The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-06-05
NEWARK TIRED
 OF PAVING GRAB
 ENDS MONOPOLY

Continued from Page One
 miles of bitulithic have been put down. In a plain talk before the Board of Works a week ago MT. Tchenor read letters from municipal engineers in New York, Brooklyn, Chicago, Buffalo, Detroit, Philhdel- pIlia and Baltim ore, showing that bi- tulithic is not laid there, Some of these engineers say it has been found more expensive and less durable than asphalt. In these cities the aver age price per square yard for asphalt has been $1.75. and in New York city two weeks ago contracts were award ed at only s1.4S a yard. But New ark has been laying bitulithic at $2.25 per yard.
 why do you do it?" asked Mr. Tichenor. and he waited for the com missioners to reply. CT can't under stand it. Why do you do it?" he re- peated. Finally Engineer Sherrerd answered that the people petitioned for bitultthic.
 Don't you know how signatures to petitions are obtained ?' was MT. Tchenor's next question. The bi- tulitnic company sends out its agent to get them. He came to me and said his pavement was the best and the price was low, etc. He doubtless said the same thing to the other own CTS of lots in Chester avenue, and they signed. When I told them the truth about bitulithic they imme- diately took their names off the peti- tions. What are such petitions worth ? The city itself should provide blank petitions, showing the probable cost of different kinds of pavement, and no other petitions should be consid- ered.''
 MT. Tchenor said a study of Gin ton avenue shows the comparative durability of asphalt and bitulithic. Beginning at the northern end, at Broad street, the avenue was paved with asphalt twenty years ago. and though the travel there is heavy the pavement is still good, with only mod crate repairs. Farther out the ave- nue was paved with bitulithic twelve years ago. and though it has been re- surfaced at least once it is today in l bad condition. ''Or contrast the bi- 1 tulittic in Market street. Newark D said MT. Tichenor, with the asphalt in Fifth avenue, New York city, To pave Chester avenue with bitu- ] lithic will cost the property owners about $190 for each twenty-five feet of frontage. It was figured that the cost of asphalt would be $40 less per l lot It remains to be seen which pavement the Board of Works will ask the people there to pay for. H. K. McCay, the city engineer of Ba1tim ore, wrote to MT. Tichenor: We are not laying any bituIithio 1 pavement in Baltimore. This latter kind of pavement has proved very un- 1 satisfactory and I have just taken 1 up two squares of paving and replaced i it with sheet asphalt. I feel that when sheet asphalt is properly laid 1 and put down under proper inspec- l ton it is far superior to bitu1ithic
 pavement, even at a less cost.'' ''BituIithic costs more and is worth i less, so why should we lay it?'' wrote the New York city engineer. | In Washington no bituIithic has
 been laid The cost of bituminous | concrete on a, six-inch base, under a 1 contract which the municipality has
 made for this year, is $1.70 per square yard.
 Robert H. Mccormick, city engineer
 of Detroit, said only a small piece of | bitulithic had been laid in that city and that was many years ago. He : believed it wore well but the street | has since been repaved. MT McCor- l mick added: Detroit has for a
 number of years maintained it's own 1 asphalt plant and that class of pave
 ment is preferred in this city,"