Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-01-21
PROBE OF PAVING
WORK IN NEWARK
URGED IN REPORT
Legislative Investigators Would
Have Grand Jury Also Take
~ Up Essex Contracts.
MONOPOLY OF ROAD JOBS
BY BITULITHIc FIRMS
'WastefuI and Inefficient" the
Joint Committee Terms Sys-
tenn of Expenditure.
Special to the Evening Star.

Special TO the Evening Star.
TRENTON, Jan. 21.-So fragrant
have been the paving frauds in New
ark and Essex county, according to
the report of the joint appropriations
committee of the Legislature, filed to-
day, that the committee urges an i'm
mediate investigation by the grand
jury. The report says that the in
vestigators are satisfied two COM
panies-the Standard Bitulithic Com
pany and the Warren Brothers Com
pany-controlled the awarding of
paving contracts in Essex county and
enriched themselves at the expense of
municipality and county by fixing
their own prices and debating their
own terms,
"Wasteful and inefficient" Is the
characterization given to the system
under which the vast amount appro-
priated by the State of New Jersey
for road purposes is expended, in the
advanced draft of the report of the
committee of the Legislature of 1914.
The committee today furnished the
members of the present Legislature
with copies of that part of the report
dealing with the probing into the
After calling attention to the vasv
sum Of money which the State ex-
pends upon its road work, the COM
mittee points out that the voluminouS
testimony taken indicated clearly
that there was something radically
wrong with the system under which
this money was expended. LAS to
whether this unfortunate condition Is
due to a defective law" says the re-
~ fa IN, hn Of he
department or to neglect or incom-
petence in the chief highway engi-
neer and his division engineers, or
to all three CT these considerations,
Is not certain. But in the mass of
testimony taken there is enough that
Is undisputed to show that conditions
are very bad and reform very much
needed"
In this way the committee does not
place the blame upon the shoulders
of Colonel Edwin A. Stevens, the
State road commissioner, or upon
Robert A. Meeker the State highway
engineer. but intimates that 1t might
be the result of a combination of q
number of circumstances.
In making the report of the COM
mittee, Senator Charles O'Connor
Hennessy, the chairman, said that
the report is the result of the patient
of the committee, excepting Senator
Samuel Munson, who did not hear
the testimony. ITO meet the views
Of different members of the commit
tee," says Senator Hennessy, some
changes anl notifications were made
in the findings of the committee as
originally drafted The report in its
present form expresses the agree
ment of every member of the COM
mittee, excepting Senator Munson, to
whom 1t has not been submitted. One
member, however. (Mr. Richards) has
expressed dissent from the recon-
mendations as being insufficiently
specific. Bills will be introduced,
hereafter, to give effect to the recon-
mendations that have been made"
1t Is the intention of the commit
tee to recommend specific legislation
that will provide for larger pay and
q rigid civil service examination for
all road inspectors employed in New
Jersey. In the opinion of the COM
mittee, greater restrictions upon the
amount of State aid to counties must
be provided along lines that will COM
pei the systematic maintenance of
State-aided highways. The law must
be amended so as to exclude pat
ented or proprietary pavement mate
rials, except in price competition with
pavements OF the same general type,
and, In other respects, free competi-
tion in the interests of the public
must be assured.
More Money Spent on Roads.
The report of the committee shows
that the moneys spent by the State
of New Jersey for road improvement
has increased with wonderful strides.
The State road department received
Continued on Page II, Column H.