New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-27
Jersey Tunnel
Contract No. 2
Bid r0tested
Engineer of Dual State Com
mission Opposes Award,
Alleging Lowest Offer Is
From Infested Company
Board Fails to Confer
Affiliations of Corporation
Making Bottom Price ON
the Work Are Questioned

The scheduled joint conference Of
the New York and New Jersey branches
or the New York-New Jersey Tunnel
commission to award contract No. 2.
which provides for the sinking of on
Grating shafts on the site of the Jerscv
terminal of the tunnel did not take
place yesterday because Of the absence
of a New Jersey commissioner.
AT conference of the Jersey COM
missioners it was made known that the
Shaft Construction Company, of 2ss
Broadway, New York City, which was
incorporated on July 10, 1921, the last
day upon which bids were received
was the new low bidder, with figure
of S369,S15.50
Clifford M. Holland, chief engineer
for the joint commission, in a letter
submitted to the New Jersey commit
teemen, opposed the awarding Of the
contract to this company, alleging that
1t had never before had or executed a
contract, and that there was, conse-
quently, no proof that it was prepared
to carry out this contract.
His letter asserted that the Shaft
Construction Company had retained
John F. O'Rourke, of the O'Rourke
Construction Engineering Company, as
its chief engineer. Also it was charged
that the equipment which that COM
pany would use if awarded the con-
tract was the property of the O'Rourke
organization, although Mr.. O'Rourke de-
clared that he had no financial interest
in the new company. Mr.. Hollands
letter indicated that he was in favor
of awarding the contract to Holbrook,
Cabot & Rollins, the second lowest
bidder and the holder of the contract
for the same work ON the site Of the
Manhattan terminal.
Time Holds Up Bids
In the original bids submitted for
contract No. 2. Holbrook, Cabot G.
Rollins were the low bidders. Due,
however, to the fact that the check
accompanying their bid was not re-
ceived till $3.50 o'clock, daylight saving
time, and there being a question as
to whether the closing time for receiv-
ing bids was 3 o'clock, daylight saving
or standard time, the Joslin Construc-
ton Company, which was second low
est bidder, contested the bid and the
commission ordered new bids sub
mitted.
There has been expressed among the
New York commissioners q belief that
both the Joslin Construction Company
and the Shaft Construction Company
are subsidiaries of the Joseph Devlin
Construction Company. The names Of
certain officials appear in all three
been suggested, was taken from the
first three letters Of Joseph and the
last three letters Of Devlin. Both the
Joslin Construction Company and the
Shaft Construction Company bank at
the Union Trust Company of Bayonne,
N. J. A brother of Mr. Devlin signed
the check submitted with the first bid
of the Joslin concern. 1t is further
asserted that 7. E. Shay, the president
of the Shaft Construction Company, is
associated in business with Joseph
Devlin
Shaft Offer Is Favored
st. John Clark, technical adviser of
the joint commission, expressed HIM
self to the New Jersey committeeman
as favoring the award of the contract
to the Shaft Construction Company.
The members Of the New Jersey
branch Of the commission indicated
that they would vote for the new COM
pany, but said that they did not wish
to make the award till their contract
with the Erie Railroad had been COM
pleted, in order that the site for the
shafts would be clear and the contract
ing company able to start work within
thirtyfve days
Committeeman from both New York
and New Jersey visited the Dock Com
missioner to-day, and asked him to
prepare the way for them, through the
Sinking Fund Commission, to obtain
easements on Piers "a and 35, North
River, held by the Lehigh Valley Rail-
road Company. Pier No. 30 is under
lease till 1881 at yearly rental of ap-
proximately $1,000 a year. This
pier will have to be demolished be-
cause the tunnel will pass beneath it.
The cost of reconstructing the pier is
estimated at s280,oo0.