The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-10-27
BARBER COMPANY BILL.
1t Amounts to $7,541, Which II
higher Than Ever.

City Engineer McCabe has figured up
that the city owes the Barber Asphalt
company $7,541.09 for the work of re-
pairing the asphalt pavements during
the past two months. This is an in
crease of $2217.S2 over the year 1902.
or almost so per cent. At this rate of
increase the bill for asphalt repairs in
1904 will be 81, 600, in 1905 it will be
$4,000 and in 1906. when the contract
expires, it will have reached the enor-
nous total of $4,000 a year.
Some action will have to be taken by
the city council to check this tremen-
dous drain on the city's finances. The
situation can not be ignored much
longer. In 1902. the repair bill was S.
323.17, which was considerably higher
than ever before. Every year the old
pavements are getting in worse eondi-
ton, and even at the present time great
difficulty is encountered in finding
enough solid asphalt on the streets to
hold the patches firmly
City Engineer McCabe fully realizes
the serious condition which cOnfrontS
the city, and is courageous enough 70
demand that the city council either put
an entirely new surface of asphalt on
the streets, or else abandon asphalt and
resurface with some other material
which no one except the brick men
want to see done In his report for the
4
Most of our asphalt streets are in
deplorable condition, caused to some
extent, no doubt, by the use OF inferior
ma terials, but also from neglect IN
cleaning the pavements ana Careless
ness IN keeping them in repair. In my
Judgment the council should either ap-
propriate sufficient money to put the
asphalt pavement in a perfectly sound
condition, or else abandon II entireiy
and afterwards resurface with some
s-1 n
or four thousand dollars a year for re-
pairs. under the present condition OF
| the pavement. is useless expeno1luie
| of money. 1t would be far PETER u
decide which asphalt streets we wish &c
preserve and resurface them entirely
having one or two blocks each year.
| It is a question for extensive iegal N,
vestigation, and the city council snouio
| lose no time in calling upon CITY AZ
torney Spencer to give an opinion as te
the legal duty of the city. People VINO
! live on asphalt paved streets insist tna'
! it is the duty of the city to keep the
pavernent in repair, even II IL becomes
necessary to entirely resurIace .ns
/ owners on street must pay the cos'
! of 'srepaving'' The question is whetnei
the laying of an entirely new SURFACE Is
repaving or repairing.
! 1t seems to be an injustice to the city
| as a whole to compel it to pay for re-
placing a worn out pavement Inc IN
tention of the law would seem to % q
that when a pavement is worn Out y
| sbo,,1d he s.repaved'' at the expense OF
the people owning property on the worn
| out pavement. $500.
Asphalt repairs are expensive because
the civ is absolutely at the mercy Of
the asphalt trust. There is no competi'
ton for the work and the trust charges
whatever it pleases. The present nVs
wear contract calls for S1.5S a square
ward for resurfacing and $1,9e per squar'
ward when it is necessary to put in new
concrete under the new asphalt This
wear 4.455.74 square yards of resurfacinf
1 has been done, and 251.77 square yards
of concreting. Even this vast amount @
| repairing has only been sufficient to fl
the worst holes in the pavement. ant
there are so many other holes nearly al
bad that it is difficult to see that TIT
! general condition of the asphalt street,
has been much improved. 1t may b'
mentioned, however. that the asphalt il
asphalt and is as good or better than
any in the city.