Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-11-12
PAVEMENT BIDS
ARE NOT CLOSED,
RE|MER ASSERTS
County Engineer Says oiIIen
Approved South Orange Ave-
nue. Specifications.
CARDWELL PUTS BLAME
ON SOME CONTRACTORS
Malta Admits Bidders Must
Buy the Hastings Asphalt
Block.


AAhC Dtb2 III titC RcNAtiE u 1Oath ~
ange avenue are closed to any con-
tractor. He also denied that the pres
ent specifications for the work call
for an expenditure of from forty to
fifty per cent. more than necessary
because they demand the use of the
Hasting asphalt block.
The statement by Engineer Reimer
was apparently intended as a reply
to Board of Works Commissioners
Charles p. GiIien. Mr.. Gillen, in a
statement from Savannah, where he
is attending convention. asserted
that the specifications for the pave
ment were gotten up in such a man
ner that the cost would be increased
far more than necessary. He also de-
clared that the specifications were of
a kind that indicated favoritism
towards the manufacturers of the
Hastings block.
Freeholder William Cardwell at the
meeting yesterday also defended the
specifications as drawn up by the
county engineer. He said the OBJ
lection to the use of the Hastings
block was caused by oversuspicious
contractors. He declared that if the
PiOPCAt ~ ONAOA0 t1AOh6 toOdAAi Vi AAt6C .
avenue do not want the Hastings
block all they have to do is to say so
before week from Monday next and
the freeholders will then throw out
the bids and permit the roadway to
remain in its present condition.
Freeholder Richard F. Malta adj
mitted that bidders on the work must
buy the Hastings block. Despite this
he said the specifications were not
closed"
Asked for Information.
The pavement matter came up when
James Donnelly, representing the
Vailsburg Improvement Association,
asked for some information concern
ing the Hastings asphalt block speci-
flcatipn. He wanted to know IL some
Iothef block, just as good as the Hast
ings, could not be gotten at a lower
price. He failed, however, to get a
definite answer.
I'VE want the best pavement for
the least money said Mr.. Donneily.
and II there are other blocks that
can be bought for less money that are
Just as good, 7 would like to have
someone explain to me why Hastings
block ara specified =
Engineer Reimer said:
In all the specifications that have
drawn up for pavement since / have
been county engineer ! have tried to
secure pavement that would be best
suited for the locality and the use to
which Is to be put. This have tried
to do on South Orange avenue.
"Th- statement that the bids are
closed to any contractors is untrue.
The statement that the work would
cost forty or fifty per cent. more be-
cause a certain kind of block was
specified is untrue and uucalIed for.
THE man that made that state
ment Is not an engineer and / think
that he could do better If he confined
his effoEs to directing the work in
the department Of which he is a
member.
This same man, only short time
ago, approved of the same specifica-
tions to which he is now objecting
when they were referred to the board
OF which he is a member"
That does NOT answer my ques-
| tion," said Mr.. Donnelly. II want to
find out IL there is any other block
that is just as good and is cheaper,
why it was not specified"
No Previous Objection.
Time and time again" said Free
holder Malta, "the public have been
invited to the meetings of the road
committee to voice their objections to
any work that was to be done and in
the case of South Orange avenue none
of these objectors appeared.
AT the meeting last Monday took
up the matter of the South Orange
avenue paving at the meeting of the
road committee because heard that
the specifying of a certain kind of
block would limit the bidding to q
few, contractors.
To- ~, al fror,1 fha an orinpoI- af that
meeting that the blocks could be pur-
chased by any one for a certain set
price in the open market and that
every contractor had the privilege Of
buying them for the same amount of
money. II this is true, don't see how
the specifying of that particular
brand of block closes the bids to any
certain coterie of contractors"
81 made up my mind not to say
anything about this South Orange
avenue job" said Freeholder William
-Cardwell. chairman of the road COM
mittee, "but l want to explain a few
things that might enlighten some of
those who are yelling about closed
specifications.
1--WE didn't select the pavement. The
residents Of South Orange avenue told
us what kind of a pavement they
wanted when they presented petit
ton TO this board asking for asphalt
blocks They decided on this kind of
pavement after wrangling over the
question for about six months.
Now with the opening of bids only
few days away they come before
this board and want to know why
certain kinds of block were specified.
Are Crying "woIf.''
"If you want to know the truth Of
the matter, the whole objection is be-
ing fostered by couple of contractors
who cannot bid on a $4,000 job with
out yelling wolf at some one. l knew
that some one was stirring the mat
ter up and / also know the name of
the man that is doing the stirring
I'VE have to so by the advice of
our engineer. / know that this block
has been put down on Washington
avenue. and it has given eminent sat
isfaction. l know. too, that it was
specified for wyoming avenue. and
there were seven bidders for the
work, which would not indicate that
the bids were closed.
"The members of this board are
pleased and willing to represent the
people, but l don't think that it is
fair for the people to be continually
finding fault with the actions of the
members.
IF the people of South Orange ave-
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