Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-04-30
DISHONESTY AND
GRAFT AMONG
G|LLEN CHARGES
Board of Works Commissioner
Bitterly Opposes Paving
Contract Clauses.
COMPETITION ELIMINATED
IN AWARDS, SAYS SPEAKER
Declares Concerted Effort Has
Been Made to Shut Out
Asphalt.

That a scheme to eliminate compe-
contracts had been devised by per-
sons connected with the street and
water department was the assertion
made by Board of Works Commits
sioner Charles P. Gillen at meeting
of the board yesterday. The words
graft" and dishonesty was used
frequently by the commissioner, who
for more than two hours fought bit
terly against certain clauses of the
specifications.
Commissioner Gillen also asserted
that concerted effort had been made
for several years to "shut OUT as
phalt pavement from this city, to
give preference to some other kind
Of pavement.
The board was considering the new
paving contract specifications pre-
pared by City Engineer Morris r.
Sherrerd when Mr.. Gillen took ex-
ception to some of the provisions. A
clause which provided that the sue
cessful bidder for paving work
should, for the protection of the
city, have plant available at all
times" first aroused Mr. Gillens ire.
What is the object of that clause?"
was the commissioners opening shot.
why that is to protect the city
from getting an inferior contractor
for paving work." replied Mr.. Sher-
rerd. 1T is to make certain that an
experienced contractor, one that has
a plant, gets the contract"
"Can you mention any other city
in the country which has similar
clause in its specifications" was the
next question from the commissioner.
NO. replied the engineer, "but
we are peculiarly situated here. We
have only one asphalt plant in New
ark. Most cities have several. There
has been very little asphalt paving
done here during the last ten
years"
DO you know the reason for that9'
pursued Mr.. Gillen.
Eyes, because the Board of Works
commissioners did not see fit to lay
that kind of pavement" was the re-
tort.
"You mean BECAUSE it was shut
out" said Mr.. Gillen hotly.
Too Much Latitude. He says
Mr.. Gillen said the clause. If it did
not actually eliminate competition,
restricted it very much. The wording
of the clause, he said, gave the
board too much latitude. He offered
a motion that the clause be stricken
out, but it was not seconded. The
commissioner then asked that the
Objectionable text be amended so as
lures. This was agreeable to all the
members, and after considerable dis
cussion the clause was referred to
Mr.. Sherrerd and City Counsel Fra
zer.
An amendment which had been
offered by Commissioner Arthur R.
Denman formed the essence of the
reconstructed clause. 1t provided
that upon ten days notice. during
a period of construction or repair, a
contractor should have available,
within the city, or within such dis
tance of the city as the board shall
prescribe, either a stationary or por-
table plant"
Mr.. Gillen said that it was "prac-
tically the same thing over again, as
the discretion rests with the board"
but the amendment was passed de-
spite his strenuous objection, the
other members all voting in the af-
firmative.
Commissioner Gillen's ire was
again aroused when a resolution was
introduced providing that a one and
one-half-inch top layer of pave
ment be used only on streets where
the average tonnage is less than five
tons vehicular traffic per hour per
foot width of roadway; that a two
inch top be used on streets where
there was an average traffic of more
than five tons, and that the board
institute rule that neither asphalt
nor bitulithc be laid on streets where
the average tonnage was greater
than seven and one-half tons per
hour per foot width of roadway.
The resolution was drawn up by
Mr. Sherrerd and introduced by Com
missioner Denman.
'1s Getting Graft"
For the past ten years." said Mr..
Gillen, asphalt has been dishonest
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