Wichita eagle., 1889-09-20
MORE THE PAVING QUESTION.

To the Editor of the Eagle
AS lot owners on Market street between
Elm and English streets we are somewhat
gratified at the position taken by Ihe
EAGLE in its Wednesday morning lsuse re-
latiup to the Main street paving contract.
We had supposed that when the question
of having was being agitated IN this city
that the wishes of the majority OF the
owners of property In any paving dls1ricC
would determine the character or the paw
ing to be used in that district; hence,
when the matter came up to be determined
nv the CITY council for Market street dis
trict we presumed that petition setting
forth the wishes of the majority OF the
foot frontage in that district would de-
termine the character of the paving for
that particular district.
We find by investigating the petitions
that 3, $685. feet in favor OF brlck ana l, '+o
feet in favor of asphalt.
Of course in getting up this petition ior
brick we had no corporation or lndlVldu
ais interested in the same to The extent OF
offering n single dollar for anyDodys sup
port for brick pavement; neither was any
Dersou offered any rebate for signing the
petition for brick. So that wh9tever mum
Der of feet was secured for brick pavement
was done without purchase or the hope OF
receiving special benefit from any one IN
terested in that kind of pavement.
we went before the ClIS COuhCi WIN
our petition but failed even to get hear
ing of the same The asphalt people had
SO thoroughly fixed the business 1t SEEM
ed that even the chairman Oh the commit
tee tumbled over himself in his extreme
haste to get the cOntrac' Tor the asphalt
people l. t before going into that celebraf-
ed executive session. In the presence
of a large number of property owners he,
even before the bids had been opened,
moved to let the contract Tor Market
street to the Barber Asphalt company.
The mayor signed the contract OF the Bar
bel Aspalt company before any OF the own,
ers of property on Market street could
have an opportunity of showing their IN
iignation at the methods taken by the
council in the matter.
1t is claimed bv some that the contract
WAS signed before he left the building that
night, and by others that 1t was slgned at
least before 8 O'Clock on the morning FOL
lowing
In looking over your article we are some
what surprised that you did not publish
the same on the morning following the
meeting of the council OF September >.
We would like to ask you why the citl-
gems owning property on Main street nave
any more right 10 object to the peculiar
methods of the council at their meeting of
Septem Der 10, than the Market street peo-
pie have to the action of the council on
September the 9? We would like further
to ask if the Market street people have not
more right to object to these methods as
by them it would probably cost their peo-
pie double the amount that 1t would II the
council had needed their wishes IN the
matter 1t seems that the contract signed
with the Barber Asphalt company Will
cost the owners of properly on Market
street &. 50 per yard for paving. And when
they get that kind of paving put down, it
of course means continual tearing up
and patching, and if Market street ever
intends to be much as a business street
new buildings will have to be erected on
the vacant lots and the pavement torn up
TO make the necessary connection for water
and gas for each building. Everybody
will admit that with the brick pavement
but little difficulty will be experienced IN
the tearing up of the street for such con-
nection, and that when replaced it Will
hardly be noticeable.
Another thing. if the business on the
itreet extends an extension of the paving
will be ordered by the council, asphalt will
have to be put down as asphalt Is on the
other part of che street. The result is that
it will cost us $3.50 per yard for every yard
putdown. Ii Peoria, H., a contract has
Just been let for extending the pavement
with brick at 81 1872 per yard.
We think the brick can be made at home.
If SO, the money paid out for paving would
De paid to our own people and thus Keep
the money at home. 1t seems to us 1t
would be policy at least, to give our home
an opportunity to develop our home III
dustres. Even were ii found necessary To
send away from home for the brick, 1t
would be the saving of thousands Of dol
lars to the tax payers of this
city to pave with brick instead of asphalt:
and with the continual changes that would
lie necessary on each street brick pavement
will always leave the street in a better
condition than if asphalt were used.
But, of course brick pavement might not
result in any direct benefit to the mayorOr
council of this city, but believing IN the
theory that that policy should be adopted
which will benefit the many instead OF the
few, we see no reason why the choice of
pavement should not be made upon this
principle.
You have had estimates published in
your paper of the costs of the different
kinds of pavement suggested for tins city,
aud the result Is that the mayor and the
council seem to be anxious to let the con-
sracts for the different streets using that
Kind of Pavement which VIII
cost the people the most money
instead of the least. Acting upon
this theory, the mayor gives us TO under
stand that he intends vetolng the sand
stone contract and hold the Main street
people up for asphalt.
GOf course, during the next two years
great deal of paving is to be done in the
city. We would like TO know whether the
EAGLE INTENDS TO Stan0 as tDe exponent OF
an interest so disastrous to the citizens of
this city or whether, usual, II intends to
protect the people generally against the
monopoly that has through our council
been trying to rob the people by fastening
upon them contracts that sends thousands
Of dollars away from the city for the bene-
fit of the few, and prevents the building
up of Industries here at home that can
give us cheap paving material.
The council has generously given the
street car company the right to use other
pavement than asphalt. The citizens
would like to know why their interest in
the matter is TO be neglected in the in
terest of the street railroad company. And
the street car company Is To put in brick
why would IL not be better to have The
whole street paved with the same material
SO that there would be but one kind of
pavement on the street.
GRO. CHARLTON,
john DAVIDSON,
f. y. HUsE