The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-18
Forty Blocks Of Paving Con-
tracts to Be Let Monday.
Topeka Made Bricks to Be
Shipped in by Rail.
LABORERS' DEMANDS.
Want Contractors to Pay Them
$1.75 Per Day.
Contractors Threaten to Import
LabOrers from Outside.

Monday nights council meeting prom
ises to be interesting The biggest lot
OF paving contracts ever awarded at
one time in the recent history of the
city win be handed out. The exact
amount of paving prizes to be distribu
ted TO the lowest bidders is 401h blocks.
John Richie says: "The paving this
year will come high The bids viii be
close to the SIPS limit
James Ramsey says: There is not
much chance for cutting prices on
pavement under the sl.25 limit"
James Hanley says: 1T will cost more
to lay paving and the bids will be close
10 the limit"
These are three of the leading con-
tractors in the city. and all other con-
tractors who dip in occasionally on city
work voice the same opinion as to the
probable bids to be submitted
The contractors say that brick viii
cost more, because it costs more for coaa
to bum the brick. They say that labor
will be scarce and high priced, and that
teams can get just about whatever they
have a mind to ask. Sand has been ac-
Yanced cents load over last year
The new specifications require that all
pavement be rolled with a steam roller,
which will make il necessary for the
contractors to figure on the cost of d
roller.
But contractors always claim that
they viii have to submit high bids, and
when the time comes they frequently
change their minds.
It is probable that the work of laying
this years pavements will be pushed
through at a much faster rate than ever
before. There will be no scarcity of
brick At the Capital City brick plant,
which manufactures most Of the brick
used in Topeka, they have 100000 brick
rf.a hot
sent TO Topeka. Arrangements for
quick delivery have been made. A new
sidetrack has been built from the Rock
Island tracks to the plant, and bricks
viii be loaded onto the cars and shipped
into town. 1t is about 212 miles TO the
plant, and the shipment on the cars Will
save a long haul by wagons It is
thought that most Of the brick from the
Capital City plant will be shipped III
this year on the cars.
/, The problem of labor is the most Sc
rious one which conxronts contractors.
The unions have been gaining strength,
and are now in a position to make en-
phatic demands upon the contractors
for more wages THEY want $1.75 a day
for common labOTere. and the contrac-
tors viii probably Inakeea fight against
paying this scale. Several of them de-
clare that under no circumsta noes will
they consent to pay such high wages
and viii send out of town and import
Ia horers rather than accept the demand
!
year be done on the union scale and I'M
der union laws.
One leading pavement contractor saia
today: I know where can get a gang
of 30 experienced paving men on short
notice. and if these labor unions de-
mand more than what is fair, I will
simply have this gang sent in here and
won't hire single Topeka man. I be-
lieve in patronizing home industry, ann
al that. but I won't De held up. I am
always willing to pay fair wages, and
have always paid higher scales than
most of the other contractors"
1t is not yet quite sure whether the con.
tract for paving Kansas avenue will De
let or not. The city railway has not yet
/ decided whether it viii lay single or dou-
1 bic track on that street. but present indi-
cations are that the contract win be let
/ as It has been advertised and bids will be
received on it.
The following is a list of the blocks to
4 be paved, for which contracts will be lei
Monday night:
/ Jefferson street, Eighth to Tenth. AIadi-
son street, Second to Third: Kansas ave
! nue.. Tenth to Euclid; jackson street
Tenth to Huntoon: Van Buren, street
Thirteenth to Huntingdon Harrison
street. Huntoon to Huntington; Topeka
avenue. Douthitt Place. to Huntington;
! Tyler. Second to Third; Taylor, Fourth tC
Sixth: Fillmore, thirteenth to Douthitt,
/ Western avenue. Huntoon to Douthitti
Fourth street. Topeka avenue, to West
/ ern: Seventh street. Monroe to Madison
Eighth street. Buchanan to Lincoln
/ Eleventh street. Quincy to Van Buren,
HuntOOn street Jackson to Van Buren,.