Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-02-09
TRIAL OF ASPHALT
Mayor McConochie FaVors Pave
ment of Rock Island
Streets.
HAS CONSIDERED SENTIMENT
Will Stand the Test, it The Right
Quality of Material is Used
BY Contractors. -o

Mayor McConochie states that Rock
Island ought to give asphalt paving a
trial the coming summer. He has
been canvassing sentiment among
property owners along several thor.
oughfares that likely will be improved
during the year. and he finds that the
majority are favorable TO this style of
pavement, despite that it may be
trif1e more costly than brick. 1t is
expected that the board of local i'm
provements viii be petitioned for the
paving of Fifth avenue, Nineteenth 10
Twenty-third streets: Twenty-first
street, Tenth to Twelfth avenues. and
Nineteenth street, Seventh to Tenth
avenues, in the spring.
THE fact that there has been no
asphalt paving in the city" said the
mayor, naturally has caused the inn
preston to prevail that there is a
brick trust here that has been effec-
lively labOring to keep asphalt out OF
course, every man in business is going
to exert himself as far as possible to
sell his own goods in preference to
those offered by a competitor, and
suppose the men who do brick paving
have not been overly anxious for the
asphalt contractor to get hold here
Bad and Good Jobs.
Some maintain, and probably there
has been ground for it. that asphalt
is not as enduring as brick. In the
study that l have given to the Ques-
ton l have found there have been bad
| and good jobs. Take the case of the
city of Moline. They have given as
phalt a fair trial, and say that it is
superior to brick. This demonstration
so close TO home ought to be convinc-
ing to our people. Then there has
| been talk that the cost is so much
greater that those who were in favor
of asphalt at the outset have been
| frightened into changing their peti-
| tons of favoring brick -
Il am satisfied if the right quality
of material is furnished that asphalt
| has no superior as pavement. Where
it has failed, have discovered in my
| investigation. is in cases where too
much tar was employed in the prep
aration. As | understand there is tar
| in all asphalt used in paving. but con
| tractors have been enabled to take
advantage of the cities in which they
have done work through the ignorance
of the inspectors.
Cities Have Been SwindIed.
There has been big money made in
asphalt paving in the last few years
| because it is comparatively new in the
west, and INSCRIPTIONS firms saw that
it would be an easy matter to hood
wink the people, and they have done
it to the queens taste. This accounts
| for the changing of the names of the
! firms engaged in this business with
such frequency. However, there are
responsible firms in the country. and
believe that these should be invited
| to make propositions TO improve one
or more of the thOroughfares | have
mentioned, for l am informed that the
most of the property owners are desir-
Gus of having asphalt pavement.
want to see it tried here next year, at
any rate. Rock Island has not made
much progress in public improvements
during the past few years, and l be
lieve it is time we were renewing OuI
efforts in that direction"