The San Francisco call., 1895-05-22
THAT CHANGE OF HEART,
superintendent AShWOrth De-
nieS That He Has Had
One.
RED ROCK, HE SAYS, is BEST.
Worked Over Some Old Specifica-
tions and Thinks He Did What
Was Expected of Him.

Superintendent of Streets Ashworth in
letter to the CALL yesterday, took excep-
ton to an article published some days
ago, in which reference was made to his
"change of heart"-those words being
used-with regard to redstone in the prep
aration of concrete foundations for btu
minous rock pavements.
reporter had called at the Superin-
tendents office before the publication to
get an explanation from him, but he was
not in, and as no clear statement as to
where be was could be obtained. that fact
was stated, with the intimatlon that Mr..
Ashworth was not anxious to be found.
To this statement also the Superintend-
ent took exception, and a reporter there
fore called upon him yesterday afternoon.
SIN the first place, did not run away
| want that to be understood. l was out
of town on business for the Supervisors"
"Where were your"
"Oh, out in the country"
'You say you have suffered no change of
heart with regard to the red stone being
quite as good as the blue for making con-
crete2'
''On the contrary, l am of the same
opinion to-day that expressed before the
Street Conn mittee. believe that red rock
is as good as the blue, if not little better.
More than that, it is much cheaper, so
cents load cheaper which makes a vast
difference. Why we should pay higher
price for what is not so good is a little
| difficult to understand. The blue rock is
not nearly so good for macadamizing; it
won't pack, never in the world, while the
| red rock will. Now" continued the Su-
perintendent, ''the specifications say that
| either red or blue rock may be used, but
| J. L, ,ol,
everybody knows bars out red rock, for it
| is too soft for the test This practically
| gives monopoly TO single frm-there is
| no doubt about that, and / am opposed to
it on that ground also. The Rather test
requirements should be eliminated from
the specifications and then they would be
| all right so far as the rock is concerned"
"But these specifications were proposed
by you, were they not, under the resolu-
ton passed by the Supervisors2"
sNo, sir. The specifications SO far as
| the concrete sub-pavement is concerned
were allotted by the old board. | simply
| inserted two paragraphs detailing the
method of laying the bituminous rock
'But the resolution distinctly set forth
that you should prepare specifications
such as you thought would produce the
| best possible streets. And yet, in face of
those instructions, you submit specifica-
| tions which you say you do not approve"
II did not consider that tney called upon
me to go beyond the matter of laying the
bituminoas rock. All this matter had
been gone over when the late order was
under consideration. That passed and
was vetoed by the Mayor, and then they
asked me to prepare new specifications"
Exactly. The whole town was making
an outcry against what it saw was fraud.
The Mayor vetoed it, and then the Super
visors asked you to prepare new specifca-
tions such as would secure for the City the
desired good paving, and it was expected
that you would prepare such as would
have no shadow Of suspicion upon them.
And yet you have inserted conditions
which you say carry with them a mo-
| nopoly, which do not give the best results
| and which cost more than better class of
| material could be bought for"
''In the matter of the concrete, yes; but
l insist that did not look upon the reso-
luton as calling upon me to touch that"
"But it calls in so many words for speci-
tications for the best material and method
for paving Streets"
"Well," said the superintendent, 'I have
| stated my position. l did not run away,
and the Specifications were such as 1 under
stood the resolution to call for.'