The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-12
Broad Street Is to Have Smooth
Surface in Business
Section.
GRANITE LOBBY IS CHARGED
Cohen Says Quarry Owners Cir
culated Petition Among Team
sters Against Improvement.

| smooth paving for Broad street
! won over what was described as the
granite quarry lobby" In the initial
! contest before n subcommittee OF the
Committee on Streets yesterday after
I noon. The type or smooth paving was
not determined upon. the rccommcn-
dalton being that the Committee on
Streets advertise for bids for all kinds
OF smooth paving, thus eliminating
from the contest Belgian block. cut
granite. cobblcstonc and other types
I OF granite spall paving
| Noluminous petitions for smooth
paving were presented by the Retail
Merchanta' Association. while equally
extensive petitions for the use OF
granite came from wholesale mer-
chants and the owners of teams en-
gagged in heavy hauling, It being OPEN
| ~ charged that these latter were tn
cited and gotten up in the interests
OF tho owners of certain local quar-
! rics.
| Corlcy for smooth Surface.
| J. G. Corley presented the formal
action of the Retail Merchants .lsso-
citation. the association, while not In
sisting on any particular material or
i patent preparation, expressing itself
as unalterably opposed to the laying
B of granite block OF any character. on
/ any part of the street such paving
being characterized az not In Keeping
with up-to-Aate ideas. antiqua,cd mud
obsolete. II was declared to he the
sense OF the board OF directors of that
association that reports industriously
! circulated that smooth paving would
prove dangerous 10 horses and vchi-
Giles. and that It would not stand heavy
I traffic, were largely exaggerated and
without acrious fnundntion
The association expressed itself in
| the following resolutions;
Having learned that n proposition
will be placed before the City Coun-
! Gil TO repave Broad Street with Bel
! gian blocks. We, the merchants of
Broad Street. earnestly request the
members OF the City Council o oppose
| this measure, az we feel confident tho
Belgian block would prove unsatis
factory. and very little. If any. better
than tho granite spalls now In use
"Wc believe the time has come
when tho city can'well afford 10 pave
Broad Street, the principal thorough
fare OF our city, with some smooth
pavement. This Kind of pavement is
sufficient TO take care of any traffic
on this street. and will lend tone to
this our principal thorouGhfare."
Fave from Curb to Curb.
Mr.. corey explained that tho assoc
citation was also opposed to any un-
slightly band or a different character
OF paving down the centre OF the
street, prefcrrlng that II be smooth
paved from curb TO curb.
| Samuel Cohon followed, openly
charging that the granite quarry
owners had been circulating petitions
among teamsters and others securing
signatures from those who do not own
property or do business on Broad
Street. The Belgian block. such as
used on Main Street. he said, was just
as dirty The charge that heavily
loaded vehicles could not travel on
smooth surface. he said. was far
fetched, naming a dozen congcstcd
streets In Now York on which there
is very heavy traffic ovor smooth sur
face. Granite. he held, should only
; be used in warehouse and wholesale
districts. and In other sections of mod
crn cities was going out faster than
the horse.
Charges Quarry Lobby.
1T do not believe there is politics
| enough In the City Council" said Mr..
Cohen, "to allow the lobby OF the gran
It's quarries to hoodwinlS tho tax pay
crs. These outsiders. some OF whom
pay no taxes here, arc trying TO die
tate to uB who do business on Broad