The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1911-07-07

to the action OF the council is being cir
culated. An anonymous letter attack
ing the position OF the council has been
mailed to many taxpayers and part OF
the council. Representatives of different
paving companies have been in town
the past week. Bitulthic, Hassam and
concrete are on the tongues of everyone
one the street. Next Monday night is
the time set by the council for hearing
protest on the declaration of intention
to improve Main, Mill and the cross
streets in the business section with btu
lthic paving
So much controversy has arisen that
the Gazette has deemed it timely to pub
lsh a statement from the mayor and
members of the council setting forth
their personal views concerning the paw
ing question. Following are the state
ments made at the request of this paper:
Mayor Weinberg-With my investiga
tion | would be willing to pay so cents
more per square yard for bitulithic than
for any other paving on the market. l
am perfectly satisfied and am in favor
OF going on with the plans at once The
letter you refer to is nothing, no one
signed it.
E. R. BarrOl-I believe We have got
one OF the best medium priced pave
ments made. Nine city officials went to
Portland and out Of that number seven
thought alike We examined all kinds
and looked at the bad holes in all CT
them. | made special trip to Lewis
ton, Idaho, where bitulithic pavement is
in use. Everyone there is satisfied with
il. | have also carried on personal cor
respondence with the mayors Of different
towns whore this pavement is in use.
They all recommend it and are putting
down more just like it. 1t is no exneri-
ment for 200 Of the largest cities of the
country are using it. In this and the
two neighbOring states bitulithic pave
ment is in use in l s or 20 towns. Port
land has 81 miles OF it and more is bting
laid. | will also state that before the
bids were opened | spoke to several of
the largest property owners in this city
and asked them il they wanted the best
or a cheap pavement. Everyone an
swered, owe want the best" | believe
that our fellow citizens who are signing
a remonstrance do not know what they
are signing, as not one in ten OF them
have ever seen bituIithic paving.
T. B. Stravens-These are the reasons
why prefer bitulithc in preference to
any other paving: The first thing that
attracted my attention to bitulithic was
the roughened surface which prevents
horses from slipping and falling. 1t is
also nOiseless and can be easily cleaned
Its durability seems to be sufficient for
the heaviest traffic and | am frank in
saying that bitulithic is far superior to
any form OF pavement of which | know
| am satisfied that when bitulithic has
been laid on the streets of Colfax it will
be endorsed by everyone of it's citizens.
Simon Dreifus-I believe bitulithic
pavement the best and cheapest in the
long run. That is why stand for it.
| have nothing to cay regarding the
anonymous letter.
Matt Johnsop-The question has
arisen why was bituithic favored for
COlfax streets and why a higher grade
paving than other bids submitted was &C
cepted. To begin with creosote blocks,
vltriied brick and granitOid are all too
high priced pavings for our city, ranging
in price from So 90 to Sc 90 per square
After due elaboration and investiga-
ton the general conceEsus of opinion
was that there we're only two or three
Kinds Of the cheaper paving that could
be considered for Colfax. After thor
ough inspection OF Portland and Spo-
kane pavements, and receiving of bids,
btulithic paving was adopted by vote
OF to 2. l consider our bid very low
on bitulithic, having received the same
price as North Yakima where all ma
teral of the desired grade can be had at
practically no expense to the contract
ors, and in addition our bonds only
bear 6 per cent while North Yakima
bonds are per cent. From all our
neighboring towns, i. e.. LaGrande, Ba-
ker City, Pendleton, The Dalles, Walla
Walla, Vancouver, Lewiston, Portland,
North Yakima and Others too numerous
to mention, we hear the evidence (there
is nothing better for the price than bit
ulithic) 80 We feel that we are giving the
people the very best pavement that can
be had for the price. Bitulithic pave
ment, having q bituminous surface, al
fords a good footing for horses, and in
Portland is laid on 10 and 81 per cent
grades. Where We had occasion to see