Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1914-03-25
PRACTICAL TALK
ON THE MERITS OF
PAVING MATERIAL
EXTRACTS FROM AN ADDRESS
GIVEN BY l.. a. BOULAY AT
JACKSON RECENTLY.
URGES employment OF
COMPETENT ENGINEER
Writer Says That Junketing Should
be Done at Beginning.

In afrecent address given before
meeting Of the League of Michigan
Municipalities held at Jackson, l.. A.
Boulay, who is an expert engineer said
among other things, that IL was a mis-
take TO spend money for the construc-
ton of the one time macadam road
bed or the still cheaper gravel
while IL is considerably cheaper to
use some OF these preparations (re-
ferring to tar preparations) especially
in keeping down the dust, still com
plant has been made at numerous
times that oil has affected the tires of
automobiles by blistering them, and
when the work is done improperly, it
is great source Of nuisance from the
tracking OF oil into the houses.
AT one time the macadam street
was sufficient for the traffic as the
wheels pulverized the surface and the
dust became solidihed when the iron
tires came upon them but since the
advent OF the fast moving automobile
With its disastrous effect on water
boond road surfaces. il must become
evident that new methods of construc-
ton must be adopted If we expect to
have good roads.
'"rhe action of pneumatic tires, pow
erfully driven, is radically different
from that Of horse and wagon. The
driving power, acting upon the rear
wheels, produces first, a tremendous
scraping friction between the rubber
tires and the road surface, and then
by IA strong suction picks up the loos-
ened particles and throws them Vio-
lently backward and upward. The
lighter the power and the greater the
speed the more destructive will be the
action. Not only does the pneumatic
tire tear up the road and throw away
its own debris but the material loos-
ened by horse traffic, is in like manner
thrown out before il can again be
compacted by iron tires.
I'm speaking of pavements il would
perhaps be an commission if something
was not said about the one thing, with
out which no class of pavement can
be a success, and that is intelligent ad-
vice and supervision in connection
with the work.
1T is a very unwise plan to place
the directing Of any kind Of improve
ment in the hands OF one whose eX-
perience does not fit him for the work
The town is taking the chances with
the odds against it, There are some
who imagine that an engineer is
luxury and should be placed upon the
free list, but as a rule il will be found
that if the man retained is competent
and honest, and politics is kept out of
the work, he will save more than his
services amount 10, and the town Will
have the consolation OF knowing that
Al 4 xFe.l, f..r
dollar expended.
ut might also be well 10 mention
the fact that i'm ninety per cent of the
cases the decision in regard to the
class of pavement selected is directly
due to promotion on the part of those
selling the materials There is "a
rather true saying that it is easy TO
get most any kind of petition signed,
and where bids on work are received
and the awarding Of the contract is
delayed week or two, il is sometimes
hard to foretell the results, and things
are sometimes greatly changed both
as regards the contractor and the mat
erials used
when junketing trips are made
they should be made before the bids
are opened and in company with the
engineer, and not at the expense of
some concern selling materials or some
Then argue out the kind
of construction best suited to your
town, and when the bids are tabulated
be prepared to award the contract and
award IL quick. When this is done
trouble is usually forestalled, and
those on whose shoulders rest the de-
cision will avoid the possibility of be-
ing plunged into maelstrom of dis
sent and dissatisfaction. together with
bitter criticism, not only among them
selves but the taxpayers as well.
Then if "a town is fortunate to have
an honest and competent contractor,
an engineer who is efficient. and a
standard paving material many a
sleepless night will be saved and re-
SHIFTS will sneak for themselves"