The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-28
BECK AND FOLKES
FOR LOWEST BID
Opposed Award of Paving Con-
tract to Atlantic Bitulithic
Company.
FAVORED CHEAPER OFFER
Claim Made That City Could
Have Saved $4,000 on Some
thing Just as Good.

An unpleasant aftermath of tho nav
ing awards made on Thursday night h..
the Administrative Board came to sur
iaee Yesterday in the form of marked
criticism OF the boards action In
awardinS 10 the Atlantic Bitulithic
Company contract for 29.SGs square
yards OF hitulithic paving ut so2O n
Eard. This particular paving. il is
believed by those who criticize tho
award, is in no marked respect Hl-
perior 20 asphaltic concrete, which
I ,d nave been substituted by the
board FOR $ld1 4 square yard Mt a
SAVING of approximately $1,000
Both pavements," said Henry p
seek yesterday. are alike in that they
oHer Two inches of wearing surface
based on five inches OF concrete While
the bitulithic product, understand. is
manufactured by a patented process I
90 not believe that il is better for
our purposes than tho asphaltic con
crete Certainly, there is not enough
difference 10 warrant - cents differ
ehce I'm price. and | was opposed 70
letting the contracts"
Beck Opposed Awards.
An examination OF the records shows
mat Mr.. Beck uniformly voted against
every award TO the Atlantic Eitulith.c
company, Offering in several cases sub
stitute motions awarding the contracts
10 the Central Construction and sup
ply Company of HARRISBURG Pa.
makers Of asphaltic concrete. In most
Instances the substitutes were voted
down.
The board divided the smooth-pav-
ing contracts between three bidders
the Washington Asphalt, Block and
Tile Company. of Washington. II c.;
the Atlantic Bituli,hic Company. OF this
city. ana the Central Construction ana
supply Company. Tho last named COM
pany was awarded contracts for %
>Sl square Yards OF asphaltic concrete
paving al sl.67 a yard
The bids We're considered by the
board behind closed doors. City Engi-
necr Boiling was appealed to in one
case for an opinion as TO the compare
tive value OF the bitulithic and as
phaltic concrete paving. and replied.
in effect that for practical purposes
there was little choice between the
two. Despite this opinion and the
opposition of Mr.. Beck. the board
awarded contracts for 2o.sG6 yards OF
bitulithic paving at the higher price.
Advised Cheaper Paving.
City Engineer Boiling said yesterday
that nc had seen several miles OF
sheet paving in Washington, approxi-
mating asphaltic concrete in quality
and formula. ana that. in his opinion,
that paving was as durable as btu
lithic. While the latter paving Is
more expensive and may conceivably
he better. he said, the cheaper paving
appeared to give as good service. He
had recommended the adoption of the
cheaper paving TO the board
The bitulithic paving lad a strong
friend on the board III Chairman
Whittet. who repeatedly opposed Mr..
Bcck's motions TO substitute asphaltic
concrete. Mr.. Whittct was in most
cases OF division supported by Carl
ton Mccarthy and John ITirschbcrg,
while Mr. Eolkes voted uniformly with
Mr. Beck
Mr.. Whittct, when asked Yesterday
for an explanation of his attitude to
the rival paVcments, replied that he
was not willing TO go TOO deeply into
an experiment. Asphaltic concrete. he
said, was comparatively unknown. and
the contracts awarded to it's makers
give it a full and fair trial 1t would
have been a mistake. lie thought, to
put al! tn" eggs IL one basket.
Defend HitnIithic.
Oinccrs OF the Atlantic Bitulith!c
Company gave assurance yesterday
that the city has not Numbered. Ac-
cordinS 10 Vice President j. l.. Poole
OF the company, the bitulithc paving,
which will be laid down In accord
ahce with the Warren Bros patent,
is Tar superior to the cheaper product
The wearing surface OF bitulith!c.'
SAID Mr.. Poole. lis composed Of stone
and asphalt binder. Asphaltic CON
crete. on the other hand. is made IN Of
sand and gravel with an asphalt bind
er and contains besides n much higher
pcrcentag" of voids. l am of course.
not familiar with the formula OF the
asphaltic concrete that tho city has
contracted for, bat l assume that it
is practically what we know as the
Topeka formula"
Mr.. Poole directed attention TO the
statement that his company had sub
United also bids for asphaltic concrete
and ut a price several cents lower than
was paid by the city for the asphaltic
concrete ii bought. The bid for this
class of pavement, he said, was based
on tn" Topeka formula. 1t differed
from the city Engineers specifications.
he said. only in that it provided Next
can asphalt Instead Of Bermuda. which
was called for.
TIE representative OF the Harris
burg company. which received the
award for the asphaltc concrete. could
not last night he located. lie WAS in
the city on Thursday whom the con-
tracts were awarded.