Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1915-09-28
CONTINUES FIGHT
ON PAVING AWARD
Opinion of City's Special At
torneyS Picked to Pieces by
Ramsay'S Counsel.
BEFORE THE ALDERMEN
High Street Residents Petition
That Contract be Awarded
to the Lowest Bidder.

The opinion of the city's special
attorneys, Caldwell, Masslich &
Reed, as to why Oliver W. Ramsay
should not be awarded the contract
for paving seven street sections in
this city, was picked apart by Mer-
ritt Lane, Mr. Ramsay's counsel, in
letter before the Board of Aldermen
at their adjourned meeting last
night. Mr.. Lane endeavored to show
that the council had the right and
should award the contract to Mr..
Ramsay. Franz Roessler, for the
Roessler & Hasslacher Chemical
Company, and thirty-five other pro-
perty owners had petition before
the aldermen, requesting that the
contract for paving High street be
awarded to oliver w. Ramsay. the
lowest bidder The board adopted
special specifications for the paving
of Convery place, authorized the
mayor and city attorney to purchase
land for the extension of Bingle
street; awarded a contract for sew
ers in the Alpine section to Meagher
& Smith, and transacted other bust
ness.
Says Ramsay Bid Irregular.
Mr.. Lane endeavored to prove to
the aldermen that Mr.. Ramsay did
comply with the specificati. for
paving streets when he referred TO
samples of block Of the Barber As
phalt Paving Company. He showed
by the very opinions in the cases
cited by Caldwell, Masslich & Reed
in their opinion, the courts held that
such an irregularity as not personal
ly filing samples mattered little, if
the interests of the people were
guarded sufficiently and the city OBJ
tanned the work and materials at
the lowest price possible. Mr.. Lane
held that Mr. Ramsay's bid being
some $4,000 lower than any other
for the seven streets in question,
should be accepted in the interest of
the community. Concluding his
lengthy statement, Mr.. Lane set
forth tha4 the objection raised be-
cause Mr.. Ramsay had not personal
ly laid square yard of asphalt
block pavement, but would have his
organization" do the work here, was
not well founded The attorney
argued that probably no contractor
did with his own hands the work he
bid upon, and, on the contrary, he
engaged men to work for him. The
attorney therefore held that the city
was sufficiently well protected when
Mr.. Ramsay showed work done by
his organization and promised that
the same organization would do the
work here.
Attached to Mr.. Lanes statement
no i11i Of hn
counsel. They were referred to the
committees on streets and sewers
and on judiciary for joint considera-
ton, on motion by Alderman John ].
Clark. Under the head of remarks,
Alderman William c. Wilson said he
presumed the committees would con-
fer with counsel in handling the sub
ject.
Want Contract Awarded.
Franz Roessler and other signers,
whose names filled two pages on a
petition, asked that the contract for
paving High street be awarded to Mr.
Ramsay, he being the lowest bidder
The petitioners contended that by
awarding the contract to him, these
city and property owners would be
served best. They held that prop
erty owners would save money and
that local industry would be favored
because If he secured the work, the
many thousands of asphalt blocks re-
quired would be manufactured by
the Barber concern here. The petit
tion was referred to the committee
on streets and sewers.
Two sets of specifca tions, one for
plac dg an asphalt block pavement
over the major portion of Convery
place between Smith street and New
Brunswick avenue, and for placing a
vitrified brick paving on the incline
at the northerly end of the Convery
place bridge, were adopted as recon-
mended by the committee on streets
and sewers. They were somewhat
similar to the standard street spec
ifications, but contained some
changes and additions Bidders on
the asphalt block pavement must file
a certified check for $500 and also
file a bond for $4,000. The time
for completion of the work has been
from thirty to forty days
and the specifications are minus
provision for resetting any old curb
in concrete. The surface will be of
two inch asphalt block and the body
under the surface aust be made ac-
eording to certain requirements more
strict than those employed hereto
ti.N,r nA