The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1912-03-12
ABOUT PAVING BIDS

AT last the paving bids are in.
Every known paving material is
represented and Fargo never has re-
ceived such low bids. This is be-
| cause the season is early and the
contractors are hungry. Fargo gets
the benefit Of the keen competition.
To the average property owner and
| to the layman, in other words to those
not accustomed to scrutinize bids un-
der the magnifying glass, this one fact
out prominently:
Every kind of pavement, good, bad
and Indifferent has taken a whirl in
time worn principle Of the survival
defense or in the application of the
seek a level with what are acknowl-
of the fittest, low and behold we find
the very best pavements trying to
sulting equation is this: Big job,
edged to be temporary or second class
pavements,
For after all is said and done, there
are only three classes of materials
that will be seriously considered by
the interested property owner, the man
who pays the bill.
The three are Creosoted Wood
Blocks, Brick and Bitulithic.
And Fargo has reason for self con-
graduation that owing to the wisdom
and shrewd figuring ahead of it's city
fathers, they fixed the time for re-
| ceiving bids when this very result
| would be brought about, and the re-
sregates and the various and sundry
hungry contractors, lowest possible
bids.
And now that these extremely at
tractive bids are in. we think a re-
sumo and analysis Of the different bids
| is pertin~nt for the average property
owner win demand the best for his
money and at the low prices bid on
the best best materials, we can afford
the best.
The lowest bid on Creosoted Wood
Blocks is S2.40 per square yard.
The lowest bid on Brick is $2.32 per
square yard.
The lowest bid on Bitulithic is $1.75
per square yard, provided the city will
protect the contractor on the claimed
patents and the company owning the
patents on this material put in a bid
themselves at $2.16 per square yard, or
a difference of II cents per square
yard and for this extra Al cents per
| square yard, we can have the privi-
| lege Of putting this material on our
streets. Just why we are asked to
pay for this privilege is somewhat
mystifying, particularly SO when we
have bid Al cents per square yard
lower on this same material submitted
by one of the best known contractors
in the United States.
I think the citizens will ponder
deeply before they consent to spend
much of their money on patents, roy
alties, chemical analysis, mineral ag-
companied by injunction suits, patent
similer persiflage that usually accom-
panies so-calIed patented articles. Too
many cities, far bigger and older than
Fargo have been through the mill.
Not only is this the case. but ex-
perience has proven that munich
pality is far safer to get the same
thing at a considerably lower figure
| even If under another name and not
d ossed up in a gauzy haze of Viscous-
ness, inherent stability, conglomerate
mixture and penetration test fol-de-
roi.
| In other words, any one Of the many
bituminous concrete pavements afford
a much safer form Of retreat and have
the saving grace of not being &C.
companied by INDUCTION suits, patent
infringements and up to the highest
courts in the land, sir, on appeal, sir
Anyway we do not think our citi-
zens want to pay Al cents per square
yard for any special privileges-it is
not good form and we might run ur
against class legislation. or CLASSY
legislation. maybe.
Eliminating Bitulithic and it's royal
ties we have left the Creosoted Woo6
Block pavement and the Brick pave.
ment, neither with any royalties at.
tached. A Property Owner.