New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-28
SAY PAVEMENTS ARE BAD
REPRESENTATIVES of Many Bodies
Report to the Mayor.
SEPARATE BUREAU IS URGED
City's Head Says Matter Might
Have Been Taken to Char
ter Committee.

II have so often found myself to he
wrong and other people TO he right that /
have not much pride Of opinion unless 1t
comes down to some moral and essential
question" said Mayor Gsynor yesterday
AT the public hearing in the Mayors re-
ception room in the City Hall, where the
report Of a Joint committee from the
Chamber Of Commerce, the Merchants AS
ISOLATION. the Board Of Trade and Trans
portation and the Automobile Cluo or
America on the paving conditions in TINS
city was submitted.
The Mayors words were called forth by
the suggestion made by William II. Page
counsel for the Automobile club OF Amer
lea that a committee Of twenty-five be
appointed by the Mayor TO consider the
proposition of placing the city pavementS
under ore central head, subject to the
Chief Magistrate.
The report of the joint committee, when
was presented by Albert r. Shattuck, stat
Cd that the pavements here were worse
than the paving in any great city of the
world" and urged that tho matter of car
ing for the city streets he taken from the
Borough Presidents and put under the
control Of the Mayor in q separate depart
ment or bureau.
Mr. Shattuck said the advantage Of con-
trallzaton of authority in the matter
would he one policy with regard to the
new paving and repairs The only disad-
vantage to the scheme. he added, was
that it would not please the politician nor
the men who desire soft jobs with little
work and big pay.
Among the principal reasons given in the
report for the bad paving in this city were
the necessity for tearing up the pavements
10 get at the means OF supply of water,
gas electricity and steam and for sewage
purposes; the contract system by which
contractor agreed to keep a pavement in
rerar during a term Of years; the grant
ing OF contracts for the opening Of pave
ments without proper restrictions, and the
alleged habit Of the Commissioner or
Public Works in Manhattan and the other
boroughs OF not repairing the asphalt IN
winter and Of allowing holes to develop
The report recommended that the city own
and operate its asphalt plant
Where there is much trucking the com
mittee urged the use Of small stone block
similar to the paving I'm Liverpool, ana
where IT is desired TO prevent noise wooden
blocks we're recommended. For the rest
Of the Borough OF Manhattan the report
declared in favor Of asphalt pavement, but
stated that there were several kinds Of
asphalt pavement that gave better results
than sheet asphalt. Block and rock as
phalt were especially favored.
Just before Mr.. Shattuck finished his re-
port the Mayor interrupted him and said:
IF YOU had come 10 me sooner we might
have called attention TO the plan on the
part OF the legislative committee that was
considering the proposed new charter. |
was of the opinion that it might be best
10 have the building departments Of the
five boroughs under one head, hut others
thought otherwise, and it was decided 70
leave matters as they We're.
Borough President McAneny said he did
not believe the plan to take the control of
Ito highways from the boroughs was a
.p9d one.