Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-05-13
BOARD OF WORKS
SNUBS MERCHANTS
IN PAVING FIGHT
Keeps Delegation Waiting Over
Three Hours Before Announce
ing PostpOnement.

Despite their promise OF a week ago
to give the Market Street Business
Mems Improvement Association a
definite answer yesterday In the matter
of paving Market street, the members
of the Board Of Works failed to take
any action at the meeting yesterday
afternoon. although they kept a dole
cation from the association waiting for
over three hours before 1t vas a
bounced that the matter would have TO
be postponed again.
Earlier in the afternoon the delaga-
ton was invited to confer with the
finance COMMITTEES of the board and the
members of the association who were
present were encouraged in the hope
that something definite was about to
be o. After getting into h com-
mittee room 1t developed hat the con-
ference was intended more especially
to give Commissioners Mungle and
O'Connel an opportunity to tell what
they had found out about wood block
paving during their recent trip to bos-
ton, Bridgeport and Springfield.
The report was anything but favor
able to the kind of paving that the
Market street people nave been trying
so long to secure. The commissioners
reported that in Boston they could not
find anyone who would say a word III
favor of wood block, while the coudl-
tions In the other cities were about as
bad The burden Of the objections
seemed to be that the wood paving was
bad for horse driven vehicles and some
difference of opinion seemed to exist
in the minds of the people who had
written to the association indorsihg
the paving and those who were III
viewed by the commissioners.
Taxpayers Plea.
AS these opinions in many instances
came from the same people and were
frequently of a contradictory char
acter there didn't seem to be much use
of basing a decision on them.
Lee Ottolengui voiced the sentiment
Of most of the speakers from the asso-
citation when he said that there was
never a time when 1t had been denied
that wood block paving is slippery and
under certain conditions upon grades
over 2 per cent. would prove objection
able to drivers of heavy trucks. The
speaker said hat 1t was time to decide
whether Market street was to be con-
sidered merely as a street to be given
over to trucking or whether the wishes
of the taxpayers were to be considered.
If the street Is to be paved for tie
express benefit of trucks and heavy
drays it would be only fitting to rake
the owners of such rigs pay for the
improvement. Mr.. Ottolengui said, but
the contention Of the association is
that the thoroughfare is one that should
be devoted to retail stores and offices
n as such should be paved as this
class Of business people desire and are
willing to pay for.
Mr.. Ottolengui, who is president of
the Market Street Business Mems AS
ISOLATION, said today that in reply to
statements of Commissioners Mungle
and O'Connell that in Boston, where
they inspected the wood block pave
ment, it was condemned, and in Spring
field n Bridgeport it was not passed
that there vas no need to go to dis
tant cities to examine wood block pave
ment when New FORK city was so hear
Our association does not ask solely for
a wood block pavement, but that as
Market street Is a business mems thor
oughfare we favored a noiseless pave
ment, n that we would accept as
phalt if the board considered thai a
better pavement.
I'm March last Commissioner Den
man suggested that we visit New York
city and see If horses fell on wood
block pavement on a wet day. Six OF
us went to New York, as he suggested
n from our observations and what
we CLEANED from business men along
wood-paved streets we came home con.
WINGED, in our opinion, that not / pei
cent. of the horses slipped on WOOD
pavements In rainy weather.
IT said to the commissioners that Il
they went to New York and found thai
I would stop at once advocating 1t and
that III association would do the
same. / also said the business mer
on h street var a quiet thorough
fare, and that part of the Wagon traffic
on Market street could be diverted Il
other parallel streets for a few blocks
Market street business men ought Il
receive consideration as we'll as owners
of horses used for trafice."
A letter was read from former United
States Senator John F. Dryden in
which he said that while he was In
ldNoT OIL u SII1OOtl, nOiSeleSS pavement
he vas not sure that wood block was
the best available. 1t was after this
discussion a the associations dele
cation were led to believe hat Some
decision would be reached, but for some
unexplained a no action was
taken, although it is understood Thai
the board is opposed to wood block and
will recommend a granite block made
under h new municipal specificati ons
Alderman Charges Favoritism.
Alderman Shape appeared before The
board n in a fiery attack upon tht
methods of the department of works
charged that branch of the city's SOW.
eminent with discriminating in tine
enforcement of the ordinance relative
to sidewalk Instructions. He charged
favoritism in several cases, but wflcr
pressed by the board for specific cases
he did not name them, and he was in
formed that the Superintendent o
Works C. M. Shipman was acting under
the instructions of the legal departmen
in following up certain cases that wei
now being Investigated.
The board decided TO buy 100 acres o
meadow lane from S. Howell Jones II
the proposed ship canal IN at $1f
an acre. with the option of purchssln,
more from the same owner at a sirnilai
price later on.