The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-03-12
BLOCKS AND BITUMEN.
Street Payements deliberately
Discussed.
The General Sentiment in Favor of First
Glass Work - Gilleran Thinks It
Should Begin on Sewers.

The conference of citizens called by the
Mayor last night to discuss street pavements
attracted about the same attendance as the
meeting of one week previous. There were
| present Mayor Sanderson, Supervisors Ia
ber Curtis, Wilkinson, Burling Carnes, Cof-
| fee, jackson and Aver, Superintendent Of
| Streets Giileran, George NJ. Scott. Mayor of
| Salt Lake City, Engineers Marsden Manson
| of the Harbor Commission, Hermann
Schussler of the Spring Valley Water
Works, John J. Haley. John Morton, Isl
dore Cutie, C. 3. Taylor, Charles Ogden, E.
b. Mastick, ex-Supervisor Knorp and
| others.
| AT last Saturday afternoons conference
| of the Street Committee with the Mayor, at
which Mr. Manson was pre- sent, it was
| thought good means OF expecting matters
| to let Mr.. Manson take the old ordinance
| and reconstruct it as he thought best, then
! submit it for consideration. He did so and
| read the result of his work last night giving
| to the board the first zeal scientific set of
| spe cifcations ever proposed for pavements.
A SCIENTIFIC ORDER.
| Mr. Manson explained that he found the
old order so bungling he could make no use
| of il whatever, so in framing new one he
| had paid no special attention to 1t. He was
| satisfied however, thai he had drawn a
! plain comprehensive order that could not be
lodged by careless or INSCRIPTIONS con-
| tractors.
There is no use talking" he concluded,
| ''if the specifications ara not adhered to-if
| the work is not carefully done you may
! Just as well put the whole matter in your
| pocket"
MUST NOT BE TOO EXPENSIVE.
Mr.. Taber said he quite agreed with Mr..
Manson and took this occasion to remark
that he believed the specifications. prepared
and lately passed by the Board OF Super
viscrs TO be very good If they were strictly
carried out. He was willing to admit that
the specifications prepared by Mr.. Manson
were very complete and would give the city
a firSt-clasS pavement but he feared it would
be altogether too costly. AS long as pave
ments are to be paid for by the property
owners it will not do to have them too ex-
penSiye. The engineers, IN going into the
| technical science and merits OF good pave
ment, have persistently overlooked the
| question of cost. Unfortunately the law is
SO constructed that if property-owners are
displeased with the prospect OF having to
meet a heavy expense bill fol- paving, they
can stop it by protest for an indefinite tlme:
This will surely be the clty's experience II
such an order is passed, and the result IS
apt to be no pavements at all instead OF the
desired good pavements.
HALEY on SHOES.
John J. Haley said he was thoroughly in
| sympathy with the sentiment expressed by
Mr.. Manson. He did not believe in making
| a pair OF shoes unless they were made well.
| Let the same principle be applied in paving
the streets of San Francisco. IL is great
| deal cheaper to make good pavement once
| for all than to 20 on year in and out with
the sipshod work that now disgraces this
| city from end to end. He was sure that
enough money was spent on Third street
| from Mission to Brannan every year to pave
| it well according to the system suggested by
Mr.. Manson, and yet that street is al
most mpassable-alwayS is The same
could be said of nearly all the streets in the
| city. This sort OF business will go on to
| the end of time If it is not stopped at once.
| Commence by ordering the work and then
! putting competent men In charge OF 1t. The
work of the Street Department has been a
| bowling farce for years, because the
| authorities have put such inferior men In
| charge of the various departments OF work.
PRACTICAL VIEWS.
John Morton was very, practical in his
| views. You engineers" he said, turning
to Manson and Schussler, ARE planning
! fine lot OF work for the city, but who is
going to pay for it? Why, the pavements
that you are talking about would bankrupt
| the city in year.
These remarks brought Mr.. Schussler to
his feet with a jump. "Mr Norton" said
| he, "what is the secret OF your success? Is
| 1t because you buy cheap trucks. old, sham
bling, spawned horses and rotten harness?
No, sir; you buy the very best for your
business, and it costs you less in the long
run, while you are able to do infinitely bet
ter work The same principle will apply to
the streets of this city. They will pay for
themselves in ten years by saving the cost
Of repairs If they are put down now accord
ing to those specifications"
MONEY WASTED.
Isd0re Quite said he had lived in San
=. 10 InI
MONEY spent on repairs in this city to pave
! every street in it with good indestructible
| pavement, and vet what has the city got to
| show for it? San Francisco stands on
par in many respects with the leading cities
| of the world, but no other city has such
disgraceful pavementS.
"a agree with Mr. Schussler and Mr..
Manson he added, with round emphasis.
:" If we don't put down but two blocks a
| year, let us put those two blocks down well; ;
| we'll never have it to do again. 1t will be
| money saved. 1t Will always be to the
| credit of the city. In this manner all the
| streets can be paved in a few years. l have
| lived here long time now, waiting to see
| good pavement. If this plan is not adopted
| pretty soon Pm afraid | shall die disap-
| pointed
Some one remarked that Market street
| had already cost enough in repairs to pave
| it six feet deep with concrete from the ferry
| to Seventeenth street.
THE REAL FOUNDATION.
| Street Superintendent Gilleran said the
| citizens might talk as long as they pleased
about n proper foundation for pavements
! and legislate till the end of time on the sub
! iect unless the city commenced work at the
real foundation, namely, the sewer system,
| the time aud labor would be all misspent.
| 1t is perfectly absurd to talk OF laying per-
manent pavements in this city at the pres
ent time. There is no sewer system in San
Francisco at all. Nearly all the streets con-
tain defective sewers. Nine-tenths of all
| the sewers in the city are out of repair.
! The Street Department has $4,000 wear
to srend on streets. Every dollar OF it is
needed now to repair sewers. Why not be-
| gin at the beginning of this subject?
Supervisor Taber agreed and tried to get
an expression on that branch Of the subject.
but the Mayor explained that he had the
subject under consideration and would call
| it up in few days. A competent engineer
had agreed to furnish him with rough out
| line of what he thought would be a good
| system. He was waiting to get that before
! going into general discussion.
In the Cause of Science.
Il