Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-08-08
COURT HALTS CITY HOSE
CONTRACT AWARD
Continued from page i
? Cfark4Ha+ter foIfa.us

MI LARK : AELLeI lOllDWS
Mr.. Aflerbach maintains that
there would have been a saving Of
eleven per cent to the tax payers
had the aldermen purchased his type
Of hose. What is this eleven per
cent for?" he asks.
Mr.. Afflerbach's signed statement
follows:
THE Council upon recommends
alton of Alderman John Clark
awarded a contract for 5000 feet Of
fire hose at a cost of S1.40 per foot.
Ny bid, which carried with it the
same guarantee and met the re-
quirements and specifications as adj
yertised, was at the rate of 1924 per
foot. This would have been a saving
TO the people of more than eleven.
CID per cent. Alderman Clark can't
explain that by telling about his
great love and care for the poor
people What is this Il per cent
.for2"
So I recommended that 1000 feet
of Hudson Brand, Eureka hose be
purchased, which recommendation
was unanimously adopted. Mr.. Tool
an says: 1T seems that this company
was TO get me bid without regard to
EAtEEH So Agt9 NJ AOO1dU uO
me honor, for Il l was able to swing
the other six members of the board
IN line without their consent, its the
first time I have been able to do
it under the present regime. Eureka
hose is supposed to be one of the
best fire hoses on the market and to
my knowledge has been used in the
Perth Amboy fire department for the
past fifteen years.
1.-THE present Board of Aldermen
is very conspicuous for its lack OF
unity, but they all agreed by a united
vote that Eureka hose was the best
hose TO buy. For the past ten years
| have written up most of the reso@
lutions that from time to time coma
under my committees. and have al
ways done so without any extra
charge to the taxpayer as l have al
ways felt it vas a part of my duty.
l am very sorry indeed if I have Of
Tended Mr.. Toolan in doing so. But
r shall continue doing so unless I
am stopped by someone who has
the authority to stop me.
Mr.. Clark will continue as the
vigilant watch dog of the public's
purse irrespective of Mr.. Toolan's
criticism.
"In your issue of August 7, there
is a news item about the awarding
by resolution of a contract to the
United States Rubber Company. for
5000 feet of fire hose by the Board
of Aldermen. In said news item Mr..
! John Toolan is quoted as saying that
| the resolution awarding the con-
tract is signed by Alderman Clark
and was, l am informed prepared bv
him. (The information procured
by Mr.. Toolan in quite correctly In
fact 1 am informed that Mr.. Clark
came down to the council chamber
last night with a resolution In his
pocket awarding the bid to the
United States Rubber Company.
(Which is not correctly Said reso-
luton was drawn up by me Clark
subject TO the boards approval OF
my recommendation, with no extra
charge.
Mr.. Toolan does me a great hon
or indeed, when he gives the read
ing public to understand that I am
the deciding factor. on the paSseni
Board of Aldermen t1eEe-xsu6A
be so much footing going on. Al
J chairman of certain committees ol
the Board of Aldermen. one o.
which is fire. it was up to me to
recommend which hose I thought
was the best TO buy. If I recom-
mended some hose that the firemeu
or the Board of Aldermen know
nothing about and the first big fire
that broke out that hose went
wrong, who would be blamed? Why
Clark of course. Well Clark is play
ing safety first just now"