The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-07

submit the following report.
Under the law in this state there is
but one method of procedure which is
applicable to this city. 1t is the opin-
ion of your committee that the work
that should be done on Kansas avenue
constitutes repaving and not repairs.
The method of procedure then, is the
customary one Of presenting a peti-
ton to the council which must be fol-
lowed by a resolution of the city coun-
Gil the report of the city engineer. and
advertisement for bids, after which the
contract must be let to the lowest re
spOnsible bidder. This absolutely pre-
cludes the idea that the city may itself
do the work Of repaving and until the
law IS changed it can only be done by
the person or company who is the
lowest bidder at public offer of the
work.
ION May Is. 1902, this city entered
into written contract with the Bar
Der Asphalt Paving company by which
the latter company obligated itself and
furnished bond to furnish all material
and appliances and perform all the
work necessary to repair, reconstruct,
and maintain all the asphalt pavement
in the city of Topeka for the period of
five years or until the 18th day of
May, 1907 1t Is evident that the city
could not make a valid legal contract
Of that kind for repaving its streets,
and it is claimed BY good authority
that this contract viii not interfere
with the work of repaving. on the
other hand, the district manager of
the Barber Asphalt company has as
sured one member Of your committee
that the company claims that all that
is needed on any of the asphalt streets
of this city is repair work, and that
no repaving Of any of these streets
| will be done before the expiration of
their contract without the consent of
the Barber company. They are very
profuse IN their promises Of litigation
II any such work is attempted AS to
WneIher this is bluff or not YOUR
committee declines to express an opfn-
ion. Neither do they care to say how
Tar the bluff viii be carried If it is
only bluff. The manager referred to
expressed the opinion that the Barber
company would not interfere with an
award for the repaving Of the asphalt
covered streets with asphalt provided
that company was given an Opportun-
lty 70 bid on the work if no patented
or monopolized process Is exclusively
specified, and in pursuance of a re-
quest for a waiver of their claim under
these conditions we have after cOnsid-
cradle delay. secured such a waiver. as
TO Kansas avenue. but the request for
further waiver covering all of the
/ asphalt paved streets has met with no
| response as yet. Probably the com
pany will make a bid on any asphalt
work that is offered under the statute
and failing to secure it, thew should
]
their contract.
The committee has made some fnves-
I tlgatlon Of the work done by municipal
plants in other states and the indfca-
tlons are that they are able to secure
| asphalt pavement at a cost very much
lower than is charged by the companies
ordinarily doing such work We be-
l1eve we have also found an expert who
Will visit Topeka, give an opinion as to
the probable cost of paving Kansas
/
/ terial which should be used in this
climate, the ACCESSIBILITY of using Kaw
river sand. the cost of a plant and the
size and kind of a plant which should
be purchased. We refer to Mr.. c. A.
| Proctor, asphalt expert Of Detroit
Michigan, now ir@the- employ Of that
/ city in its paving work Mr.. Proctor
/ is recommended % us in the highest
/ terms as being responsible in every re-
spect and thoroughly familiar with the
work.
Your committee is of the opinion that
the only feasible plan for obtaining an
! asphalt pavement on Kansas avenue
at actual cost, is for the property own
ers to organize a corporation for thai
purpose, then have petitions for the
repaying of the avenue presented in
the usual manner and the contract
awarded to the lowest bidder If the
home company is the lowest bidder ii
4 will, of course. secure the contract It
SHOULD lneu I-OCe6Q 10 DO the work at
! the least cost at which the same can be
done consistent with the securing of a
! first class pavement in every respect
Full and accurate accounts of all busi-
ness done and expenditures made should
/ be kept and the books of the cornpany
should be open to the inspection Of all
property owners on the avenue whether
/ they are members of the corporation or
not. When the work is undertaken
bonds will be issued and the corpora
ton viii be paid for this work the same
as any other contra ctOr. All profits
made on the contract should be divided
| between the property owners whose
property IS subject to assessment for
the cost of the pavement, and the city
of Topeka, paying each its exact pro-
portion at the ratio Of liability for cost
Of pavement including the cost of in
tersectiOns of the streets. As to q
municipal paving plant your committee
recommends that the city purchase a
plant of moderate cost Of such size and
capacity as shall be determined upon
after a consultation with Mr.. Proctor
or some other asphalt expert. The city
now has the ground. engine and boilers
so that the cost Of the plant should not
be as great as is generally anticipated
When the contract for paving is let the
specifications should provide that the
contractor may use the city plant. Civ
ing bond for its maintenance and pay
ing the city so much per yard prob
ably five cents. for the use of the same
which for Kansas avenue alone would
repay q substantial part of the cost
Under this plan the city VIII be REIN
bursed for the paving plant before all
the asphalt paving now down is re1aid
and in addition viii secure the repay
ing Of the intersections of the streets
at a very low cost If the city owns
its own plant it can do repair work at
a nominal cost ard breaks in the pave
ment can be repaired as soon as they
occur. consequently the saving to the
great.
Your committee respectfully requests
that this report may be received as its
final report. the committee discharged
and a new committee appointed tc
carry on the work.
B. L. WINCHELL TO SPEAK.