The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-12
THE LATEsT PAVING sCANDAL.

%W-%HE WAFFENI1Ee paving scandals, NVnlch M more than one state has known and more than one city, are with again. in most suggestive and aggravating style.
 Because of abuses charged to the streets and sidewalks committee of the Common Goun- cil with what foundation need not now be dis cussed, the legislature determined that the con- trol of pernanent pavement should be taken from it, and the necessary powers to make con- tracts for such pavement, and to supervise the work of laying it. were vested in the paving commission, body. which perhaps has had it's faults, but which has been free from any sus- picion of graf, or profit seeking
 The city attorney has rendered his opinion in which he says, apparently with entire aecu- racy, that the common councils power, with respect to pavement is confined to designating the streets in which it shall be laid.
 He assigns to the paving commission power to make contracts and the duty to supervise the laying of such pavement.
 He finds however, that the Common Coun- Gil has authority to repair streets.
 Under this authority to. repair the eoun- oil with the mayors consent has seized the ex- penditure, or the attempted expenditure of $l6O ,0OO of money which the people have voted, not for paving repairs, but for the construction of pavennents other than vaterbound macadam
 Why thereis such anxiety to obtain control of this sum, of money in this exceedingly tenu- ous and technical manner each citizen must Judge for himself
 But the anxiety and haste which mark these proceedings do not end at this point While the city attorney was preparing his opin- ion upon the matter the contract for the work was awarded by the director of public works without bidding and without competition, to the makers of tho patented pay ernent called War Irenite.
 The Farmer has aIseady dealt to con siderable extent upon the risk and financial loss likely to accrue to cities which deal in patented Ipavements It IS enoll gas to say that such dick
 
 deprive the community of all offers except that lof the person controlling the patented article More facts bearing upon the public policy of sllg contract E. offered.
 But the point nov5 under consideration is that the contract is made in haste, without at tempt at comp tition.
 is not the purpose of the charter r+and pr Edinances that the city shall be deprived of the safegalard of comp but when it is to be SO deprived 1t is intended that the responsibility shall be fixed on the persons responsible.
 The ordinances provide, therefore, that no contract shall be let without bidding, except with the written approval of the mayor.
 Whether or not this obligation has been compiled with remains to be determined. For the present it is sufficient to say that Assistant City Clerk Braithwaite has no knowledge of any such document and the law requires it to be 1 filed in his office, if it exists.
 Citizens should ponder these facts careful ly Such remission Of the ordinary protection which is thrown about public business and es- peciallv about the public business involved in spending large sums of money, is dangerous as a precedent and obnoxious Tn fact
 What is to be done about it The same thing that was done with respect to the attempt I to palm off an illegal bonding election It should De stopped. by inj junction if necessary
 The first obligation to protect the c0mmun- ity lies with the paving commission. The law has cOnfded to them certain duties and respon- abilities It is their duty to perform these due ties and if is their especial duty to resist fla grant usurpati0n of their functions and author fly, not in their own interest," putin the interests of the citizenship.