The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-09-01
WORK DELAYED
BY COURT WRIT
Claim Made That Holding Up of
Absecon Boulevard Award
Was for Political Gain.
COLLISION IS DENIED

In an article which appeared in the
Atlantic County Record of recent date
comment is made on the application
for a writ of certiorari to review the
action of the Atlantic County Board
of F~reeholders in awarding the con-
tract to pave Absecon boulevard to C.
H. Earl. The article says:
application for a writ of certiorari
to review the recent action of the
Board of Chosen Freeholders in awar.
ding a contract for paving the Abse-
con boulevard is said to be a political
move to manufacture campaign CAPT
tai for a group of reformers and indie
pendents in Atlantic City, who hope
to have a ticket in the field this fall.
"The direct effect of the proceeding
will be to delay the starting of work
OF the boulevard until next spring and
make it impossible to complete the
road in time for next summers travel.
How much it will cost Atlantic City
to have this road tied up next summer
1t is hard to estimate, but it will be
far more than any possible saving
that could be secured by a cheaper
pavement.
while the total contract price is
S935,711.71, the cost of the asphalt
block paving selected by the freehold
ers, and which is the bone of conten-
ton, is only 1924, 454.S2. The rest of
the work will cost the same with any
type of material, consisting of filling,
grading, drains, bridges (Which alone
will cost $149,750), guard rails and
other details.
The only decrease in expense by Sc
lecting another type of paving would
be the difference between the cost of
any other material and the cost of the
asphalt block surface, $294,454.S2, and
any type of cheaper paving would cost
more than half of this amount.
keeping this road closed next sum-
mer by reason of the delay through
the certiorari proceedings will cost
Atlantic City more than any saving
that could be brought about by select
ing the cheapest form of paving on the
market. Atlantic City does not want
a cheap form of paving; its RESPONSE
BILE representatives have repeatedly
urged the Board to build for the fu-
ture and build of the BEST.
There is no anticipation on the
part of the Board or it's officers that
the c~ertiorari will accomplish anything
more than a delay in selling the bonds
and beginning the work, which it was
planned to begin Immediately after
Labor Day and rush through in time
for use mex summer. The Boards
proceedings in regard to the contract
have been regular throughout, every
step taken on the advice of counsel,
and the contract was let to a bidder
S71,472.55 under his lowest competitor
and 1886, 306. IA under the highest.
"The writ will not be returnable un-
til after the pprimary election and the
reform element that secured it will
apparently count on this to use 1t Tor
political arguments for their candi-
dates. AS evidence of this the argu-
ment has already been sent forth that
the road could be built for $300,0OO
and the county saw 100000. NO
matter what kind of a road is built,
the cost of filling and grading and
other necessary reconstruction Will
exceed $500, 600. The surface material
is only a small part of the total cost
as shown by the above, figures.
among the reasons advanced is the
n that the Freeholders have award
ed a number of contracts to G. II.
Earl without advertising for bids.
Earl has never been awarded a job
that has not been regularly and duly
advertised and on which he was not
the lowest bidder. He has actually
saved the county a large sum of mon
ey by undertaking all competitors on
the contracts he has been successful
in securing.
amy suggestions of collision be-
tween the contractors is utterly wrong
On the recent award for the Absecon
boulevard the next lowest bidder to
Earl was Sutton CorsoD Company,
who bid 81, 7,1S4.26-$71,4 72.55 more
tina Earl. 1t is common knowledge
among all in touch with the contract
ing business that these two firms have
been at odds for the past year and
that this fact cost Earl a substantial
amount in one of his recent undertake
ings.
"Censure for delay in the recon
struction of the Absecon boulevard
will rest squarely where it belongs
on those who have taken advantage OF
the approaching election and h nee
essary legal delay in arguing the writ
to make political capital out of the
situation. If the writ could nave been
made returnable before the coming
election, according to current rumors
in shore political circles, it would not
have been sought"
.1-@H NNntAN LAME