Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-02-27
MAYOR OPPOSES
WOOD PAVEMENT
Returns Unsigned Works Boaro
Resolution for Broad
Street Job.
,oontinued from first pnge.D

tCootinued from First Pngc.D
resolution. I might return the meas
ure To your honorable body with Ger
tain suggestions. l prefer, however,
as this is the revival of a VeXed queS-
tton, to meet it fully and frankly on
its merits and not to avoid tile main
point by taking up side issues. | am
against the paving of Broad street
/ with wood block. and | feel that II Is
my duty to oppose it in the interest
as ] believe. of the great body Of citl-
ems.
No Reason to Approve.
In a consideration of this question
| l have striNen to be fair and I'M
partial to give due weight 10 the
arguments pro and con, and to be
guided by my conception of the true
interest of the community. l md,
however no reason for changing the
attitude which l assumed on previous
occasions.
The claims made on behalf of wood
block as pavement for Broad street
may be stated as follows:
]. That il is the most nearly noise
less pavement known, and that its use
would largely obViate the noise Incl
dent to the tremendous volume of
| traffic in the central part of the city.
:. That it is a durable pavement
and that its life on Broad street would
be from twenty to twenty-five years.
,. That its cost would be but little,
If any, more than the cost Of granite
block, which, by common consent. is
considered as Its only alternative
upon this thoroughfare.
4. That its use is demanded pY the
great majority of property owners.
and business houses on the street,
and that their wishes should outweigh
those of other persons who use the
| thoroughfare.
;. That its use would attract 10 the
mercantile establishments in Broad
street and the adjacent street. per-
! haps. the patronage of many owners
of automobiles and other pleasure
vehicles. principally in the nearby
municipalities, who now go elsewhere
/ to shop.
6. That it is really more in the m
/ terest of horse drawn vehicles tan
! any other kind of pavement
/ I. That the orse-drawn vehicles
might be forbidden the use of the
/ street with advantage to the city.
i ). That 1t would add greatly In the
general attractiEeness of the street
] because of it's handsome appearance.
Why He opposes 1t.
As to the first claim, it seems TO
me that II is largely in the nature OF
an illusion. Granting that wood
block Is the most noiseless pavement
OF any in common use, II does not fol-
low that ii il were laid in Broad
street II would have a great ad-
vantage over properly laid granite
block in this respect. An analysis
OF the noise of Broad street shows
that the chief contributor is the troll
! ley car. Wood block would not re-
! duce the noise of the cars to any
great extent, if at all. II is said, In
deed, that there would not be as much
| vibration observable if wood block
| We're laid in the street. but the vi
bration could be lessened as well -!
placing some deadening material i'm
and around the car tracks as by
T1E hp n al CT .,
, terial in question The other noises
of the street are due far more to III,
INEQUALITIES in the present pavement.
which is, of course, in horrible con-
dition, than TO the fact that the pave
ment is of stone. 1t is the rattle of
the vehicles over hills and holows
rather than the grinding of wheels
and the striking of hoofs upon the
hard surface that causes the present
condition. A wood block pavement,
whose surface from any cause would
be unequal, would occasion practical
~ as, much noise from the ordinary
with small blocks, closely laid and
grouted with cement, would reduce
this nuisance very greatly.
As to the second claim. 7 think it
TAR to say that some wood block
pavements are durable. but some OF
them are not, and one on Broad street
might, not from any fault in the
method OF treatment, but from an
other cause, to which I shall refer
later be found disintegrating with
relative rapidity. There is no expert
ment about modern granite block
pavement. We know what IL will do
and how it will last under heavy
traffic.
Expensive 10 Maintain.
While it may be admitted. for
! arguments sake. that the first cost
OF wood block would not be much
greater than of granite block. the
| cost of looking after it in a proper
manner would, in my opinion, involve
a very heavy burden upon the city.
The fourth claim is an important
one. 1t is not pleasant thing to
oppose the wishes of the business
men and others who have united in
| the effort to secure wood block for
Broad street. | feel, however, that
Broad street more than any other in
1 the city Is the thoroughfare of the
whole community. and | am firmly
convinced that the manufacturing
and commercial interests and the vast
! oody oil citizens are against the use
/ OF that material.
with respect TO the fifth claim 1 would
observe that many automobile owners
nave assured me that they could see for
themselves no particular advantage or
| pleasure in wood block pavement over
granite, such as is laid In Bloomfield ave
nue., Tor instance. My own experience in
! automoDileS agrees with this. The auto
"iODll'S VIII H'Sh 10 BROAD street just as
| soon rs new pavement is completed,
| whether II be wood block granite block
: or other material The private carriage
| ned not he considered. IT il passing out
Z Of existence 50 fast as to be a negligible
D quantity.
cannot admit the sixth claim. If it
we're well founded | would not have the
+ protests from owners of horses, ranging
i from few to a great number again st
Z the laying Of wood block in Broad street.
I
! As to the seventh claim. feel it is un-
| necessary TO discuss it ut length
| cannot believe the time has come vet to
| give up Broad street to a certain class of
| traffic alone.
The eighth claim need scarcely be con-
| sidered seriously. ANY good pavement
| viii enhance the appearance of the street
Inc disadvantages Of wood block for
! such thoroughfare as Broad street are,
| TO my mind many and obVious Chief,
perhaps, Is that it would be. under con
ditions very frequently found in this lati-
! tude. extremely slippery and very danger
Gus to horse drawn and other vehicles.
/ Melting snow, rain or even heavy fog
would make such Il pavement positively
| dangerous, and would force many
vehicles into other streets To mitigate
! this dangerous condition other cities
| have found 1t necessary TO sprinkle their
| wood block payements with large guam
titles of sand The application and re-
| moval of the sand would, | need not point
! ont, add greatly TO the financial burdens
of the city.
Another objection to wood pavement is
CHARS HFAl