The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-08-30

and the like, and the bulk of the re-
mainder is made up of IS to $40 per
month increases granted to subordi-
nate clerks throughout the service.
Attacks Paving Award
Award by the Atlantic County Board
Of Freeholders of a contract for the
construction of the Absecon boulevard
with asphalt block to Charles H. Earle
is attacked in proceedings instituted
in the Supreme Court by Charles NJ.
Kesler, a member Of the Board of
Freeholders, and other taxpayers Of
Atlantic County.
In awarding the contract, which in
wolves an expenditure of 1895, 900, Kes-
Ter charges that the other mem bers
Of the Board of Freeholders acted in
violation of the Mathis open specif-
cations% law of the.last Legislature.
writ Of certiorari is asked by Kesler to
review the action of the board.
Referring in his complaint to the
fact that the State Highway Commits
sion has refused to approve the con-
struction of the boulevard with as
phalt block, Kesler said: 81 do not
State Highway Commission for its re-
State Highway Commission for its he
fusal, but have heard it was because
the commission believed that the
award of asphalt block was in sub
stance an award for closed specifica-
lions in violation of what is popularity
known as the Mathis act, being Chap
ter 1873 of the laws of 1929
No Bids Asked, Charge
The Board of Freeholders, Kesler
alleges, adopted asphalt block alone
and did not ask bids on any other
type Of paving. He charged that the
expenditure of s9S5,O0O for the recon
struction Of the road with asphalt
blocks would be extravagant and
wasteful and insists that just as good
road, if not better, could be built
for little more than half the amount
of the contract if other materials
were used
Kesler claims that at the meeting
of the Board Of Freeholders at which
the contract was awarded to Earle
he opposed the determination of the
majority of the members of the board
to single out asphalt block and that
he also opposed the award of the con-
tract to Earle. In this stand he was
supported by Freeman Parker, an
other member Of the board, he says.
He also offered resolution provid-
ing for the rejection of all nine bids
and proposed that the board readver-
tise for the construction of a concrete
road, but this resolution was defeated.
Taxpayers Join in Fight
81 believe" said Kesler. that If a
writ of certiorari is allowed and an
opportunity afforded for producing
evidence that it can be shown that
asphalt blocks are in fact closed
specifications"
William H. Loudenslager, Philip G.
Hannum, Charles R. More and Will
liam Riddle, taxpayers of Atlantic
/ County have joined with Kesler in
the complaint Governor Silzer in
recent statement charged that the
Atlantic County Board of Freeholders
were seeking to eyade the open speci-
f1cations act in awarding contract
for asphalt blocks on Absecon boule-
ward and intimated that the members
of the board were in league with the
patented paving interests.
Memorial to General Bryant
Under the auspices of the Manu-
facturers' Association of New Jersey,
| campaign was inaugurated to raise
funds for a memorial to the late Cen
eral Lewis T. Bryant, State Commits
sioner of Labor, who died June q.
The first subscription of 500 toward
the memorial was made by ]. Philip
Bird, president of the Manufacturers
Association, on behalf of that organ
ization
William W. Evans of Paterson,
Speaker of the Assembly, has accept
ed the Craftsmanship of a committee
which will have charge of the ar
rangements for the memorial. and
within a short time win announce the
personnel Of the committee. Mr..
Evans is DESTROYS Of having the COM
mittee membership representative Of
the employers and employees Of the
State and also of the general public,
since General Bryant's public services
were in the interest of all classes Of
citizens, although dealing more di-
rectly with the first two classes. To
this end he is endeavoring to obtain
the services on the committee of rep
resentative men and women in all sec
lions of the State.
The form that the memorial viii
take will be decided by the commit
tee when it has been organized. Mr..
Bird in his letter to Mr.. Evans sug-
costing the memorial and making the
first subscription on behalf of the
Manufacturers Association, favored
bronze tablet cor some other fitting
memorial" and if the tablet form is
decided upon it probably win be in
stalled in the State House.
''whatever may be the decision Of
the committee as to this, it is in
tended to make it popular testi-