The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-11
SIDE LIGHTS ON REroRM PA WING.

| Must the Mayors friends and sup
| porters at tho polls who catch all the
plums worth having In the way of con-
slant employment at good wages in the
highway department be cared for regard
less of tho taxpayers INTERESTS
To accomplish this 1t seems 10 DO
deemed necessary as Goo-Goo provision
that all the new paving required TO be
put down soon In Exchange place and
in front of the new railroad station (avail-
able appropriation, about $3.50, OO0)
should be made of granite blocks at a
cost of from g. 75 20 Si 70 per square yard,
and laid by days labor, when the same
or another material can he laid by con-
tract and guaranteed for term OF years
for much less price.
Must our new railroad station and tho
small breathing spots adjoining same,
the only open spaces remaining in the
heart of the city, be surrounded with a
noisy, expensive and more or less filthy
granite block pavement!
For the extent Of paving required as
mentioned above asphalt would cost from
thirty TO forty thousand dollars less than
granite blocks and there can be no ques-
tion as to which would be the most Do
I,I To latO frt,y
of stone block pavemonts in Buffalo have
been replaced with asphalt, and this
season alone asphalt will replace about
thirty miles of block pavement in the
city of New York.
The granite ring in New York is
thrown out under Republican reform
administration, but only few years ago
IA street in that city could not be paved
with asphalt, even II tho property owners
were agreed on footing the bill. In those
days Fifth avenue was entirely paved
with granite, which seems hldicrous
enough and the only new smooth pave
ments laid We're upon few cross streets
leading to the principal hospitals so that
the ambulances might have easier going
and upon some of the worst slum streets
down town. Upon both of those stops the
board of health insisted. Nov a worn out
granite block pavement laid in Fifth
avenue about eight years ago is being ro.
placed with asphalt guaranteed for
period OF fifteen years at even less cost
than the granite.
A pavement that is laid for the traffic
Of long period of years should be up-to-
date when laid Let tbs gather wisdom
from the past. Already Harris avenue in
this city, paved at great expense with
granite blocks for the express purpose of
accommodating the heavy traffic to Olney
willie, is almost deserted and all tho supply
OF coal and much ether material going to
Olneyville is being transported over Broad
way. rather than over Harris avenue or
Westminster street Inc tcamers Know
a good thing even II the strcct-making
authority doesn't.
In connection with this matter we may
refer TO communication received yestcr-
day from "A taxpayer making the follow
ing inquiry: Docs the Mayor own Com
missioner Smith, and Is the commissioner
under obligation To buy through Frank
Slavin from tho Mayors father all the
sand, gravel ana othcr material in Bull
Dog HillY'
We don't know Frank Slayin and we
are in doubt whether TO regard tho in
quiry as pertinent or not. If the Mc-
Guinness sand hill produces as good quail
ty Of sand gravel and other material as
can be had elsewhere ana II the city pays
no higher price for it than 1t can be else.
where obtained no one ran make serious
objection IT his honor esarcisos little
hlial preference.