The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1914-06-12
TRUTH ABOUT THE
PAVING MATERIAL
GRAVEL WOULD COST PRACTI-
CALLY AS MU Fl AS BRICK
Councils Action Solely Matter of Dol
lars and Cents in the Interest
of the Taxpayer.


Inasmuch as there has been consider
able discussion and not little misap-
prehension, we believe, of matters re-
lating to the repair of Vienna street, a
brief review of the subject, as it ap-
pears to those members of the council
responsible for the work, may not be
inopportune.
AS first proposition, we do not believe
that any one will question the wisdom
of approaching any work of Importance
with an open mind, and while gravel
may have been the material favored by
the voters at election time we cannot
believe they would continue to favor
that material if they knew that it would
cost practically as much as very much
better material, in fact as much as
I brick which unquestionably makes one
Nof the best and most durable pavements
known. This was exactly the condi-
tion that confronted the council when
they very properly came thoroughly to
investigate details of improving the
street and is responsible for any change
of opinion that may have taken place.
To have ignored the facts as they found
them would have been worse than fool
ish; it would have amounted to wan
ton waste of public funds.
Now for the facts: In the first place
it had been definitely decided that the
street must be repaired and preliminary
excavation was made for that purpose,
but when inquiries were made from all
the available firms supplying gravel fit
for road building. when to the cost thus
ascertained was added the necessary
\ freight charges and cost of unloading.
it was seen that the expense for gravel
would reach much higher figure than
had been anticipated. Inquiries were
made from five of the leading gravel
firms in this part of the state and of all
the railroads that could deliver the ma
terial. The cost of the gravel at the
pit was 35c per yard, the cost of freight
transportation was $1.26 per yard, un-
loading, 25c, spreading and rolling 14c,
making the total cost of the gravel on
the completed street $500 per yard.
There are 1900 so. yards of roadway to
be filled and the cost of the gravel
alone would reach $5, 10000. If gravel
were to be used it would be necessary
to construct cement curb and cutters
containing 14,500 SO. feet, which from
accurate figures would cost So, 1000
making the total cost of a graveled
street 81, $4,000.
Figuring on 8, 1889 so. yards of surface
to be covered wholly with brick, from
7 curb to curb, it was found that 210, 900
brick would be required, which, at
cost of 85 cents per so. yard, would
total SO. 305. 90 for the entire street. To
this would be added the following items:
Cement for grout, $1036.0O; 700 yds.
gravel for grout, at soc per yd, $3.50. 90;
cushion sand, sand for cement filling
and drawing and spreading same,
$665. 40; 1900 feet of curb, at 30c per it,,
$450.00; cost of labor in putting in grout
and laying brick. $500 ESTIMATED on
basis of the cost of paving square at the
intersection of Vienna and Mill Sts.),
making the total cost of the brick pave
ment 81, 51640.
These items are, of course, estimates,
but we believe they were made honest
ly, without prejudice to either of the
materials mentioned and that they are
fairly accurate. 1t should be UNDER
stood, however, that there are certain
contingent expenses that would be in
Cured in the construction of either
kind of street which it would be inn
possible to define in advance and that
are not enumerated above.
Protection from fire to the business
center Of the town is vital considera-
ton, not only to business interests, but
to every property holder and effecting
,<the value of every dollars worth of
property in the village. If this interest
were to be properly safeguarded the
mains that have been laid had to be put
in position before the paving material
for the street was laid. Therefore, in
this matter, it also appears that the
council acted with commendable judg-
ment.
In closing it may be of interest to
state that the pavement will be laid
under the supervision of H. E. Terry,
who for several years was city engineer
of Saginaw and for ten years occupied
like position in Flint. With such man
to see that the work is done on proper
mechanical lines, and with the eff
cient working force that has been got
ten together to hustle the work through,
we feel sure that Clio is going to get a
piece of work in which every one will
have cause for pride and that we are
xzosncx 70 sret IL at a very reasonable