The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-31
Brick rs Asphalt

I q ASSCAt sAsooS "a yooA popSi oPPNeA ~
a statement from the Polk County
Gooa Roads Association that how
ever well meant, does an injustice
to paving brick, unintentional. no
doubt. but at the same time most
misleading. l crave indulgence of
your space to correct same and give
the voters of Polk county the real
facts.
Under No. 3. what material will
be used? 1t is stated that brick will
cost nearly three times as the
amount of asphalt and the bulk OF
money leave home, etc. How can
you say what brick will cost in Polk
county until you ask for bids?
In Osceola county recently when
brick were shut out of specifications
and no competition allowed the
price on sample mile of sand asphalt
was $500 instead of $500 Lake
Eustis.
Further, the money for your
bonds will have to come from outside
the State of Florida and you ship
the bulk of your fruit and other pro-
duets outside of the State and the
Florida railroads will get more in
freight than the brick manufacturer.
In the next place brick does not re-
quire any chemists or high-priced
mechanics. as is proven by building
of brick Roads in Orange county
with the convicts.
No costly plant for maintenance
and repairs will be required with
brick. such as the county will have
to purchase if asphalt is used.
| Section 15-Why brick has not
been considered favorably? 1t is
stated that-"On account of cost,
and the associations belief that as
phalt will serve the interest of the
county just as we'll, if not better,
than brick, the latter being hard on
all kinds Of vehicles, while asphalt
involves no wear and tear on them
at ALL" This is complete beg ging
of the question and is not sustained
by experience of other cities and
sections. The cost of any pavement
includes not only the original cost
or price bid. but the cost of repairs
and maintenance as we'll.
! Your paving program will be
made possible by the issuance of
bonds for some 20 years, with regu-
lar annual interest charges. If at
the end of five years extensive re-
pairs become necessary and at end
OF ten years the entire road requires
resurfacing then you will be paying
interest for ten years additional on
something you haven't got and will
have to borrow more money to re-
build your roads.
DO not be deceived by the seeming
cheaper first cost of asphalt. The re-
pair bills in cities all over this land
are enormous, even when the asphalt
is laid on a concrete foundation.
1t is undoubtedly true that asphalt
pavements disintegrate under eli
matte changes and action of the ele-
ments, as they do through the in,
roads of traffic itself. 1t is as bad
for tax payer to pay for such re-
lpairs as for maintenance of pave
ment worn by traffic itself.
| Reginald )reatschold, one of the
most eminent engineers in New York
city recently said: The life of q
we'll laid and we'll constructed as
phalt street is rarely much more
than ten years. at the end of which
period the street requires complete
renewal at heavy cost.
Governor Glynn, of New York, in
a special message to the legislature
on the subject of highways said:
I"vitrified paving block has beer
used largely in every city in the
country, and has been down twenty
five years and is still giving salts
faction even on streets that have
been subjected to the hardest traffic
tests"
This experience is sustained by
the brick streets in the city Of Lake
Hand.
| recently walked over a mile Of
the splendidly constructed asphalt
streets in Lakeland. 1t will per
Ihaps be startling news to the public
to know that l counted 210 pro
snounced Cracks or splits extendin:
ing zigzag manner from curb Il
curb, which another summer anC
winter will tend to widen and are
the sure har0inger of the inevitable
disintegration that comes to all as
phalt pavements.
. Beauty is said to be only Skin
deep. so do not be deceived by thu
attractive appearance of a new as
phalt pavement. Remember that il
Florida the sun shines hot for a lonl
| season and the finest skin will
blister and crack under its burnin,
rays and rot-during the rainy sea
SON.
II Polk county needs good roads