The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-13
50 DECLARED BY RESOLUTION
BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS TO GIVE
TAXPAYERS A CHANCE A
YEAR HENCE
EXCHANGE SCENTS COMBINE
1t Is Not on That Account So Much
as the Fact That Composite Paw
ing Is Dtsfiguring the City -
Asphalt Paving Considered More
Durable--BOard of Public Works
Trying to Square Itself.

At the meeting of the St. Paul Real
Estate exchange yesterday strong stand
was taken against the action of the board
of public works in proposing to let con-
tracts for more brick pavements. Reso-
lutions were passed condemning such
procedure in most emphatic terms. 1t
was the unanimous opinion Of the men,
bers of the exchange that street paving
in the future should be of uniform ma
terial and that the material should be
asphalt. This opinion is in line with
the desires Of a large majority of the
residents along Rice street, which it is
proposed by the board Of public works
to pave with brick, Notwithstanding the
opposition to it.
Some of the members Of the exchange
frankly say that they are convinced now
of the existence of
BRICK COMBINE,
but that, of course, it Is at present i'm
possible to prove it. More than that,
they say that, so far as possible, they
intend to probe the matter to the bot
tom. Mr.. G. B. Whitehorne said yes
terday to reporter for the G l o b e:
ITO a man the members of the eX-
change are opposed to the laying of any
more brick pavements Composite paving
is dfsf1guring to the city. A little asphalt
in one place and a piece of brick paving
in another are eyesores and convey to
the nonresident visitor a bad impress
sion of the city. For one am willing to
go on record as unalterably opposed to
it. Resolutions were passed today at the
meeting of the members Of the exchange
strongly condemnat tory of such kind of
work, and they will be presented to the
board Of public works. There should be
a stop put to such paving, and the Real
Estate exchange proposes to do all 1t
can to prevent the laying of any more
brick pavement in the streets of st.
Paul"
SQUARING ITSELF.
The members Of the board of public
works, having opened bids for brick paw
ing amounting to $12O, 900 in the aggregate,
have determined that in the future prop
erty owners will be given chance to
say what kind OF pavement shall be laid
or streets to be paved. The determina-
ticn OF the board to allow property own
crs to have voice in the material to he
used in paving the streets applies how
ever, only to work to be done in the
future, year after next say, the
members announcing that this step
will be taken in order to put
stop to the intinations, and rather
pronounced ones, that a combine among
the brick paving contractors was being
fostered by the board.
When the bids for paving Rice street
from College avenue to Front street were
opened a number of the property owners
along the street claimed they had re-
ceived no notice from the board that such
action was to be taken. For years it had
been the practice and custom of the board
Of public works to send a postal card
notice to the owner of each piece of prop
erty that hearing would be held on a
certain date as to the proposed improve
ment. The law does not say that such
notice shall be sent by the board, but 1t
does say that such notice may he sent.
The board claims that In 1899 there Were
no funds for sending out the postal
| cards nor was there sufficient help in
| the office to prepare the cards, owing to
! the press of other business. This year
however, the board has provided for and
will revive the postal card notice and
each owner of property along the line Of
any proposed improvement will be duly
| notified.
| MAKING IT GOOD.
In order to give no chance for future in,
situations as to combinations with brick
| or other paving contractors the board will
| give two hearings to property owners
when street Is to be paved or repaved
| The plan proposed by the board is that
when a preliminary order is received
/ from the council for the paving of &
street the owners are to be called in and
the question of the desirability of paw
ing the street is to be considered When
| this point has been decided upon then
| the final order for the paving is to be
sent to the council, and on its being
passed by that body the board of public