Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-08-09
STATEMENTS ARE MADE IN
FIRE HOSE COURT FIGHT

In the article appearing in yes
lterday's Evening News relative to the
| certiorari adtion taken by K. v.
Afflerbach against the city because
of the award of a contract for fire.
hose Monday night, the statements
of Mr.. Afflerbach and Alderman john
j. Clark, who defends the aldermen's
action in awarding the contract,
were inadvertently misplaced. In
Justice to both men their statements
are being reprinted today as they
should have read originally.
Alderman Clark's letter to the
News follows:
I'm your issue of August z 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 by
him. (The information procured
by Mr.. Toolan is quite CORRECTLY In
fact l 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 Ut 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 l I'm
the deciding factor on the present
Board of Aldermen there would not
be so much looting going on. AS
chairman of certain committees of
the Board of Aldermen, one of
which is fire, it was up to me to
recommend which hose I thought
was the best to buy. If l recon-
mended some hose that the firemen
or the Borad of Aldermen know
nothing about and the first big fire
that broke put that hose went
wrong, who would be blamed? Why
Clark of course. Well Clark is play
ing safety first just now.
$50 l recommended that 5000 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 the bid without regard to
price Again does Mr.. Toolan do
me honor, for if l was able to swing
the other six members of the board
in line without their consent, its the
first time 1 have been able to 60
/. under the present regime. Eureka
hose is supposed to be one of the
best fire hoses onithe market and to
my knowledge has been used in the
Perth Amboy fire department for the
past fifteen years.
"The present Board of Aldermen
is very conspicuous for its lack of
unity, but they all agreed by a united
vote that Eureka hose vas the best
hose to buy. For the past ten years
l have written up most of the reso-
buttons that from time to time come
under my committees, and ave al
ways done so without any extra
charge to the taxpayer as l have al
ways felt 1t was a part of my duty.
l am very sorry indeed If | nave Of
Tended Mr.. Toolan in doing so. But
Il shall continue doing so unless 1
am stopped by someone who has
the authority to stop me.
MIR. Clark will continue as the
vigilant watch dog of the public's
purse irrespective of Mr.. Toolan's
criticism.
Mr.. Afflerbach's signed statement
follows:
"The council upon recommended
ton of Alderman John Clark
awarded a contract for 1000 feet of
fire hose at a cost of $1.40 per foot.
My bid, which carried with it the
same guarantee and met the re-
quirements and specifications as adj
vertised, was at the rate of $1.24 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 II per cent
for?"