The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-03-05
OVERWHEL MING DEMONSTRATION
 FOR WOOD BLOCK PAVEMENT
Property Owners Representing $, ,oOo, 900 Want the Best Kind on
 Main Street. droOyed Rail Almost Unanimously Favor ed Over "I" Rail And by Many
 Speakers.
Hartley StoutIy Resents Implication That Committee is ''CrOOked"
 or Anything Like That.

SUmuliltCS IS SlUVASU
 or Anything Like That.
 Amity lowered over the meeting of die Street committee last night Unity u1z.rked the opinion of those who ad- dressed the committee. It is reason ably certain hat the members of the committee will not oppose the Main street property owners in their desire to have Main street paved with wood books. The weight of evidence be- fore the committee was in favor of the Eiocks, as being durable, noisaiess, partly dustless, and easier to relay than brick, stone or asphalt.
 F. D. Bel of the Meigs Company, headed the large delegation of prop erty owners that appeared at the hear ing. He was armed with the opinions of the authorities in charge Of streets in New York, Boston and Springfield, fayo bring wood as a pavement. ALSO With the written opinions of Ieadlng business firms of Boston and Spring field. This evidence was submitted in g. convenient form
 Some $S,0G0, ,06G worth Of property was represented. The owners were willing to pay the extra cost of the block, if 1t should be laid, in so far as their share is concerned.
 A solitary claim that was raised to the effect that the general tax list bears part of the cost of the street. vas met with the reply that the street moro than any other in the city is for the use of the general public.
 The meeting was enlivened by the suggestion of Alderman John N- Near that he hoped the members of the committee would not be influenced in their conclusions by any cigars, or banquets which might be handed to them.
 This brought from Alderman Hart icy, chairman of the committee, a. statement that the committee is a .'stra ieht'' committee, not crooked
 And this from MT. Bell statement that the citizens approached the com nittee in the best possible spirit, with the utmost confidence that justice would be done.
 Once" said Mir. Hartley, "the com- some pavement. If we were dined, we were not influenced, because our votes went against the man who en- tertained us-''
 There was almost a unanirnity of agreement that T rails are objection ssbIe. and that grooved rails ought to be put down in Main street.
 In this connection SuDt. c. HI. Chap man, of the Connecticut Company, said that the rails in Main street are not a, '"T'' but a tram girder". which he described as a +';r'' rail with a. Hip anc a protuberance
 Frank D. Bell spoke first He said: ''Ateut a week ago there was 8 ru- nor that the Street committee was going to use brick pavement. Upon hearing that I wrote to New York, Boston and Springfield to learn about the use of wood block pavement. The answers are very favorable" MT. Bell said he wrote from the viewpoint of a retailer, as to durability and cleanliness. The letters showed that wood blocks were being used on heav- lest travelled streets and was taking the place of asphalt and other pave ments- Some of the writers advised the use of the wood block by all cities that could afford to lay it. Many of the letters from Boston merchants spoke of the pavement being noise less.
 A letter from Springfield said the first wood block pavement laid in that city was in 1901 and was to the effect pavement and had given excellent sat asfaction, being a great improvement over the stone blocks formerly used.
 MT. Bell said that upon hearing that pavement in Springfield that was wearing out, he had telephoned there, and with all respect to the chairman he wished to state that there was some pavement which lay beneath vdad11ct and had been laid different than the rest, because of an incline, so that horses could get a good footing. MT. Bell said there was only a short stretch of it.
 Chairman Hartley said he had seen quite good stretch of the poor pay ing.
 MT. Bell then said he had learned that the man in charge of the street work in Springfield was very com potent man and he favored that the Main street job be placed in charge of one man and that man held respon- sible. The merchants did not want Main street dug up all summer.
 After reading the letters MT. Bell said he thought the committee could see that he had tried to get an un- sought communication with. MT. Bell said that he did not flavor taking the streets Of New Haven as an example for Bridgeport, the pavements in Bridgeport were already better than those of New Haven. He stated that owners of over ss,OOO, 900 worth of prop erty in Main street were in favor of wood block pavement and that it must be good, as all of the best streets in London and Paris were paved with it. and the traffic was much heavier than it would be in this city. But he want ed to see better job than that of nue. where the rails were above the blocks and the pavement was not laid at the proper grade
 MT Bell said some of the taxpayers present had said something about re- assessment, as they had already been assessed twice for permanent pave ment on the street
 Chairman Hartley said the commit tee had nothing to do with that mat ter. and Attorney c. S. Garfield ask ed If the city attorney had given an opinion on the matter.
 Chairman Hartley said he under stood that such an opinion had been g1ven to the Mayor.
 MT Bell next proceeded to call up- on me Main street taxpayers and storekeepers present to express them selves.
 Cnalrman Hartley asked each man 70 Include an expression concerning srooNeo rails, as the committee was much concerned about them and wanted the support of citizens in mak- 1 ing demand for them He added | that he wanted to be understood as befne Tn Iavor of wood blocks if the | taxpayers in Main street desired tben1 | as they were the ones who were going