The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-08-19
HAARER KNOCKS
RATHER AGAIN
Says Poor Brick Taken From Streets
Tests High-Mayor Thompson
Scores Commissioner.


Mayor Thompson and Public Works
Commissioner Haarer WAKES hotter
than ever as a result of new tack
taken by the commissioner. In an
effort to show that the rattler test Is
not a practical one; in other words,
that brick may pass the rattler test
and still go TO pieces when laid In the
streets, he is having tests made OF
brick taken from the streets.
The department is especially pleas
ed over the result OF a test OF Massll-
Ion brick. made Friday, by Boiler In
spector McCabe. The brick ten I'm
number, were taken from a bad sec
ton of pavement at Grand River and
Kirby-aves., care being taken TO select
brick from which corners had been
knocked of and which otherwise
showed signs OF disintegration. This
lot showed an abrasion OF only 1915
per cent after going through the rat.
tier, the lowest percentage recorded
in any Of the tests made thus far.
Yet. the pavement at this point is
in bad condition and going TO pieces
fast. although laid as recently as 1907.
From this point TO the western city
limits, the street was resurfaced with
the same kind OF brick. Massillon, in
1908, and IL Is also going to pieces
The foundation was laid In 1898. by
George +. Currie Il Co, when the
street from the railroad westward was
paved with cedar. Commissioner
Haarer says the foundation was still
In good shape when the street was
resurfaced with brick, yet II has been
found necessary TO replace 10,620 brick
in abou; four years.
This test, In Hearers opinion. seri-
ously discredits the rather The
brick that makes the best showing In
the rattler may make the 'rottenest"
pavement imaginable, he says. The
commissioner also had tests made OF
Medal brick, taken from Sixth-st, be-
tween Michigan-ave. and Locust.st,
where the pavement Is In bad condi-
ton. They showed an abrasion OF
about 25 per cent. according to infor-
nation received In the department
Haarer proposes TO make several more
tests OF the same kind. now that the
rattler Is In commission again.
II think IL would look better for
Mr.. Haarer IL he would get busy and
test the new brick that he Is buying
for the city instead Of trying to dis
credit the RATHER" said Mayor Thomp-
son, when told OF the latest tests.
Why Is he SO anxious TO knock the
rattler. when every other city In the
country that uses brick Is using that
test? Is he afraid the city will get
too good a quality OF brick? Maybe
he thinks his eagle eye is more relia-
BILE than the rattler, and that he can
tell a good brick just by looking at II.
Brick men tell me that the rattler
test Is no good for brick after they
have been laid In the street Ii isn't
Intended TO be used for that purpose.
Besides, II isn't fair TO take the result
of one test as indicating anything
"Haarer ought TO quit knocking the
rattler and use II the way II was In
tended to be used. What we want him
TO do Is to buy good brick and the
RATHER has shown that there are sew
eral brands that will stand the test.
am not trying 10 run Haarer's de-
partment. / don't profess to know all
there Is to be known about brick. but
do know that Detroit has some rot
ten brick pavements. Is 1t the fault
OF the brick or Commissioner Haarer?
That's what I'm trying to find out.
"There'll be q new deal next year.
Detroit is going to be a free town, an
open market, as far as brick Is con-
cerned, and you can bet that the brick
is going to be tested, too We are not
going to depend upon Commissioner
Hearers eagle eye"
City Engineer G. L. Heron, OF Hills
dale, Mich, and Aid. Wilbur Bates,
William r. Montgomery and ]. w.
Lunn, constituting the paving com
mittee of the Hillsdale council, visited
Detroit, Friday afternoon, TO get in
formation concerning the city's brick
pavements. They told the mayor that
Hillsdale has fixed FL per cent as the
limit of abrasion and has all its brick
ratified before accepting 1t, although
the city does not own rattler. The
favored brands there are Bessemer.
Metropolitan, Champion and Harris.
Mr.. Adams, the local agent OF the
Champion brick. spent some time with
the party.
The Adrian officials were the guests
OF Mayor Thompson at the ball game
Friday afternoon, after which they
went over brick pavements on Tenth
and FORESTS. finding many bad spots.
Mr.. Heron expressed the opinion that
these conditions were due in some
instances 10 poor brick and In others
TO poor foundations. The creosote
block used for expansion bands on
Fort-st., are found bumped up In many
places.
Excavation work now going on In
Second-st.. near Fort-st.. has revealed
a rotten foundation under the former
street at that point. This is one OF
the old natural cement foundations
and 1t Is in such bad shape that II
can be broken with the hands.