St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1913-11-01
SAYS CLARION
IS SHIELDING MAYOR
Councilman Rebukes Editor of
Clarion for Roasting Him.
Because He Ignored Tax
Payers Petition
Opelousas La. Oct. %, 1913.

st. Landry Clarion, City.
Mr.. Editor:-You were kline
enough to single me out fol
special criticism in your issue Of
Oct. 18th. Now, permit mf
through your columns to call the
public's attention to a few let.
tiers published in this issue which
are self Explanatory.
Realizing that the mayor is
shielding himself behind the
Clarion, / shall be compelled te
call his attention to a few facts
in this article.
| believe that it is the duty OF
an official above all things, first,
to do whatever he does well;
second, that having performed
that duty, to have the courage OF
his conviction. In the face of
adverse criticism, to stand by
what he thinks is right.
When the question of paving
our city was perfected to point
of advertising for bids on all
classes of paving, it immediate
ly became the sworn duty of all
the city officials to investigate all
classes of paving, not favoring
any one until this duty had been
impartially performed.
Right here ] want to charge
the mayor with gross neglect Of
his duty by combining his inves-
LEGATION to one form of paving,
namely, Bitulithic. If he denies
this, let him show the public,
letters or kilograms making in
quiries about other forms of paw
ing that was in his possession
before October 22nd.
Knowing that when | cast my
vote for a paving, I was assist
ing the property owners and the
City of Opelousas to invest a sum
aggregating $50, 600. 90 o r
more, I was compelled to make a
most thorough investigation of
the various classes Of paving.
This | did by wire and letters to
numerous municipalities. After
i mpartially investigat-
ing and giving the subject
careful and mature deliberatlon,
| was compelled to vote for creo-
soted wood block paving.
Having seen copies OF an ordi
nance passed by the council of
ElPaso and Houston land make
this statement without fear of
contradiction prohibiting mar
row tire vehicles and heavy
wagons from passing over their
Bitulithic pavements, think that
this within itself is sufficient to
condemn Bitulithic as a paving
material for the city Of Opel.
ousas, where our paving will be
subjected to all classes Of traffic,
principally with narrow tire We
hicles.
I received from Canada and
the extreme northwest. some
very fine letters on ,Bitulithic,
but all Investigations conducted
in the south where climatic con-
ditions are similar to ours, all
city engineers. with few excep-
tions, classed cresoted wood
blocks first, Vitirifed Brick
second, and Bitulithic third as a
durable pavement, and this was
especially true in cities where
they have had experience with
the three particular pavements.
In my humble opinion, the ex-
p~erience of Baton Rouge where
the cost was S4219.3 80 for the re-
pairs on thirteen blocks of Btu
which had been laid be-
six and seven years, is
enough to convince most tax
payers that our city cannot afford
the luxury Of this pavement.
Mr.. Editor, you critized the
Board severely for ignoring as
you termed your expression, the
petition Of a majority of the
property owners along the
streets to be paved. AS a mat
ter of fact, that petition repre-
sented between twenty and
twenty-five per cent Of the prop
erty on those blocks proposed to
be paved. | merely mention this
as the public desires facts and
not suggestions when a matter
If such vital interest is brought
to their notice in public print.
Now, Mr., Editor, you have con-
stituted yourself spokesman for
he mayor on the fire alarm sys-f
5em. please explain to the public
or have him explainWhy he
from the coun-
ii on the night they awarded the
contract to the GamesWell Co,
hose kilograms published in
7our last issue? And if he did
lot have them in his possession
It that tine. why as a member
It the committee appointed by
he council to investigate and
best systems, did he wait
lntil the contract had been
.Warded to make his investiga-