The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-03-25
Let the People
Rule-and Write
Reinforced Concrete Head Alleges
Discrimination and Waste Of
Peoples Money.

Reinforced Concrete Head Alleges
Discrimination and Waste Of
Peoples Money.
To the Editor OF TIE TImes:
WIN you permit me through your
columns to address an open letter
to the aldermen Of the city Of De
,roit and their constituents,
Commissioner OF Public Works
George II. Fenkell, has gone on rec
ord in recommendation TO the
council, condemning reinforced con-
crete roads.
In his recommendation he says
that 10 miles OF concrete roads laid
in Detroit In 1914 are badly
cracked"
This statement can and will be
proven absolutely untrue. as these
81 streets are in the best condition
OF any pavement in the city OF De
troit The streets themselves will
prove this We append list OF the
streets and ask The taxpayers to ex
anime them and Judge for them
selves.
We will show by the records in
the department OF public works that
these streets have saved to the tar.
payers more than $4,000.
II can be shown that contracts
now being held up by Commissioner
Fenkeli. represent a further saving
10 the taxpayers OF $4,000.
We will show that the low bidders
on these contracts are outside OF the
so-caIled contractors combination"
which has held the business Of paw.
ing largely to themselves for rs
years in Detroit.
| II can be shown that Commission
OF FenkelL in condemning concrete
payements. overlooks the fact that
the Wayne county roads commission
Ia spending $4,000, 900 for these con-
crete roads. some OF them have
been down seven years, and all OF
them are in good condition.
II can be shown that the agencies
Who are boosting "asphaltic con.
crete" and attempting to kill rein
forced concrete. are the so-caiied
"old contractors"
II can be shown that this asphalt
tic concrete which Commissioned
FenkeIl favors il being sold to the
city OF Detroit at about $50 per
square yard and that outside OF De-
troIt II is being bid at s1.s7.
II can be shown that the pave
ment heretofore laid in Detroit has
been such that Commissioners Fen
kelI has Just asked for more than
q 600 900 for repairs not a dol
lar OF these repairs IL for the rein
forced concrete. which he now con-
demns.
We ask the aldermen OF the city
NJ Detroit 20 make no hasty decision
when this resolution comes up In
the council. and in the meantime we
ASK the taxpayers who have mil.
lions at stake In this controversy TO
examine these streets for them
selves:
Rsdamacher. from Fort north; Ar
tIDery. from Fort 10 DIX. twenty
/ hfth from Warren north, 81 Avpin,
from boulevard north: Ashland. from
Ierferson south. Hartford from War
r.n north. Beneteau. from Jefferson
north. Fsrndale. from Waterman !:
sn,tn1weIis. Seminole. from hona'
10 Gratiot. casgrain, from for'
noyth. Rcotten. from Warren north
Hudson, from Greenwood TO Thir1
| Porter. from Clark TO Ferdinand
| I,othrop. from Fourteenth TO LIN
/ uood. seneca. north OF Mack; Lana
ina from Fort 10 Toledo: Tennessee
| tom Jefferson south. Fischer. north
/ ~ Cratiot. Mckinley. north 81 War
rem: sixteenth. MeGraw 10 Boulevard
/ parkview, from Jefferson south. Vir.
sinia Park. from Hamilton west
| Rowland. north from Mack: Wilde
mere one part. Hanover. Wesson,
| Nicoiet. Columbus. Herbert Mont
aomery, Ferry, I.aSalle Garden,
THOMAS sTEEL REINFORCE.
AN FRED r. oBENAuER.
II