Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-07-13

| ""N" vi hundreds OF thousands
OF dollars now threatens the taxpayers
OF salt Lake City. For some unkno,vn
reason, the city council Is proceeding
10 lay miles of tnacadamixed roads of
u material relatively worthless and al
together dlscredited by former trials.
at cost to property owners OF from
$4,000 10 $4,000 per linear block. and
about third as much more 10 the
CITY ltsclf--thc general taxpayers.
me american party Is doing tI,c
greatest work for Salt Lake Clty thar
mas ever been done by any municipaI
administration here. IL is doing IL
honestly, creditably, economically. and
weli.'--Tribupc, July :.
| Complaints have como to the Deseret
| news that certain recently paved mr.
nlaoauamlZed public streets I'm various
parts or the city are already in bad
condition. disclosing either poor ma
terlals used in construction. or faulty
| methods Of laying the pavements. or
both. Also that this kind OF paving
Us now being rapidly extended along
other streets. to the detriment, as some
| nllese' of the abutting property. This
paving costs to the property facing it
on wide streets from 81 to Sc per front
| 1901 Tor each side of the street and
since there are $50 feet along each regu-
lar block, and double that for both
sides, this paving costs the property
owners from $3.50 to 1890 for each
1 h1nplr
ture' and more for asphaltum or stone.
| The narrow streets cost less than 81
per linear front foot to the property
benefited. Besides these sums paid ay
the AUDITING property owners. the city
pays aoo:t one-thlrd as much more
| toward the total expense. AT the pres
ent time !. appears that at least three
| miles OF such street paving are to be
laid down. The expense of paving
| IN this manner three miles of regular
| streets would aggregate from 1855, 500
/ TO S252SiO. ii is therefore a public
| duty to ascertain the facts as to this
| alleged paving evil.
For this purpose the "News' has,
conducted a careful examination of ex-
listing conditions. and gives herewith
| the result of actual and impartial IN
vestigations and Inquiries into the mat
ter OF the recent street paving.
No special Investigation as - the cost
| OF paving was made. The tax payers
know enough about that. The prices
here named for such work are given
Just MS reported by the city engineers
But the cost of paving varies some-
what, and the prices here indicated are
probably mn average.
III we put the city's proportion OF
the cost of street paving at one fourth
OF the total. which in many estimates
Is nearer the result than one third
of the total, then the cost of macad-
amizing three miles OF wide streets
would run from sI5S.4O0 TO $23SGOO.
On she other hand. IL seems from a
count of the narrow streets already
contracted for that at least four miles
of this nacadamizing on narrow
streets VIII now be put through, not
counting large but unascertained
amount of such work IN contemplation
for the regular wide streets,
AN EXCELLENT ROAD.
Three years ago the federal govern
ment macadamized the continuation of
South Temple street drive on to Fort
Douglas The material used was gray
limerick The contractors were Farmer
& Tate. and the work was done under
governmental supervision. This road
has been subjected 10 heavy usage by
reason OF the fact that practically the
entire freight traffic TO and from the
fort IS conducted over this route The
coal and other wagons used for this
service are heavily loaded and those
OF heavy government type make fire.
quent trips thereon. The frelshting and
passenger traffic are continuous, both
ways throughout the whole year, and
the route Is largely patronized by au-
tomObiles and other pleasure vehicles.
Despite the enormous wear and tear
90 which this road, Fenrose drive. as
Il Is called, has been subjected, II Is to-
day In apparently perfect condition. the
hard usage serving only TO improve Its
solidlty. Tho city council recently took
q trip 10 this road Tor the purpose or
making an Inspection OF II. For some
reason the results OF that inspection
were not made public. ana the opinions
OF The city cuunollmen as 10 this iine
sample aud honest piece OF roadmaking
have not been published,
without knowing Just what the coun-
cllmen said OF this road. the News"
ventures the declaration, after looking
into the facts OF tho case, that every
councilman must have been fully sat
lshed Of al least three things after the
tour of inspection along PenroEe drive;
namely;
CONCLUSIONS FROM THIS ROAD
T. That a macadamlzed road may be
from tho standpoint OF cost OF construc-
ton, strength 10 bear heavy traffic. dur
ability under years of service, and soil
atty OF surface and subsurface strue-
ture, as nearly perfect a road as can
DO constructed.
q That such o. road can he cheapy
nnd economically built here from Utah
materials and by Utah contractors,
3 That the Fort road IL an example
of such construction, answering every
demand made Of a good municipal
road, smooth ~ surface, sold ot tex
ture, mostly uniform as 10 wearing
down under use. less noisy than