The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-04-04
Council Last Evening Ord
cred the Board of Works to
Purchase 5000 Gallons for
Experimenting.
WHO SHALL PAY THE
COST, BEING ASKED
State Law Not Clear on the
Proposition - First Test
May Be Made by the City
on North A Street.

Petroleum asphalt will be tested as
street prescrvative and substitute
for water sprinkling by the city. The
council last night ordered the board
to order 5000 gallons Of the road oil
for the test, after. J. J. Young. repre-
senting the Standard Oil company had
explained the use and value of petrO-
leum asphalt.
The cost of the road oil will be
light-the property owner will pay on
the average of $l.50: the oil will,
lengthen the life of streets. besides
changing their color from Glaring
white, to dark brown; properly placed,
the road oil has no odor, nor will it
track into houses; on a brick street
IL forms similar surface to that OF
asphalt; iron wheels and iron shoes
Of horses make no noise.
Question Of the Cost.
Whether the cost of the oil will be
assessed on property owners, or wheth-
er the city will pay the entire cost OF
the test this year, has not been deter
mined. but councilmen think that citi-
zens will be willing to pay for the oil
this year by subscription. AS there
Is no state statute regulating the use
Of oil as n pavement. il it may be call
ed such. there can be no regular as
sessment of property owners, as is
done for regular street improvements.
However. next year, IL the test
provse successful, there will be a tax
levy to cover the cost of oiling all the
streets Of the city. At Lebanon, Ind,
II was stated. tax levy to oil 20 miles
of street was only 1-10 of a cent on the
hundred In Richmond there are 50
miles of improved streets, and nearly
10 miles of streets unimproved. 1t Is
thought the tax levy for oiling here
would not run more than Il half "a
cent at the most.
Cost Is Very Small.
The oil is. delivered i'm 5000. 1900
or $4,000 gallon car lots, and will cost
the city three cents per gallon. BY
oilng the streets through contractors,
Mr.. Young says, it would cost the prop
crty owners at least twice as much as
II placed by the city government. The
petroleum asphalt is put on the streets
with regular sprinkiing wagons, to
which a special attachment is fixed.
Young says the cost of placing the oil
is not more than y a cent per gal
Ion. A 5000 gallon car contains
enough to cover 10000 square yards
of surface. making the total cost prac-
tically cents per gallon.
Among the cities of the state which
are now successfully using the oil are
Connersville, Rushville, Indianapolis,
Cambridge City, New Castle. Mobiles
vile, Knightstown, Greencastle and
Shelbyville. Both paved and macadam
streets are being oiled. Only 1-6 of a
gallon per square yard rs used on paw.
ed streets.
Not only are city governments TAX
Ing up the oiling of streets but in a
number of counties the commission.
ers are using oil on the county roads.
Madison county will soon place Pc
troleum asphalt on it's roads
The test in Richmond will probably
be made on North A street. this being
one OF the most travelled thoroushfares
In the city. The suggestion was to
oil the street from Seventh street to
Sixteenth street. II is said that North
a street property owners will get out
petition to have their street oiled
and that they are willing to pay for the
OIL
Is in General, D:mand.
Besides North A street, other
streets may be oiled il the property
owners desire. Already property
owners on South Eighteenth street.
North Ninth, West Main, from the riv-
or To West Fifth stress, North Tenth
lCnnfinund ON pnrn EIcht /