The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-15
ASPHALT WON THE FIGHT But the Council Took
 Three Hours. LECTURES ON THE PAVING The Aldermen Illuminate vexed
 Subject. conaicting opinions oa the Merits os AsphaIt and Bitulithic Pavement
 Set the Orator. of the Council to Going.
 

mat several blocks of Clayton Street will be paved G.th asphalt was decided in a three hour meeting of the City council last evening. It was practi- caily the only thing decided at the lengthy session of the body. Debate followed discussion and discussion de- bate In reference to the matter, the al. ternative presented to the Council be. ing the placing of bituIithIc pavement on the street at e cost of about 27O0 more than that of the asphalt. The decision In favor of asphalt pavement was embodied in the adoption of the majority report of the Committee on Streets and Pavements. Prolonged ar- gument was brought into existence through the presentation Of a minority report by President Gaston Gunter of the Council which recommended bttu. lithic pavement for Clayton Street.
 By the adoption of the majority re- ports contracts for the paving of Clay. ton. wiikerson and Jeff Davis Avenue Southern Paving and Construction Company. The contract for the paving of block on Montgomery Street with oitulithic wss awarded to the Southern Bituiithic Company
 There was no indication of a storm in the opening of the meeting. Numer- ous petitions of minor interest formed
 
 the evening. Some little cratory burst forth when a petition of wiilxie Broth CTS asking for the refundinR of a e2e license fee for parade and circus held several months ago. was read, but the petition was granted and calnness characterized the assembly for few minutes succeeding.
 The Minority Report.
 With the introduction by President Gunter of minority report of the Street Committee the pulses of the Council quickened. Tn a few minutes 1t became feverish and ultimately char aeteristic of deliriun. The inevitable relaxation ard subseqcent adjournment followed after so long time.
 President Gunter stated that the only difference between the minority report and the mapority report was that the latter recommended asphalt paving on tn three blocks of Clayton Street leading from Five Points to- ward Court Street. instead of bitu- lithic, which was recommended in the minority report. IL was the first time. that. the Street Committee had failed to hand in unanimous report and with short explanation he began a dis cussion of the matter.
 A bid for the bitulithie paving of Clayton had been put in by the South ern Bitultthie and Paving compapy. the company having charge of the work of ter work. said President Gunter. AL derman Saul occupying the chair. was being done by the company at a loss. They had transported their machinery to Montgomery that they might de- nionstrate to the people the excellent quality of their material and work the contract price of the Fa ka~ ing them for the cost of removal. Mir. Gunter expressed the opinion that this paving company was entitled to some at the hands of the Coun- ell because of these conditions
 From extensive personal observation. he said, he was convinced that the bi- tulithic pavement was the best laid on streets where the travel was of the na- ture to be expected on C1ayton Street. The Council should use some discre- ton in the selection of pavements. he declared, and the Aldermen should voice their opinions at times even when their opinons did not conform to those of the property owners. Tn the case in question, he intimated. the Aldermen should be in a better position to judge of the respective merits of the differ ent pavements than the property own srs and should make their selection with regard to the benent to the city as we'll as to the wishes or the prop rety owners.
 For Fire station.
 He advocated the use of the bitulithte pavement on the steep hillside of Clay lon Street as safer for trafic. espe- cfally since st the head of the hill a nre station Is located, than asphalt. He irew a co nparison between the vary ng classes of pavements in other cities and commented favorably on the bitu- Iithic.
 Tt Is not a question of the cheap .st pavement" he declared. for brick Is entirely satisfactory and is cheaper than either asphalt or bitulithie."
 Alderman Kennedy explained the po- sitIon of the advocates of the majority report. It was framed. he said. with regard to the wishes of the property owners. Eighty per cent. of the res- dents on Clayton street had. he stat sd, signed a petition for the use of asphait. Even if the Bitulithic Paw ng Company did lose money on their street work he expressed himself as unwilling to repay them at the expense of the city. He referred to the fact that the bid of the South srn Paving and Construction Company a1n