The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-02-02
SEC. HOLWORTHY
REPLIES TO ARTICLE
REGARDING PAVING
MATERIALS

While doubtless the average read
er will fully realize and understand
the animus behind the letter signed
by j. W.. Sibley of the Brick Manu-
facturers' Association which ap-
peared in recent issue, it may be
we'll to warn the tax payers of Polk
| county that this sort of publicity is
! of selfish nature, not so much in
tended to guard the interests of the
taxpayers as the welfare of the brick
manufacturers. AS the time draws
near for the proposed bond issue,
and the advertising for bids for hard
surfacing the roads of Polk county,
we may expect more of this active
work on the part of the Association
who pose before the public as would
be benefactors and protectors of the
interests of the taxpayer. So long as
this is understood and the propagan
da is fair and considerate the Polk
County Good Roads Association will
have nothing to say by way of OBJ
lection. even IL objection mattered i.
In the first place, there has been
mo authorized statement that brick
will be left out when bids for Polk
county road work are asked for. On
the contrary, it is the purpose of the
Association to urge the county COM
missioners to advertise for bids on
various kinds of paving, and, il
found lawful, to give the taxpayers
an opportunity Of voting for the
kind of material they desire to be
used.
We have seen brick paving which
has required expensive repair in
much less than 10 years after con-
struction and we have seen asphalt
IL years old on which not one cent
of repairs has had to be spent. It
depends, of course, to large extent,
on the material and how 1t is laid,
whether brick or asphalt.
Another argument, at present
seemingly in favor Of asphalt is that
the difference in the interest carry
ing charges between brick and as
phalt will absolutely reconstruct the
asphalt roads every ten years, IL even
they should go to pieces in that time
There are Just as many able en-
gineers and road builders to prove
the worth and durability, ETC., of
asphalt as there are Of brick and the
of one school are worth
10 more than the other.
We have heard of no criticism of
Dur asphalt streets except from Mr..
Sibley, though perhaps we have not
been specially interested in looking
for flaws. AS a matter of fact, our
citizens seem generally well satisfied
with them, though it might turn out,
of course, that. owing to imperfect
construction they may disintegrate as
Mr.. Sibley says. However, other con-
struction of similar paving, holding
up after longer period, would simply
show imperfect construction and this
1t is hoped in constructing Polk
County Good Roads, will be avoided.
Brick paving might be improperly or
imperfectly constructed. too, as has
been pointed out.
II may also be said that in reply to
Mr.. Sibley's startling statement that
he has counted 30 pronounced cracks
or splits in Lakeland asphalt streets,
which he says will widen in another
year. that these cracks and splits have
been watched and they are in fact
gradually closing up. An asphalt ex.
pert Of many years experience assures
us that these so-called flaws are
merely expansion joints forcibly put
in by nature which from time to time
heals the wounds she makes.
One thing surely-the people of Polk
county are not going to wait any longer
for roads and IL they cannot at this
time AFFORD to build a System Of en-