The Evening critic., 1882-06-06
Squandering Public Money in Street
Pavements.

TO Major Garrett j. Ly1ecker, Engineer Com
missioner.
SIN: THE CRITIC has recently publishe l sev-
eral articles showing the favoritism OF the
Commissioners and engineers in laying an un-
due amount of pavements in me West End to
the neglect of other parts Of the city. This is
great I'M ustlce, and 1t Is fortunate for the
public that we now have THE CRITIC, which
is engaged in exposing this favoritism. And
all of this ex xposure is in direct line OF my
former communication, showing the millions
squandered by want of engineer economy in
the city pavements, FOR II better pavements
could be laid for half the money. which 1
claim, then double the amount could be laid,
and all sections OF the city could be served at
the present ex expenditure. do not now refer
to the scores of millions squandered In wood
pavements, soon rotten, and bad concrete, laid
by Shepherd Co., but to that done by their
successors, and is now being done, at undue
cost to the city, and which, 1t is hoped, will be
changed under your management. The pub.
lie VIII stand no more of this, more especially
as they now have public organ in THE CRITIC
which Will expose Ii.
pennsylvania avenue, from Sixth street
west, was laid few years ago with asphalt,
at S3.7S Der yard, hot tampers and hot smooth
ingirons being used In place of heavy rollers,
the result being that the surface was left
uneven, which has worn still more uneven,
the depressions now containing much water
| after every rain. For this reason 1t Will have
TO be relaid In year or two. Two or three
years after, this same pavement was laid In
several streets, using rollers and no tampers,
making uniform surface, and at S1.4S per
yard. This shows a great improvement in
quality and great reduction in price. How
ever, 1t has now got up to S2.26 In price,
through parties hero who have monopoly of
the asphalt. But claim that by making a
further improvement In the mode OF laying
even more radical than the one mentioned,
that q far better and more durable asphalt
pavement can be laid at slips, and the con-
tractors make as much profit as under their
present mode and price, and when the mo-
nopoly on asphalt is removed, 1t can be laid at
| 81 per yard. II 80, then double the number
| OF yards could be laid for the present cost all
parts OF the city could be served and favoritism
anxious to communicate at any time, but not
| to Lieutenant HOxie.
| This community is very anxious to learn
from Lieut.. Hoxie why, in laying Seventh and
streets being laid with concrete, that the inter-
| sections were not laid with concrete In place
OF stor Q, as wide as the sidewalks, so as to
| make the crossing smooth. Also Will Lieut..
| Hoxie tell why for the last year he has been
cutting out concrete cutters at tho curb, and
sometimes also cutting out a strip near the
railroad tracks, and paving these spaces with
| stone blocks, at great cost, the cutters 10 nc
cumulate dirt. Large sums have been squan
| dered In such work which nobody can under
| stand. And now, Major Garrett, please exam
Inc street, between Second and Four-and-a
half, In sight OF the Morrison Building. Thesi
two squares, being impossible from rotten
| wood, were recently taken up, the foundation
being good bituminous pavement, which onll
| required recovering with a single three-incl
| asphalt coating at a cost OF about 81. 80 pc
yard. But Hoxte tore up and cast away tn
| Dttuminous foundation, and Is now laying
broken stone and cement foundation, 10 b
| topped with granite blocks, and at double III
| cost. The whole community should examin
this and similar work In other parts of tn
city, which has been going on for years, seen
money. A. WATSON, o. Il.
wAsHISoIoN, D. @. June 6, 1882.