The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-07-10
THE STREET PAVING.

1t ought not to be difficult 10
straighten out the contention among
the bidders for street paving in this
city. The work to be done can be
pretty exactly measured the amount
of material Of different kinds to be
used can be practically figured out, and
the proper cost Of that material, and
OF the labor TO put it in place, can be
determined within narrow limits; there
fore, there ought not to be any reason
why there should be material differ
ences OF opinion as to the meaning or
| adyaDtageousness OF one bid or anoth-
| er. There is no reason why a compar-
ison Of bids cannot be made with ap-
proNmate precision, and such compari-
son made between different bids as will
be beyond question enlighteninc to the
municipal commission.
The matter of the materials to be
used in paving is important in this
connection. and there is renewed de-
mand for the use Of the Utah rock as
phaltum. There is no question of the
abundance and good quality of this
|
tofore it's great cost. 1t is easier and
cheaper TO import the liquid asphaltum
and put in the "fillingp from material
at hand, than to pay the cost of dig
ging and the freight on the Utah as
phaltum. If there is any way to equal
ize this cost, even approximately, that
way should be found out and prac-
| ticed.
| Primarily, one would suppose that
| the view of the taxpayers should be
conclusive as TO the material TO be
used in paving the street where those
property owners live; but, as we have
seen In more than one instance in this
city, the choice of the taxpayers was
| so very bad that it was impossible TO
| approve 1T, On the other hand, it seems
| like usurpation TO have the commits
| sloners say over the heads Of the tax.
payers that a designated material shall
be used especially if the material is
untried and uncertain as to quality and
| wearing substance. 1t is difficult In
deed to say Just what should be done
in this matter. The City Engineer s Of
fee ought to be the determining fac
tor, and doubtless if the matter were
referred to that office there would be
better results on the whole than we
have seen or are likely to see, either
in property owners choice or in a de-
termination by the Commission, which
| is composed of persons who are not in
any way experts either in the laying Of
pavement, or the selection of paving
material.
Naturally, the people here would pre-
fer the Utah product, provided it does
not cost excessively, and is found to
be Of first class quality; the latter
we believe cannot be disputed. 1t is
largely, it seems, question of the
cost, and also Of what is best for the
steep grades, as it is a question wheth-
er on steep grades such as on the
| North Bench, il is best TO pave at all
at this time. However. if the Commits
| sion will refer the whole matter to the
| City Engineer office for an impartial
and expert report, either as to the gen
eral proposition or on each question of
paving as it comes up, we could at least
have the guidance of those who have
studied this question and have practi
cal knowledge about it, including
knowledge of materials and of meth
DDS Of laying these materials,
With respect to the dispute that is
now on between the bidders concerning
improvements TO be contracted for, we
do not know of anything better to sug
gcst than to let the engineer s office do
the figuring and the commissioners be
guided by the report received by them
from that office, That would be the
best expert advice that the commission
could get. and it would be official ad
vice, and ought to be valuable and
worthy of being followed,
Certain so-called newspapers, published
under greatly abused constitutional
guarantee of freedom to the press, de-
liberately mislead their readers and
impose upon the public by constantly
misrepresenting public officials against
whom the publishers have some petty