The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-12
AN INJUSTICE TO OTHERS.
New View of the AIabama-Street
"Reminiscences.

RemOn strances.
A number of property owners were yes
terday discussing the action of the resi-
dents of Alabama street in defeating the
Improvement of that street. They were all
property owners and live on streets which
have been permanently improved. One of
them, who is quite prominent in all public
enterprises, said:
Il don't wish to condemn the Council for
the part IL took in the matter, for ii may
have been acting in good faith, believing
that the resident property owners should
have the right to say when and how their
street should be improved. / live on North
Pennsylvania street and have noticed for
some time past that the residents of Ala
bama street always drive over to Pennsyl-
ways avoid that fine cedar block pavement
on Delaware street. Now, / paid S.51 a
foot for my pavement, besides paying for
sweeping and sprinkling 1t. l don't think
II Is just TO make me pay to have the Ala
oama-street mud swept off of Pennsylvania
street"
Another man who lives on Arsenal ave-
nue. said: II paid a large amount to have
the street in front of my property i'm
proved, but what good will it do me if we
can't compel the property owners on other
streets to do the same? When / want to
drive down town / compelled to drive
several blocks through mud and 1 believe
that L have a right to demand that the
other street over which / must drive to
get down town be improved I'm a similar
manner to the improvement that L have
Property owners generally who have
paid for downtown street improvements
seem to have one opinion on the matter.
and that is that Ii is an injustice to them
to leave Alabama street in its present con-
dition when they have paid for the i'm
provement of the other downtown streets.
The property owners on North Alabama
street who demonstrated against asphalt
have memorial of their own. They say
the charter states that when as many as
W. resident "
on a street proposed to be improved re-
monstrate against such Improvement, the
remonstrance shall be considered by the
Council.
I'VE do not think" they said to the
Council, that in such cases the Council
should, as some people seem to think. sim
ply approve what the Board of Works has
done Such a course would defeat the in
tention of the trainers of the charter in
putting such a provision in il. We think
the wishes of those who are to pay for the
improvement are entitled TO your consid-
GRAFTON, provided they want a durable pave
ment. We desire honest competition in bid
ding for the contract when it is let and
we do not believe there can be any COM
petition in asphalt bids where the entire
supply is controlled by monopolists. The
city engineer of st. Joseph Mo. estimate
the annual cost of repairing asphalt pave
ment at 10 cents a square yard, which,
with our present asphalt streets (about
100000 square YARDS will cost the city about
$4,000 a year to keep in repair as soon as
the five-year guarantee OF the paving COM
I'VE challenge inspection of the asphalt
streets already put down, and assert that
none OF them have fulfilled promises made
for them. Look at the buffalo wallows in
| Jackson place; see Washington street, with
more patches than pavement: inspect the
| chuck holes in Prospect street; view the
crumbling edges in Illinois street the
cracks and seams in North Meridian and
| North Pennsylvania streets. While we rec
ognize the fact that the existing laws dc
not confer upon the Council the right &c
| determine the character of a pavement YOU
are required to act whenever proper re-
| monstrances bring the question OF an i'm
| provement before you in such way as
! 10 see that, while the public interests are
not disregarded, the rights of in1ividua.
| citizens may be protected We, therefore
| respectfully request that you will by res
| olution recommend TO the Board OF Publ,
| Works that they order Alabama street i'm
/ proved with red cedar block pavement. The
| only pavement OF this kind in the city Is
| on North Delaware street. from st. Clail
| street 10 Seventh. IL Is laid upon a sane
! foundation, has been in use seven and q
\ half years. has been cut into by plumbers
| the heavy hauling going north has beer
| over ~. Its repairs have not cost over Ss.b
| and yet to-day il Is a cleaner and better
| street than any other Ill the city that ha.
| been in use half as long. he cost of th'
| fOrty-fOOt roadway was not to exceed 5
| a front foot-the property owners paid s2.3
| ard the city paiC Tor street and alley cross
| ings The pavement We propose J. a mOr'
/ durable kind laid on a better foundation
and viii not, according 10 responsible con
| tractors. cost over $40 "a square yard
! while asphalt costs s. s. a square yard. Tn
| whole manner of bidding and letting con
| trGCts is calculated 10 deceive the propert,
| owners. The bidding is done by the run
| ming foot, and when the assessment 1
! made II turns out that the whole humble