Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-04-12
GREATEST PAVING
PROGRAM INITIATED
CONTINUED from page one)

NNOutluucu 1IOm PAGE OuoJ
Others are ready to sign as soon
as they can be reached. In order to
facilitate the procuring of signatures,
blank petitions will be left at various
business houses throughout the city,
and these points will be designated in
tomorrow's Tribune. With the gen
eral enthusiasm that greets the pro-
ject, the committee anticipates no diff
ficulty in obtaining more than enough
signatures to place the matter before
the city commission.
Distribution of Paving. @
The paving will be distributed over
the district named, as follows: Main
street, 10 blocks; Broadway, 13;
Thayer, 10: Rosser, 10; Avenue A.,
Is; Avenue B, Is; Avenue C. 8; Man
dan avenue, 4 First street, 5; Sec
ond street, S; Third street, 5; Fourth
street, 10; Fifth street, 10; Sixth
street, 10; Seventh street, s; Eighth
street, s; Ninth street, s.
Reason For Size of District.
While the magnitude of the under
taking is staggering at first glance,
there is an excellent reason for the
size of the district. Were bids called
for upon a comparatively small dis
trict, the price per yard would be rel
atively high. By embodying all in
one district and calling for bids upon
the total, saving Of many thousands
of dollars will be effected, and the
work will be done more systematic
ally, even though it be necessary to
spread it over several years.
With such contract in sight, the
very largest paving contractors in
America can be induced to bid On
the work; there will be keen rivalry,
which will be an important factor in
forcing prices down, and of even
greater importance will be the saving
which the contractors can make by
ordering materials and shipping
equipment to Bismarck with a GER
tainty of keeping their crews steadily
employed for so long a period.
0tdlC OOSSIHS CdVIuS.
The laws of North Dakota govern
ing the construction of paving pro-
vide that the cost of this work shall
be assessed against the property ben
Gifted and this cost may be spread
over any period Of years, not exceed
ing 20, which may be determined by
the city commissioners.
Such assessment warrants are sell
ing freely this year, and Bismarck
should find no difficulty in selling hers
at par The statutes provide that
the contractors shall accept the same
at par for hisaWork; but the city may
sell the warrants and pay the con-
tractor in cash, if there is anything
to be saved by SO doing.
How Contract is Awarded.
Our statutes provide that when il
is desired to pave any street Of a
city the city commissioners must ask
for plans and specifications and bids
on several different kinds of pave
ments and, after the bids are opened,
the property-owners have five days
in which to determine the kind Of
paving they desire The decision
rests entirely with the property-hold-
er, both as to material, quality and
price of paving.
The cost Of paving varies. Bis
marck probably would call for bids on
vitrified brick, which costs $2.75 per
square yard, on the average; creosot-
ed block, 1855; bitulithic, 1920, and
concrete, $1.75.
Cost Per Front Foot.
At these prices, the cost per front
foot in the business district, includ-
ing all necessary grading, the con-
struction OF curbing, where neces-
sary, all engineering expense of the
assessment commission and all Incl
dental cost would be approximately
as follows to prOpert y-holders on
either side Of the street: 49,,
Vitrified brick ...... $3.50
CreOsoted block .......... $40
,Bltulithlc ................. 400
COllCIeIe ......... ........ 900
At the prices given above, and with
payments extended over period of
20 years, the average annual payment
y