Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1914-06-16
martin Hansen, al Meeting OF Ai-
dermen Last Night, Says In
justice is Being Done in
Awarding City Contracts.
he CHARGES BLIND FIGURING

contracts for paving Mechanic.
oak and Cortlandt streets were
awarded to the Hastings Pavement
company, the only bidder, at a meet
ing OF the Board of Aldermen last
night, and the work of Installing
sewers IN other streets was given to
local contractors. AS a result of the
iofmer award, the meeting termi-
hateu IN a wrangle between Alder
man John j. Clark and William @,
wilson and an attempt was made to
eApose an alleged asphalt trust. Mar
tih hansen, contractor living in
oak street, predicted just how the
paving bids would be received and
the contracts would be awarded to
tne hastings concern. He claimed IL
was an injustice to local contract
ors and to property owners here and
protested strongly, both verbally
and by letter.
Mt. Hansen tried four times, with
out avail, to have his communication
read before the awards were made.
lie was ruled out of order each time.
Alderman -at-Large w. GUY Weaver
stating that his letter would receive
attention under the proper head Of
business. When the communication
was read and ordered received and
filed, Mr.. Clark said he could not un-
derstand why such a letter should be
received by the council Mr.. Weay.
er stated it was communicataut.sS ~
many others, which should rec6tx4
attention. The letter follows:
Perth Amboy, June 15, 1914.
TO the Honorable Mayor and Board
| OF Aldermen, City of Perth AM
boy, N j.
l"Gentlemen:
| Il, as contractor and property
owner in the city of Perth Amboy.
do not feel it Is justice to award con-
tracts for asphalt pavements, as I
have tried my utmost to get figures
from the Hastings Paving Co. but
never got an answer / also tried to
get figures for Barber Asphalt bnt
was told by Mr.. Fowler he could not
quote any price at all because his
company was figuring on same,
therefore he could not give me any
prices. Furthermore l am satisfied
that the Barber Asphalt's figuring Ia
bi1nd, so there are two bids to be ad-
mltted to the council. Now, l am q
| property owner on Oak street and
certainly object to that contract to
be awarded to Hastings Paving Co..
as that will be the only bidder out
side of the Barber Asphalt, and to
my estimation they are combined. as
long as it is not up to competition.
respectfully yours,
/ MARTIN HANSEN"
| When the writer was finally given
/ the floor he protested because repre-
sentatives of the Barber and Hast
1ngs concerns, seated together in
front bench of the council chamber.
had been heard before he was. He
maintained that the action in making
the award was gross injustice to
contractors and property owners
alike. He maintained that Just COM
petition was eliminated and that
local contractors, whom he claimed
would do as good or better work than
the Hastings people, were eliminated
AS the estimates of the Barber
Asphalt Paving Company were not
received until 8 o'clock, they were
ruled out by the board, under advice
from City Attorney c. c. Hommann.
A Barber representative arose and
protested, claiming that the bids
should have been called for at open
meeting, which was not done, mas
muCH as the DO6rQ dld not convene
until $3.50 O'Clock. He cited similar
instance in another city, where bids
arriving late were accepted, under
similar conditions. He requested in
vain that the Barber bids be received
and opened so as to compare them
with the Hastings figures, upon con-
ditton that they were received after
the time advised The Barber bids
were returned unopened.
The Hastings bids were as follows.s
Mechanic street-Excavatio 68
cents a cubic yard; concrete, s5.76
a cubic yard; old curb reset, SO cents
a lineal foot; new curb, 80 cents a
lineal foot; asphalt block, $3.50 a
square yard Oak street-Excavatio
6S cents cubic yard; concrete,
$5.76 a cubic yard; old curb, so
cents; new curb, 80 cents; asphalt
block, $3.50 Cortlandt street Ex-
cavation, 68 cents; concrete. $780,
old curb, so cents; new curb, so
cents; asphalt block, 81 AS.
Just before the awards were made
by resolution, duly adopted by vote
| Continued on page Al
| NrI7yp kr1nnNrnDur rS, g. L.. c.