The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-11-22
IMPORTATION WANTED.

The true need OF the city in refer
ence to the paving question was terse-
ly stated at the recent meeting of the
board OF directors of the Commercial
club by ". X. Nash, when he suggest
ed that the thing to do just now is TO
procure some information on the paw
ing materials other than creosote
blocks before any final determination
OF the matter is made. 1t is probable
that the committee and those who have
been investigating the question have
received their information largely
from sources interested in the kind of
material favored by them in their re-
port.
That they have acted in the utmost
good faith and have reached honest
conclusions from the matter before
them cannot for a moment be doubted.
But it must be remembered that in
formation as TO the character and
qualities of paving material cannot be
procured in a few days even with the
most accurate investigations. These
things are largely matter of exper-
fence of the municipalities using them
and must cover an extended period of
time.
That there should be other inform
alton procured before acting on the
matter is proven by the statement in
the report of President Lander-one
of the closest observers of the city
that he favored an investigation OF
the merits OF brick before final action
on the matter was taken. In this con-
nection it can be stated that another
gentleman of this city has, during the
last six months. made an investigation
of the value of brick and has reports
from at least seventy-five different
cities which have tried the same and
all favor the use OF brick as a paving
material.
The city must consider several
questions in reference to the selection
of paving material. In the first place
it ought to be such that it need never
be changed. Every piece of pavement
laid after this time should be merely
IN addition to that which viii be laid
Of the material selected within the
next few months. Otherwise the city
will be regular patchwork of all
kinds and conditions of pavements.
1t is important to consider the pres
ent cost, for the construction of pave
ment on streets eighteen yards wide
means an expense of fifty to sixty dol
lars per lineal yard The man who
has a hundred or even fifty feet of
front to pave may we'll seek informa-
ton and demand to be heard in the in
vestigation Of the kind of materials
he will be required to use. But there
is something more than primary cost
to be considered. The lasting quail
ties as we'll as the special qualities
needed in this climate and required to
meet the particular traffic for which
the streets must be used are likewise
important.
The Evening Times cares nothing
for the particular kind of material Sc.
iected so long as it is best for the
present and future con .itions of the
city. and SO long as the people are
saved from the onerous expenses of
rebuilding the same again in a few
years. The committee which inyes-
tlgated the matter so far is favorable
to "reosote blocks. aid while this class
of paving is entirely in the experiment
tai stage as yet, and the real value OF
the same cannot be determined EXCEPT
by surmises, it may be the best. But
a number of prominent men of the cit,
who are also among the heaviest tax.
payers, are as pronounced in favor of
the other kinds as the committee is
for creoscte.
Let every one be heard and the en-
tire question be given the greatest
publicity and then there can be no
controversy when the matter is decid-
ed