Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-03-03

The mayor said he is in favor of the
use Of concrete. emulsiied asphalt and
Kentucky rock asphalt on certain light
traffic streets and added that he be-
lieyed everybody in the administration
will be when he gets the situation in
hand.
THINKS ELLIOTT'S
BIDS ABOUT RIGHT.
Mr.. Elliotts figures represent what in
my estimate the bids ought to be- He
ought to know"
The figures referred to, the mayor said.
are in Mr.. Eliott's letter to the board Of
works a week ago asserting that instead
Of $40, which several asphalt bids
az ged, the price in Indianapolis ought
to be between $3.50 and So a square
yard
If the bids don't come in right" con-
tinued the mayor. "Ill take a little trip
around to some Of these other cities and
see for myself what they ought to be-
Mr. Elliott has pointed out that asphalt
paving costs in some other cities where
specifications coincide with those of In-
dianapolis are more than a dollar
square yard cheaper.
The mayor expressed the hope that
he could iron the difficulty ont without
either Mr.. Elliott or any member of the
board of public works resigning. 1t is
said Mr.. Elliott has told the mayor he
would resign rather than become a party
10 the things he is opposing.
FIRST TO COME TO
AID OF ENGINEER.
There's going to be 10 jam. I can's
have friction between the board Of works,
Mr.. Elliott and myself" said the mayor.
Until the mayor spoke no official had
publicly come to the support Of the city
engineer. With the board of works
members, however, is arrayed William
H. Armitage, leader of the Shank
political forces, who also is the agent foF
the Barber Asphalt Company.
AWARDED CONTRACT
ENGINEER DIsAPPROVED.
Meanwhile 1t was learned that in addis
ton to changing specifications upon sew
eral street resolutions, which Mr.. Elliott
had preperad to include concrete. so as to
eliminate concrete, the board on Wednes-
day also awarded contract for the per-
manent improvement Of st. Clair street
from Highland avenue to Oriental strees
to ar asphalt bidder over the engineers
recommendation that all bids be rejected,
and awarded q contract for grading and
curbing in Fiftieth street from Park ave.
nue. to Broadway to a contractor said
not to have been the lowest bidder The
engineer had recommended that rail- of
the bids on the latter improvement be
rejected.
Mayor Shank, however, took all the
blame for the board awarding the st.
Clair street contract. He said the board
had decided to reject the bids upon the
engineers recommendation that they
were too high when he noticed that the
Union Asphalt Construction Company's
proposal was for $500 lineal foot. He
said he thought this was low and told
the board to go ahead and award the
contract. After the award was made,
the mayor said he discovered the bid
amounted to S404 square yard, and
wished he had not told the board to go
ahead.
PROPOSES TRIAL OF
NEW MATERIALS.
Public interest in the situation was
heightened Thursday afternoon when Mr..
Elliott in the meeting of the board OF
park commissioners made what was con-
sidered move to give two kinds of street
paving material not generally used In In
dianapolis a foothold which would help
out in the effort to prevent the Barber
Asphalt Company from obtaining
stranglehold.
Mr.. Elliott proposed that the park CONS
ulSslOuITS ASK lOE Olub upon SlIueE Mems
lucky rock asphalt or emulsifed asphalt
for the resurfacing of Capitol avenue from
Sixteenth street TO Fall Creek boulevard.
He declared either material, in his opin-
ion, would give excellent service ana that
he believed a bid Of from 81 to SIPS a
square yard could be obtained upon Ken
lucky rock asphalt. The board of public
works has been awarding contracts upon
either Trinidad or oil asphalt bids for
many years. Last year the average price
square yard Of asphalt resurfacing paid
by the board of public works was $3.50
Mr.. Elliott said.
The Barber Asphalt Company sells
Trinidad asphalt. Mr.. Armitage and his
allies are expected to start a vigorous
fight upon the appearance Of possibility
that Kentucky rock and emulsified as
phalt might be given chance in Indi-
annapolis.
The toard awarded the contract foP
grading and curbing in Fiftieth street
from Park avenue to Broadway to George
I. Garriott, a new entrant in city bids
CONTINUED on Page Twelve.)