The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-06

anu stationary, miscellaneous expenses,
date OF work, estimated cost and real
cost. Instead of filing up this form, as
requested, the form appended was filed
up and sent to your committee. Your
committee will endeavor still further to
get the itemized information they de-
sire.
1t will be seen by the statement ap-
pended that work costing thousands of
dollars was ordered and undertaken by
the city without any estimate of cost
having been made by the engineer, and
that in number of instances the
amount expended largely exceeds the
estimated cost.
Your committee have only received
this form to-day and were unable to
give 1t the detailed examination that it
should have, but submits to the Council
that even this moager informat ton
shows that there should be q radio al
change in the mode of doing work in
this city. If the Council is of their
opinion they would recommend that be-
lore ordering any piece of work costing
any large amount that an estimate be
had from the city engineer, giving the
exact cost thereof.
AS soon as your committee is enabled
to get the detailed information in re.
gard TO the expenditures which it has
asked for, it hopes to make more
elaborate report upon this point
Letters are herewith filed as part of
this report from VIM. II. Tinsley, ask
ing for certain repairs and certain work
TO DO done on certain streets in the city:
letter from Thomas W. Miller, asking
That Ash street be opened to Charles
street. There was petition filed De-
cember IA, 1891, by VIM. Ii. Robinson ct
ais.,asking that board walk be laid on
or nv
street and continuing to the cemetery;
your committee recommends that this
walk be graded so that the property
holde RS can put down the sidewalk, and
a petition dated November 20. 1891, by
D., a. Fishburne ct ais, asking for the
opening of John street; also a letter
from j. G.. Harris dated December 81,
1891, calling attention to the guttering
OF Sixth avenue S. W., between Fourth
and Fifth streets, which petitions and
letters are herewith filed as a part of
this report.
Your committee would state that in
accordance with the direction of the
Council and in furtherance of the mat.
ters reported on in their last report,
they have had conference with Mr. Pat.
terson and asked him to make an esti-
mate of what it would cost to change
the present style of guttering to perma.
nent brick gathering. Mr.. Patterson
promised to give your committee an es-
innate in few days, but left Roanoke
without doing so.
our committee has also consulted
with the city solicitor, and is informed
oy MN that'the grading can be done to
the depth of six inches. as was recon-
me!nded in tho former report of this
committee. and it is asked that the
former report of this committee be
taken as pars Of this report in so far
as pertains to this particular matter
The city solicitors opinion is hereto an.
pended as part of this report.
Your committee would further recon-
mend that even if Mr.. Patterson Should
not make satisfactory terms in regard
TO the change in the present guttering
TO more permanent style, still that the
grading should be only made to the
oeptn OF SIX inches, as they are informed
by the city solicitor that that can be
done under the contract with Mr.. Patter
son. Hereafter when the present gutter
ing or that which is being put down by
Mr. Patterson has worn out or become
useless, tho cost Of putting in new
gutterlnG can be assessed upon ad iacent
property owners and the streets put in
the condition they should be. The CITY
wlJl thereby save the cost at present of
permanent guttering, which can be
put in at the cost of tho property own
ers hereafter, and will also save the
cost of grading six inches more than is
necessary, and your committee would
therefore most strongly urge and recon-
mend that on the streets other than
those mentioned in their former report,
that only six inches be dug ont and six
inches OF macadam be put on, as they
think that for long period of years
that will be sufficient.
Your committee would further report
that they have authorized Mr.. Dunlap
TO employ an assistant engineer for
temporary work In making certain sur
yeYs, and ask that the Council will con-
firm this authority According to Mr.
Dunlaps statement, it waS necessary
lot the work to be done, and his force
was insufficient for it.
In making this report. your commit
tee beg leave to say that one of the
chief difficulties they have to contend
WIFI Is In getting any reliable and &C
curate information in regard to any
thing connected with the streets of this
city, either as to tho amount that has
Deen done or its cost, why IL was done,
what work is to be done and It's cost.
etc, and dc not believe thas matters
can be gotten in the ate tn y ought to
be until such time in the futu O when q
board OF public works shall he appointed,
who shall have Lh- general supervision
and control over such matters. Re-
sp. cLfully reported.
j. ALLEN WATTS, Chairman,
E C. WELSH.
WALLER F. HUFF
The following is the statement of the
city engineer flied with tho report:
ROANOKE, Va, Dec. %, 1891.