The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-02

The Kansas avenue property owners
paving committee called on the coun-
ell to pass a resolution demanding that
the city engineer see that Colorado red
sandstone be used for headers in the
repavipg Of Kansas avenue in place Of
the oak planking now being used A
A. GODDARD, as spokesman for the com
nittee, presented the resolution and
said: "As we understand it the plank
ing being used for headers costs but
from to 9 cents a lineal foot while
the sandstone costs nearly 81 The
contract calls for the stone and the
difference in the cost between the two
IS several hundred dollars. We drew
up the specifications from those used
in other cities and where the ex-
perlence had led them to believe that
stone was the best and because Of that
we had it entered in our specifications.
understand that this stone can be
placed in afterwards as well as now
[ have been informed that the plank
ing is not even oak"
James McCabe. city engineer. filed
long report in connection with the
resolution which cited why the plank
ing had been substituted in place of
the stone. McCabe declared that the
paving company were unaware that
the contract called for sandstone in
the first place and that when they did
discover this section that the paving
operations were in progress and that to
wait for the stone to arrive would have
delayed the paving operations ma
terially and that the planking was sub
stituted. McCabe claimed still fur
Their that the planking was as good a
the stone and that it would wear as
long as the pavement He drifted
along and ended up by saying that
contract was never lived up to strictly
anyway. that a contract of any rnaerni-
tude is never followed literally, that a
contract is seemingly d sort of a guide
and that it must be elastic. He claimed
that as an evidence of this the paving
company had done things which We're
not contained in the contract and had
exceeded the specifications in a number
of instances
Both the resolution which the proper
ty owners committee drew UP and Nc
Cabe's report were sent to the commit
tee on streets and walks.
Whether to tear up the street rail-
way track or not at the corner of Sew
enth and Kansas avenue. leading west
from the center of the street in order
to get a uniform asphalt pavement is
a perpIexity sent to the streets and
walks committee to unraval The street
has been abandoned while the city
claims that it is and also the abutting
property owners who want the brick
pavement in the right Of way torn up
and replaced with asphalt. Two resoIu-
lions covering this, introduced by
and walks committee. The one pro
vided that the brick between the rails
be removed and that it be paved with
asphalt and the other ordered the street
commissioner to tear up the track at
the intersection and replace 1t with a
concrete base preparatory TO paving.
An extension of 30 days in the con-
tract for repaving Kansas avenue was
asked for from the counsel by Geo. s.
King Of the Parker-W ashington Paving
company. I'VE experienced some de-
lay in getting our plant here from st.
Louis but had We been able to have had
1t here Immediately after contract was
let. the work would be no farther adj
vancd on account of delay caused by
the gas company and plumbers making
necessary excavations in said Street, p
said King. The time limit in the con-
tract expires October Is and SO a day
penalty is attached for every day in
excess of that. The request was refer
red to the streets and walks committee.