The Topeka state journal., 1905-09-20
THAT is THE WAY
Councilman Green Talks of
Pavement Agitation.
Believes in the People Talking
Over Plans.
W0Rn EDART HFD noun
WORD FROM MR.. DOW.
An Expert on Asphalt Who
Favors Bitulithic.
Engineer McCabe Says He Isn't
Opposed to City Plant.

That is certainly step in the right
direction said Councilman VIM. Green.
who is an owner of Kansas avenue prom
erty, speaking of the proposed mass
meeting to agitate the paving of Kan.
sas avenue
The only way to get at this matter
is to go right to the people who own
the property. The council can do Moth
ing We have done everything, every
thing that we possibly could do. We
have secured estimates of the cost of
the various kinds of paving material
and we propose to advertise for bids.
That is all the council has power to do.
But the citizens and owners of real
estate can do everything. It is certain
ly the proper thing to do
A. w. Dow who is an expert upon
asphalts and asphalt paving and who
occupies an advisory position in that
capacity with the District Of Columbia
for the city of Washington has replied
to City Engineer McCabe with regard
to the ownership of a municipal asphalt
plant. The city council authorized the
city engineer to write to Dow for in
formation regarding bitulithic and also
to give some estimate of the size of
plant needed here in case the city
makes the purchase of an asphalt
plant.
Dow seems rather welded to btu
lthic pavement or at least he appar>
entity favors that pavement over all
others Bracketed with this express
sion he says that the city unless it ex-
| poets to pave further streets with as
phalt would find it expensive to pur-
chase municipal asphalt plant simply
for repair work on the streets laid
down.
There is evidently big diversity of
opinion. among the men who claim to
that the city would have to pay an
expert to take charge of the plant
about $4,000. This doesn't meet the
| figures put in by other parties and
price given. Dow also thinks that a
plant from 500 to 1900 yards capacity
would be large enough.
He says: sIf it is not likely that
you will lay more pavements after re-
surfacing what you already have /
can hardly see how 1t could pay you
| to buy a plant for If the pavement is
properly constructed it should go at
least seven years without any appre-
ciable repairs. AS to small repairs
such as the pavement would then need,
they can be done with very cheap ap-
pliances and at little cost The ques-
| ton of whether it would be advisable
to resurface your streets with bituiitnto
| instead of asphalt is entirely depen-
dent upon local conditions with which
| 1 would have--to become acquainted
before answering intelligently.
1.-The bitulit1ic has several advant-
ages over asphalt and is apparently
very durable, although the Oldest
pavement of this class has only been
down about five years. We have pave
ments in washington made of like
material and of similar construction
that have been giving good service
with but little repairs for over thirty
years. 1t is possible from this to sur
mise that the bitulithic pavement when
properly constructed should give as
good if not better service, as 1T is now
| constructed with more care than were
these old pavements."
'I am not fighting the municipal
asphalt plant proposition" said Mr.
McCabe. s'The council asked for an
opinion from me and 1 simply gave 1t
that L didn't believe that it would be
advisable to buy such a plant. 1t was
nv honest opinion. Even though it
| is not the popular stand, it is not for
me to follow that way just because it
happens to be popular. give my
opinion irrelative to that"