New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-06
THE Use OF FOREIGN ASPHALT.
SEVERE CONDEMNATION FOR THE BILL
PROHIBITING OTHER THAN DOMESTIC
PRODUCTIONS OR MATERIALS"
STREET PAVING.
IN STREET PAVING

The attention of Nelson T. Lewis. the engineer al
the head OF the new Bureau OF Street Constructor
and Maintenance in the Department OF Ci'y worms
Was called yesterday 10 the bill when mas nee"
Introduced at Albany forbidding the use III street
plvlng OF asphalt wood or other material mol pro-
guced in the United States. The blu was ihtronuceu
IN the Senate by Maurice Featherson' oil the
XVIIIth District Of New-York City. who was Tor
merry TIE Water Purveyor In New-horK' ana hAo
charge OF street requirements. etc. Inc piHs's'A'
section O, the bill Is follows:
Except for repairs no asphalt. wood or other
pavement which shall be- wholly or parity composed
OF foreign productions materials shall be laid or
used in any street avenue other public thorough
fare in any city county. town or village or this
State
After reading the bill. Engineer Lewis SAID
have Just heard.of this measure. although II WAS III
troduced several days ago. 1t Is hard 10 pee'e ha'
any one can lake such measure seriously IL Is
absurd 70 Inv any restriction on any city In pro-
curing the best materials II can find to pave us
streets with The bill seems to be aimeu al '"e
use OF foreign asphalts. on when unit" ia'e'' We
have been altogether dependent III II true ''a'
there is a good dea. OF asphalt In TINS country, pu.
1t has not been used much as yet Asphalt Is 'ou'a
in California Kentucky and U.ah and believe
there IL also some In Texas. though DO not
think this last has ever been useh'
THE California asphalt has been used TO some ex-
tent In this city by the Aicaraz Company i~
found In Kentucky Is rock asphalt ana seheru en-
perience shows that rock asphalt when used Tor
paving purposes is very slippery. The Utah asphait
has been tried to some extent In Minneapolis ana
Chicago and while the officials we're much pieaseu
with Il at first ! have heard since that IL mas
cracked badly The best known asphait IS 'ha'
which comes from Trinidad, but lately ne"
asphalt known An the Bermudez promises 10 De
sharp rival Of IT, The Bermudez asphait - touho
in the State OF Bermudez, in Venezuela only ABOUT
lola Trinidad ana appears
10 have much of the quality several contracts
FOR paving In Brooklyn nave pee" ''""' "'' Wv
company using this asphalt. .. 49, ,o.o,,.,
Thus far we are largely dependent on IoIeisn
asphalts and II Is preposterous 70 thiilk mat we
should be shut out from buying the psst shat can
be produced In the markets OF the world Inc sdIne
Is true of wood although we nave NOT umuer. ahen
To nut down any wood pavements here There are
two varieties OF the eucalyptus tree which grow IN
Australia that are very hard ana cose-Braiheo anu
promise 10 make good pavements IL IL one Oh tnese
varieties that has been laid experimentaily on
block I'm Twentieth-st New-York, recently: That
we should he shut out from using this wood In case
We desired to do no would be most absurd. seeing
that have wood In this country that possesses
the same qualities. ,, 4. a.. &c.,.
The feeling among other officials IN The depart
ment who were talked with was equally strong one
Of them said that this bill was protection run INTO
the ditch" Another expressed the opinion that the
bill was n strike directed against the company
using Trinidad asphalt and sad that II would be
only one step absurd for some one TO Introduce
a bill prohibiting the Of any paving material not
produced In the State OF New-fork