Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1915-07-23
SAY BID ON PAVING
TOO LOW TO Be FIT
Contracts for Paving Front
Street Not Awarded A
Lemon" It Is Alleged.
ARGUMENTS WERE HOT
WrangIe Last Night on Alleged
Poor Paving Work on New
Brunswick Avenue.
ARGUMENTS WERE HOT

Because of the alleged poor quail
| ity of the New Brunswick avenue
paving job, the Board of Aldermen
did not award another contract for
paving one block on Front street to
Liddle & Pfeiffer at its regular ad-
1ourned meeting last night. Action
on bids for that Job and the work
OF curbing Compton avenue was laid
over. Two contractors bid the same
on the Compton avenue work. A hot
debate on the Front street award,
In which the New Brunswick avenue
job was made a basis of argument
for those who did not want to give
the Front street job to the lowest
bidders, resulted at recess soon af-
ter the receipt of bids Upon re-
sumption of the regular order of
business, bids on both the paving and
curbing jobs were referred to the
committee on streets and sewers and
the city engineer.
Bids for curbing Compton avenue
were as follows: Graham & McKeon,
sixty-two cents lineal foot; Will
bert Bluestone Company, sixty-two
cents; Hans Satter & Son, sixty-five
cents. Because of the fact that the
lower bids were alike, the contrac-
tors were called In to confer with the
aldermen at their recess. When the
contractors emerged from the COM
mfttee room, they did some estimat-
ing. 1t appeared that they could
not agree to divide the work between
them.
Bids on the work OF paving one
block on Front street, between Mar
ket and Gordon streets, with con-
crete, were as follows: Liddle &
Pfeiffer, S1.38 square yard; Mea-
CHER & Smith, $164; Graham & Nc
Keon, S1.64; Martin Hanson, S1.67;
Robert Henderson, s224; Carl C.
Christensen, s225.
AS the last bid, a high one was
read, and the aldermen quickly com
pared 1t with the low bid of Liddle
d Pfe11er, there came pause and
some OF the aldermen sighed.
We'll, said Alderman F. William
HHker finally, after none of the 9TH
ers had offered to take the initiative,
Il guess there ,ts nothing eises4a do
|lo1f aMasdait~l4~ he =, =
h = uoii know about that, was AL
| derman John ]. Clark 8 quick reply
motion was then made for a re-
cess.
The arguments which followed be-
h1nd closed doors were hot They
opened up with hostilities between
Mr.. Clark and AIderman-at-Large
W Guy Weaver. 1t appears that Mr..
clark opposed the Front street
award to Liddle & Pfeiffer upon the
ground of alleged poor work on New
Brunswick avenue Gossip rife unon
the streets and at city hall the mast
several weeks tended to show. ac-
cording to the highest city officials
that the city is getting a 'lemon" on
New Brunswick avenue. Indications
were that Mr.. Weaver took the side
oI Llddie q Pfe1ffer and opposed Mr..
Clark at the recess.
Inc city has to have saved ap-
proximately S1,100 by the exception
ally low bid of Liddle & Pfeiffer on
the New Brunswick avenue lob. city
ofhclals say. Instead, the city is not
getting the job that had been ex-
pected, it is alleged This was
brought out forcibly at the recess.
discussion between the officials.
which continued until they were ont
on the street some time later, showed
that Liddle G Pfeiffer had also been
complained against by union leaders
because they were alleged to have
taken advantage of hard times and |
given exceptionally low wages to la
borers on the New Brunswick ave-
nue. Job.
The recess was started at $40
O'Clock. All of the aldermen were
present. The mayor declined to take
part. The two Republicans, Alder
man Hilker and Alderman William |
z. Wilson, came out of the commit
tee room at 9 O'Clock and they went
into conference with Mayor Garrett |
son. City Engineer Samuel J. Mason
was called into the conference bel
tween Democratic members shortly
after 9 o'clock At 500 O'Clock Nav
or Garretson was asked to take part.
He accepted this time. The recess
came to a close about $40 o'clock.
Upon reconVening Chairman Jorgen-
sen, of the committee on streets and
sewers, made motion that bids for
both Jobs be referred to the street
and the city engineer.
The various discussions on the al
eS6Q paving SCaUQdl Q6VoIOp6Q that
4iddle & Pfeiffer are using a brick
IN New Brunswick avenue not pro
Iided for in the firms contract nor
quoted in its bid that the contract
us had bid on Glengary brick and
we're now using brick marked Sea
,oard." According to leading city
the "Seaboard" brand of S
rick is very soft and chip easily /
ghen dumped from a wagon to the /
treet surface. One of the highest t
ficials stated today that In view of f
he fact that this brick did chip SO d
asily. it would no doubt fall far be- S
wv the standard quality required If
ut to the customary abrasion test.
There came several debates on the
rand and quality of brick to be fl
sed for New Brunswick avenue last s.
ecember. Mayor Garretson sent a t.
to the council on b
ecember IS, in which he set forth o
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