The San Francisco call., 1898-04-02
SAN MATED AND THE BOULEVARD.
MENLO PARK, April 1. 1898

MENIO PARK, April l, 1SSS
 To the Editor of The Cal-Sir There has been circulated in the County of San Mateo an address nurnorting to be approved by a committee ofscltl- zens of that county, formed to investigate report made bv the County Surveyor and this commission mon the proposition to issue $3loooo III pohos u construct certain highways in said county.
 As said circular is misleading ana contaIis so ma nv erroneous statements believe 1t our duty to the people of San Mateo County to answer same through the public press. Those members or tnis committee we have had the pleasure of meetine- namely. Henry w. Brown of Colma, who presided at our meeting at that place; George C. Ross Of Bel mont who written articles for the press or thls nountv ir favor of the bond issue Alex Moore of Pescadero who publicly stated at our meeting on the 20th ult that having had the subject property pre- sented to him, he heartily in favor thereof ana would immediately go among his nelghpors ana au- vocae the propositions Percy w. Selby, who invited us to the county and has been in accord with the movement from its inceptlon-aH deny elVihs theil approval to this report
 we are informed that other members of this commit tee do not approve the report signed ny Jonh !. Doyle C. R.. Splivalo and George H. Rice We are informed that Mr. Rice did not sign the report al- l though his name is appended thereto
 We desire to say that this committee has re- | fused to meet the Department of Highways before malxinr their report although requested do by some members of said committee. In the circular referred to an estimate is made by the sub-commit- tee Messrs John T. Doyle, c. R. Splivalo and George H. Rice giving their views by items upon the cost of constructing said highways follows
 Cost of road per mile, eastern branch-293S yards of broken rock dumped on road at 8, $SSOO.
 Coast road, mountain part-39111 yards of exca- vation at 20 cents, s7S22 176o yards broken rock, s52SO; per mile, S13,102.
 | Coast road level part-176o yards broken rock at sS5oc G.-0'' e'7
 Twenty-eight miles at sSSOo, s2464oo S5 miles at $13102 $45857O 30 miles at S5500 $16500O; total of | these items, $S69970.
 With regard the cost of broken stone laid on the road the least branch desire to say that not pound of it will cost than $1 50 per bic yard and much of it than 50 cents; that contract to have all of this rock brought from Folsom Prison rock-cruSher any point the rail- along the east branch for s1 Il per cubic yard But this is not necessary, San Mateo County will supply rock for this purpose much less cost As to rock for the coast road this department does not propose in it's report to rock said road except where the material is easily obtainable
 The most glarng. false statement in this report is in placing the cost of the moving of the earth at 20 cents per cubic yard There Is little of this country that cannot be plowed with a common road | blow, and contractor knows that material that can be plowed can be moved with scrapers. If the statement made In this circular is true, namely that will cost 20 cents to move the earth then according to all experience, four horses and will not less than seventy cubic yards per day, which would mean $14 per day for team, scraper and man. We leave our readers to infer the absurdity | of the proposition.
 These gentlemen, who have constituted themselves civil engineers, had better make some estimates for earth work for railroads private parties and see how long the title of civil engineer remain after | their
 In justice ourselves we desire to point to these glarng errors in order that the people may judge themselves We can only infer that this report, IL IS named mas been framed by mind totally igno rant or the subject and should receive credence at the hands of the voters of San Mateo County | Very respectfully,
 l MARSDEN MANSON, | J. R. PRICE, W. l.. ASHE. Department of Highways Commissioners