The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-04-11
BlTULITRIC For
THIRD WARD
ASSESSMENT PER LOT LESS
THAN RITUMINous CONCRETE
IN FOURTH AND FIFTH WARDS
-5ITUMINous CONCRETE
CRACKED AT FORKS.

a @NoNWA NAA0Sa4Llh4Lb .AAlS ldCI lhdL UlLu-
lthic pavement vas adopted as the
choice Of the property owners in the
Third ward at their mass meeting on
Tuesday evening, by an overwhelm-
ing majority Of thirty-eight to FIVE, the
promoters of bituminous concrete are
e~ndeavoring, but without success, to
upset the decision Of those who care
fully investigated and voted for what
they thought was best, by making
statements that the bituminous con-
crete sis exactly the same thing as
bitulithic, but is $50 per lot cheaper.
Nothing could be more aside from the
facts. The specifications for bitumi-
nous concrete specifically state that no
stone shall be used which is larger
than that which will pass a half inch
screen, and permit only 20 per cent
and allow as lottle as 10 per cent of
material larger than that which will
pass a quarter-inch screen, which
means that 80 to 80 per cent of the
total must be sand. Samples Of bitum-
nous concrete are being shown which
contain pieces Of stone three-quarters
Of an inch in size with the statement
that it represents the pavements which
will be laid while it is an absolute
fact that a pavement like the sample
shown could not be laid under the
bttuminous concrete specifications in
this city. Bitulithic pavement is 70
per cent of stone, not sand, and its
wearing qualities are greater in pro-
portion. The bituminous concrete pro-
motors are not attempting to sell their
pavement on any merit of its own
but on the misrepresentation state
ment that it is Is good as bitulithic,
which has proven it's quality by over
eleven years use under all climatic
conditions, while the bituminous con-
crete is a development of the last few
years which has been used to a very
limited extent, n it is reported that
many OF these pavements laid in the
last two years are now in bad rapair.
An examination made yesterday of the
so-called bituminous concrete pave
ment laid last summer in Grand Forks
on North Third avenue shows a large
number Of cracks the entire length of
he street, n several holes worn in
the new surface, while the, bitulithic
pavement on University avenue, laid
in 1909. is in perfect condition.
Inquiry among the members of the
committees which recommended the
adoption of bituminous concrete in the
Fourth and Fifth wards deveIops the
fact that at no time did they consider
bitulithic and bituminous concrete TO
be the same thing, but that their Sc
lection was based entirely on the diff
ference in price of the two payements
which was q cents per square ward.
while in the Third ward the difference.
including curling, excavation and all
appurtenances is but "a cents per
square. While the price for bitumin-
Gus concrete in the Third ward was
raised but 3 cents over the former
bids, by a clever manipulation of the
prices Tor extra work, the increase is
8 cents per square yard while the
bitulithic price is 26 cents per suuara |
yard cheaper than at the former bid |
ding and the prices for extra items
were correspondingly reduced, max |
ing the entire proposition very much
cheaper, and the. price for this stand |
ard form of construction an extremely |
low one.
Materials which are sold on the
statement that they are 'just. as good
as the original are never quite as
good, and while low prices are some
times inviting, the sweetness of low
PRICES never equals the bitterness of
poor quality.
1t is a significant fact that the pres
ent promoters Of bituminous concrete
who are representing it as being as
good as bitulithic, at the time petitions
were being circulated in the Fourth
and Fifth wards, were advocating BIZ
tulithic pavement at q cents per square
yard higher than bituminous concrete
and did not hesitate to represent to
those who must pay the bill that
the bitulithic was well worth the diff
renee. Certainly the qualities of the
two pavements cannot have changed
in two weeks so as to make bitumin-
GUS concrete equal to bitulithic when
the difference in price is only "a
Per square yard.
The majority of the nronartv ou,par.