Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-10-11
Minority Report OF Councilman
Lenz, of Street Committee.
MAKES A GENERAL RESUME
Ftnds That vitrtn ID Brick is tho Proper
Thing Except Where III avy Hauling
IL to be Done. As to Assortment
Must Re Careful.

There mas been considerable specula-
liens as to what would be the nature
of the minority report Of MI. F. G..
I-enz, the member of the street COM
| mittee who did not go On the tour Of
inspection.
II was known that Mr.. LEM did not
use for the committees report after its
return. therefore. something unusually
brisk was expected Of him when he
started in to make his minority report.
We'll, the councilman from the sec
ond ward mas prepared his report. 1t
IS a conservative. though definite doe :
ument. in which he advocates the use
Of vitrified brick on all the streets ex-
cept the river road, Twenty-fifth street
To West avenue and the bridge ap-
proaches. .@
He finds that 1.-The select" commit
tee visited all the leading cities, but
failed to make any report on the mate
rial best adapted for use here.
In the preliminary section of his re
port. he says:
In the first place. it ought to b.
paid Cor by general taxation. and, as
ought to help pay for it. In the sec
ord place, if it We're done by local as
sessment. one street may be paved with
one article and another with some 9TH
ei' article. which would mean two diff
erent prices. Complications would arise
and then the cry would be class legis-
latlon. Unequal taxation. as you arr.
all aware. is unconstitutional. I would
suggest that we take the entire amour,
OF money which we have at our dis
posal and start and go as far as it will
reach, and by the time we get we'll
under way the Legislature will convene
and then the council can have a special
act passed allowing US to issue more
bonds to finish the proposed paving
In concluding his report, Mr.. Lenz
states that he was formerly in favor OF
local assessment, but had changed his
views after studying the question.
he goes over the different paving
materials briefly.
Asphalt he says, Is neat and clean,
put IN summer 1t is hot and soft, and in
the winter it contracts and cracks.
Asphalt block makes 2 clean, level
street. Its cost is as great as sheet
asphalt. but the wear is longer and the
repair cost practically nothing
Belgian block is the best materia!
FOR streets upon which there is heavy
hauling
MacLadam costs from IS. 900 to sic, 900
mile and is easily repaired.
concerning vitrifed brick, Mr. LEM
says that on his trip to Roanoke in
september he made a careful examina-
ton of the brick paving there and
found vitrified brick, which had been
laid seven years, as good as new. The
people there claim that there is moth
ing better. The cost Of repairing IS
small.
In conclusion. Mr.. Lenz remarks:
In the report of the special commit
tee, | see they lay great stress as t.
what new inventions are to be or ex-
pected TO be, used on our streets, ana
how level and noiselessly they run,
and how they are going to take thu.
places of horses and wagons l would
say we are not going to pave streets
especially for the automobile, but for
the convenience of the public good.
Whether it be for automobile, bicyclo
wagon, buggy or baby carriage, il
must be done. Therefore, I, as one Of
|the members. recommend vitrified
brick on all streets With the exception
of river road, Twenty fifth street to
West avenue, and bridge approaches"
New. as to having it done, NC
should be careful in drawing our con
tracts and not leave so many extras 10
be PAID for. as we did III the sewer sy:;.
tenn. approaches and bridges.
by all means, a thorough and CON-
retent civil engineer. the cheapest con-
tractor, and the best material as tho
entire community is interested. some
thing must be done.''