Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-05-26
NORTH BROAD ST.
MERCHANTS WANT
WOOD PAVE Me- 7
Improvement Association to Get
Signatures of Property-owners
on Petitions to Works Board.

Wood block pavement for Broad
street, from Market street north to
Central avenue was voted for at a
meeting of the North Broad Street
Improvement Association, composed OF
merchants, IN the Board of Trade
rooms today.
President Moses Plaut was authorized
to appoint a committee of members of
the association to get signatures of
property-owners, or their duly accredit-
ed representatives, in Broad street. to
petitions in favor of wood blocks. The
petitions will be sent to the Board of
Works, and the property will
cooperate with the merchants in the
association.
In the discussion of the kind of pave
ment best suited for Broad street and
the merchants, President Plaut and
dozen other merchants and representa-
tives or firms spoke for wood blocks,
arguing that a wood pavement would
be noiseless and draw people from out
side who visit Newark in automobiles
and carriages to Broad street
+. w. Leonard and George Martin,
representatives OF Hahne & Co, spoke
for a granite pavement which, they
said is more durable than wood blocks,
and that pavement made of the latter
would cause horses to slip and fall in
rainy weather.
When w. M. Van Deusen, chairman
of a committee appointed to investigate
ravements, made a report, he said
four of the five members of the COM
mittee had voted to recommend to the
associa tion a wood block pavement, be-
cause it was noiseless and clean and
merchants wanted a noiseless pave
ment in front of their stores.
Fayors smooth Paving.
Joseph M. Byrne said he was the
member of the committee who favored
smooth granite pavement because 1t
would last five times as long as wood
pavement. and If properly laid would
have q fine appearance and would not
be so noisey as some thought 1t would
be. But If the merchants on Broad
street wanted a noiseless street, he
thought they should have wood block
or any other noiseless pavement.
J. W. Leonard said he did not be-
lieves that wood pavement would
draw more people in automobiles and
carriages to Broad street, On the con-
trary, people might drive on other
streets because of fear that their horses
would slip on wood pavement and fall
Mr.. Leonard also said he had seen
horses fall in New York on wood pave
ments in rainy weather. and besides
this kind of pavement was dirty and
dusty.
George Martin agreed with Mr.. Leon
ard, and he also said ne would rather
see the bitulithic noiseless pavement
the kind that was laid in Bleecker
street eight years& ago. laid in Broad
street than \ wood block pavement, for
bitulithic costs less to keep in repair
and was more durable.
When a motion by Robert y. Osborne
that the recommendation of the COM
mttee in favor of wood blocks be APP
proved by the association, was put by
President Plaut only Mr. Leonard and
Mr.. Browne voted against it.
Several men said in regard to btu
lithc that the Board of Works was on
record as being opposed to laying any
more bitulithic pavement,
want NoiscIcss Pavement.
julius D. Straus, Frank Holt, Edward
r. Ward and others who favored a
wood pavement said it was noiseless
and what merchants wanted in front
of their stores was noiselesS pave
ment They said such a pavement
would draw people from outside towns
who ride to Newark in automobiles anc
carriages to Broad street, and that was
what merchants along that street want
President Plaut said men who wert
in offices on the ninth floor OF the new
building of the Firemen's Insurance
4 Company. at Broad and Market streets
one day last week told him the noise
from the wagon travel on the granite
pavement was so loud that the win
dows of the offices We're closed.
Mr.. Plaut said that was one of thu
main reasons why nearly every mer
/ chant faVors noiseless pavement in {
big retail street, such pavement a.
wood blocks. He said also that thu
& merchants will have to pay the as
/ sessments for a new pavement. anC
therefore the Board of Works should
give chem the kind of pavement they
want.
When the committee to solicit sig
natures of property ty-owners in BroaC
street is appointed the committee vii
be divided and a Subcommittee will
serve on different blocks from Marlle
street to Central avenue. Efforts viii
be made to get all the institutions from
| Market street to Commerce street Il