitte, to bidding. The commission also objects be cause pavement is denied to streets like Nob avenue, where it is wanted, and is to be- put ol streets where it is not wanted that it is to b put on streets that are not much used thorough fares, and not to be put on streets that have comparatively heavy traffic.
 zsT The very lefter of the contracts 4indicat them to be unsatisfactory.
 There is no adequate method of insurin the purity and quality of the materials Tn use of gravel is permitted. The city, gets War renite cementssinstead of asphalt The con traets spfovide for top surface of but two inch esssssvben spreads whereas the usual provisio in such pavements is for two inches after com pression.7 The guarantee is not extended [ the pavement when it is laid within two feet C trolley rail es lssaf
 The Connecficut Company -eIng ordere 10 lav Warrenite between it's tracks on Fairfiel