The Detroit times., 1911-08-30
EXPERT MAKES HOT
ATTACK ON CITY'S
I. BRICK PAVEMENT
Finds Only Two Streets Of 40 Ex-
amined Approaching a Condition
At All Commsndable and Says
These Are" Fortunate Accidental
Secretary Of Brick Manufacturer
Association Places. Entire Blame
On Faulty Specifications

That there Is scarcely n square yard
ssof properly constructed brick pave
ment In Detroit, with its IL miles OF
T brick streets, was the astounding al
i legation made by Will p. Blair, Of
Cleveland. secretary OF the National
Paving Brick Manufacturers as
sociation, in a statement submitted to
the special Investigating committee OF
the Detroit Board of Commerce, We'd
nesday morning, at the outset of It's
inquiry into paving conditions in De-
: troit.
The statement, voluminous one,
was based on information gathered by
Mr.. Blair, In an inspection tour, en-
= bracing 40 streets, made at. the re-
a quest of the committee. His report
was scathing indictment of J. j..
Haarer's administration az commits
IN sioner Of public works as far as the
G, brick pavements laid by him are con-
e ,cerned, and. In fact, Of every com
\; missioner before him who had any
, thing to do with brick. Mr.. Blair's
e disclosures came as q surprise to the
b members OF the committee and caus-
Z ed something Of a sensation among
D the city onicials and others In atten-
? dance at the hearing.
, Mr.. Blair reported that OF 40 streets |
examined since receiving the invita- |
c ton 70 appear before the committee, |
n te and his associates found "unques-
)ut Toned evidence of such departure |
nj rom details Of proper construction
IL bat II is but fair to expect just such |
ly itreets as you have, and, In fact, un-
J. reasonable TO expect anything else.
ID these 40 streets, only two, Mr..
we slair says, approached condition at /
ow a commendable, st. Aubin-aye.,I
'ufr rom Guoin to Jefferson. and Sher-
'r man, from Hastings to st. Aubin. And
. . the fact that they were found In good
y H.5condihon was regarded as merely a
8 Fortunate accident"
Ell fecfares, That win mHKo 8 s. sfe.
es sfactory street under the plan or
'r construction followed In Detrott,
~ Where the executive head of the de-
partment of public works has NO
:, jurisdiction whatever over the engin-
7, eering department" The commits
llsioner. he points out, is undertaking
ol TO build streets without the aid OF
y single trained, experienced engin-
:. eer and he cannot do IT,.
~ The quality OF the brick. according
GO. :, 70 Blair. Is the least OF Detroits
= ~ having troubles He lays the blamo
. almost wholly at the door of the spe-
u, cifications, in which connection ne
says:
- II wish to say unhesitatingly and
an unaualihedly that no director OF pub
oa, Iic service, engineer or contractor can
stbuild a street In compliance with
specifications other than Just
g such streets as you have.
" In answer to questions put by the
q, committee. Mr.. Blair named city af- |
Tar city where good pavements have
IL been laid with the same kinds OF
] brick used here, but under the speci-
Q scations approved by the National
ck ,aying Brick Manufacturers associa-
oei Iion.
uI' The important part OF Mr.. biair
~ ieport follows:
tnt since receiving your invitation to
ther ppear before you. we have careiully
,aed, bars old and over. and in all we
. 80 sund unquestioned evidence OF such
vi eparture from details of proper con-
oml .tiuction that 1t In but fair TO expect
n fsIst such streets as you have. In fact,
ne X would be entirely unreasonaple 10
ecr5sxpect anything else. We founo put
- two streets that approaches conol-
err don at all commendable. One was ST
lif Aubip. from Guoin to Jefferson, In the
e, construction OF which Logan plock Was
;. = used and Shefman-st, from Hastings
~ e. 81 Aubin in the construction OF
/ which Malvern OF Medal block was
n used. We regard the condition OF
u these streets purely as fortunate ac-
II esdent--a case wherein the specihca-
i tions were entirely violated In way
~ TO better. the street
!. Portions OF many streets were found
,1 ,yhere the pavements were all right;
~ enough that II would seem reason
- abie Inquiry even to a layman as 70
eta INV this portion Of n street was all
r,rht and another portion all wrong.
"a and whether Il could be possible that
nee nee a. lust happened that all the bad brick
epte' cccupy this place In the pavement ana
e she GOOD ones that. and so on. At any
oor ate II was perfectly clear to my plino
las. nat the condition Of the pavements
A vas n the navernent
AT rnany points on River-st, from
an, Iunctitn TO the limits, the entire pave
Bull