The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-06-04
REDUCED COST OF ASPHALT PAVING.

Cities are beginning to learn that they do not
essarily have to take even the lowest, Of
the first bids made public work 1t pay6 sometimes
to kick and haggle the bids and to insist that all
arc too high. The public contractor generally has
reserve low price for which he could be induced do
the work rather than miss the job altogether
This fact has just been demonstrated again in Buff
falo in the matter of bids for asphalt paving
The first bids showed prices ranging from 500 to
5000 per square yard for the best asphalt The bids
however aroused public protest and all rejected
on the ground that they were too high The new bids
showed the sautary effect OF the protest These latter
propositions ranged from s5s to per square yard
under the specifications only three of a large
number OF bids being above ST.
! In Syracuse in the same State like saving was
accomplished by a public revolt against the prices
asked by the contractors the being brought down
to S1.6S per square yard This about 60 cents
the yard cheaper by the way than the cost of our best
asphalt paving in Houston
The PostStandard Of Syracuse remarks in this
connection that 1t is apparent from the experiences Of
Buffalo and Syracuse that cities can get asphalt at
reasonable rates III they determined to have it,
But says the PostStandard, we may take it for
granted that Buffalo does not get asphalt paving at
$l5S or Syracuse at $l6S by limiting manipulating
the specifications as to shut out competition" And
there's much in that last observation, by the way,
he nationalist victories the elections
Cuba show coneusivey the sentiment OF the in
that island The attempt the impression in this
country that the majority Of people down there
Tor annexation and msepesented by the leading poll
cans answered by these emphatic victories
1t would surprise thoughtful observers if
rious trouble with Cuba was yet to come
TitE supreme will decide the Philippine case for
the government OF course.
AccoRplNG showing presented the other day by the
Enqurer-Sun Of that place, Columbus Ga.about third
as large as Iioustouis putting million and quarter
money into enterprises and buildings And there
is no oil or rice boom over that way either
WE HAVE now got the crown colonies and will logically
be compelled sooner or later to provide the
FArueR FINN Catholic priest has quit the church he
he preach peace Ireland when he believes
that is all that will her Like great many other
rshmen, he has come to America to fight for his country
TINS fireworks market will be in danger of dizzy bull
movement when the Chinese court gets back to Pekn.
TIM that strange sliding movement Of the city Of
Butte Mont has been apparent Of late would indicate that
there kind OF under her. Wen bet that
like all the rest OF the world she is sliding toward Texas
WnrN Banstou Booth is reeonqiled to General Booth
the volunteers of America will be left holding the sack
Ncw Jmsry court has officially decided that damn
rs not profanity II would be great deprivation OF mental
comfort to any compelled TO remain a citizen of New
Jersey to have the word damn tabooed by law
CiNcrNNAu has made bid for notoriety by having an
agnosc marriage soemnzed within its limits Cincinnati
is famous for the number of hogs it handles
TnE Boston Globe says III may be that Texas is
thirty -four times the size of Massachusetts, but isn't thirty
four times as great There is no arguing with New
England Ignorance Of the great Southwest
lltE governor OF South Carolina is assuming wonderful
and fearful responsibility in trying prevent Timan and
Mclaurin from breaking out OF the senate
An EXCHANGE says that MeLaurin has scheme Schemes
very good things IN their way but when scheme or
seheme pitchork hard tell which
will set punetured
NINE medical societies III session in ST Paul this
week and the Minnesota city had better keep her legs in
pocket sheil get them pulled Just for practice,
Boston named Paine fired four shots recently at
named Damn for alternating his wiies affections. The
parasrapheT will proceed 10 get in his work.