The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-12-08
MADE BY D. 3. LESTER FOR THE
BENEFIT OF CITY.
COMMISSION MUNICIPALITY
For the City OF Ardmore-City Should
Own Paving Plant--land For
Property Owners to Pay For
Part OF Street Paving.

H. ~. IesteS Ot TINS city OF the
Downard Lester Asphalt Co.. has the
following timely suggestions tu make
relative to the city of Ardmore
changing its form of government
to commission form of government.
as to the city owning its own paw
ing plant, and as to the passage Of
a state law requiring abutting prop
erty owners on a street To pay two
thirds of the cost of paving and the
city une-third.
| Mr.. Lester said:
Under commission form of gov
ernment, the entire city is placed
in the hands of four commissioners
and mayor, and they selected from
the very best business men we have
and paid for their services. The city
management would be divided into
four parts. a commissioner as chair.
man of each department and he
made responsible TO the people for
the work In his department In hits
way the city would get executive
ability that would produce the same
results at the same cost that could
be had under well managed rail
road bank. grocery store or any
other business where the manager
of each department is held respon-
siblc for all work done under him.
No sane man would expect an al.
dcrman, no matter how good man,
/, to devote his very best time and
thought to city affairs in two or
three hours week, and neglect
the work in his department. In this
can afford to neglect his own bust
ness and work for the public for
nothing, and that is what our present
system means.
Wherever this form of govern
>, ment has been tried and kept ou
!, Of politics, it has been success
Oklahoma City, Lawton, Shawnee anC
nearly all of the large cities in tn,
state of Oklahoma are preparinl
for this change of municipal man
agement and Ardmore should act
and do It at once.
- The municipal paving plant II
the next step for Ardmore, and NJ
time should be lost in installing
one. We are right at the mouth o
y, the asphalt deposits and there i
no reason why we should not ge
the best pavement on earth for
little more than one-half of wha
We are paying for them now. an,
there Is nothing that Ardmore cal
u. do that would double the popula
tlon quicker than to pave the street
I. of the city.
A. Fort Worth, Texas, has its owl
n plant, and is buying rock delivere,
4. at Sl25 per cubic yard and con
IL tracing for a 6-inch concrete bas,
" for d2 cents per square yard laid
e making a complete pavement l0
n. miles from our mines at Sl.32, whicl
c would cost under the contract sys
It tenn s2.35 Ardmore can get a
II good a rock for s1.25 per squar
n yard. and certainly ought to ge
II the asphalt topping as cheap a
T. Fort Worth, and under the commits
sion form of government, Ardmor,
" should have the cheapest and hes
D.. pavement in the world
II The best paving law that W,
" know of is where the abutting prop
p 'rt| owners are required 10 paw,
p, one third Of the street and the cit,
'. the other third. With this law un
= der commission form of government
q the commissioners say what street,
y are to he paved, and the propert,
e 1"u"rs given the right to select tn,
material. Under our present law
e the richest man in our city may pre-
d fer mud hole in front of his hous,
Il To paved street, and thereby keel
$ mis- entire block out of the pavinl
II district and enough such, peopl,
could block the paving Of the whole
street
The people OF Ardmore appre
r. ciate street paving, they knoY wha
{ 1t means to their homes in the way
:, Of comforts and increased values
!, and they are not willing to be de
e prived of these Improvements any
e longer
!. Mr., Lester thinks it good plar
for the citizens of Ardmore to mee'
with the commercial club and dis
J. cuss these three propositions ant
settle upon some plan OF action.
e Patience is a virtue when II ism
| simply lazinass