The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-24
PAVING CONTRACTS MAY
BE AWARDED TOMORROW
Board Fixes Date for
Special Session To Pass Upon
Matter.
RESCINDS FORMER \,
ACTION
Committee will Not Go to baltimore
TO Have Asphalt TcStctl-Way
Now Believed to BE Clear for
Final Vote.

RESOLUTIONS adopted Yesterday by the
administrative Board nN $50 oclock
Tomorrow afternoon for Il special scS
sion 10 pass upon tn" smooth paving
BIDS which lave been awaiting disposi-
ton for about ten days. 1t IL believed
now. that the way IS clear for IA final
vote on tho awards.
further delay OF - wccl, Was OBJ
waited when the board rcsCiudcd vostar-
day TIA" resolution adopted ON Monday
appointing a special committee to pro.
coed to Baltimore with samples Of AZ.
tee and Bcrmudcz Lake asphalt for TIA,
purpose OF analysis by the city Chemist
of that city.
The Baltimore expedition was sharp
Is criticized on the ground that an an.
alySis by the city chemist Of Balti.
moro could add nothing TO the informa.
ton that tho boarG already has about
tn. t"o asphaltS.- I; was pointed ont
that The formula Of tho two products
were wcli-knowr and that the Ralti.
more chemist would bc in Il position tc
supply 40 information that was not
readily available in Richmond.
Tn" action OF the Board in rescind.
ing the resolution directing the com.
mitice TO 20 to Baltimor" WAS re.
ceivcd with general satisfaction. Tn.
resembling order was adopted by a vot,
OF TO >. I'rschbcrc and Whittct vot.
Ing against II, and NcCarth:. Beck an,
Foik"S, voting for II.
BIDS for smooth paving apgrcratinl
In value Approximately s1GJ,UoO awai
disposition The hold-up rcvolvc abou'
the question az TO whether tho cit;
shall spccify Aztec or Bcrmudcz as
phalt as the binder to be used in In,
sheet paving MI the bidders offer I,
supply either. uniformly quoting til.
sauarc-yard cost ten cents higher l.
Bcrtnudcz asphalt Is used
EITHER PRODUCT Will.
MEET NEED OF CITY
1t is estimated that Approximately
100000 square yards of sheet paving
Will bc laid. The use Of Aztec in.teae
OF Bcrmudez asphalt in this WORK
would save tho city about $4,000. ant
the board has been engaged in investI-
eating the comparative value Of tn,
two binders for the city''s purposes.
city Engineer Polling has express Cd
the belief that Bcrmudoz asphalt was
The moro desirable. basing his recon
mcndation on LONG experience with |,
in city work He has told the board
however. that the chemical analysis OF
Aztec asphalt showed IL TO be vel
within the city's specifications, and that
while he personally advised the use OF
the Bcrmudez product. he would not
object TO the use of Aztec asphal,
should the board specify IT,
Mr.. liirschberg. who has led the
fight FOR consideration of the claims
OF the Aztec asphalt has received as
surances from engineers and con
tractors in many of tho large cities
of the country that they considered
Aztec as good as Bermudez asphalt for
paving purposes. and would not pay
more 10 secure the last-namcd product
The asphalt controversy has been
threshed out at length at several meet
ings, and II is believed that each mem
Der Of the board has made up his mind
n
iivcs OF the companies controlling the
two asphalts in question have been II
| the city several days pressing III,
claims OF their products.
Three OF the twelve bidders ON the
smooth paving work have retired from
the competition after securing from tn,
board permission 10 withdraw the ccrti.
hed checks deposited by them as cvi.
dence OF good faith. The nine remain.
ing bidders include the Atlantic Btu
lithic Company. the Central Construc-
ticn Company and tho Washington
Asphalt Block and Tile Company-thc
three concerns which have in the past
done practically all OF the city's
smooth paving work.