The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-03-30

| I'LL puuScS VI JIG paving CuACAs'S"
paving to pay for, is directly intel
complete the task started last 81
Bismarck is almost unit fol
dition Of the streets paved last fall
Years ago a faction In this G
urged that the board walks be tin
Would you want to 60 back Il
Do you want clean paved str
That Is the issue Mr.. Voter.
The most important improvement
undertaken by Bismarck in all it's his
tory is the paving project now under
way.
Two years ago the city commission
adopted resolutions requiring the sub
mission of petitions representing 81
percent or more of the prOperty-hOld-
ers concerned before any general i'm
provement work was undertaken. 1t
was the sense of the commission that
the taxpayers, who must pay the bills,
should be the ones to initiate any
movement involving the expenditure
of public funds or the pledging of the
city's credit. From that date no work
: been done except upon petition Of
the property-hOlders, and when such
petitions have been presented the i'm
provement desired has been promptly
forthcoming.
The paving project originated with
the Commercial club. Petitions circu-
lated by large property-holders who
are active members of the club repre-
scented rs percent of all the resident
taxpayers in Bismarck when they
were presented to the city commits
sion last summer.
It was prayed that there be paved
large area embracing all of the down
town business district and practically
the entire residence section of the city.
The commission ordered plans and
specifications for the proposed paving,
and hearings were held as required by
law, with the result that the districts
as originally comprised we're cut down
rs percent. The percentage of prop
erty represented on the petitions
would have justified the commission
in including the entire area, but it
deemed the burden too great for some
of the outlying districts which are not
solidly built up.
Good Bids Received.
Bids were advertised for, and
number of the largest contractors in
the northwest responded. The bids
opened August %, 1916, revealed ex-
ceptionally favorable figures, and after
a thorough investigation and repeated
conferences with property-holders, the
commission accepted the bid of the
Ford Paving Co. Of Cedar Rapids, Ia,
for asphalt paving in district No. 2,
comprising the residence section and
the bid of Hanlon & Okes of Sioux
City, Ia, for bitulithic in district No.
1, the business section, the lowest Of
fer being accepted in each instance.
A report of the committee covering
different kinds of paving showed that
a thorough investigation was made,
and from the results there was con-
elusive evidence that asphalt paving,
properly laid and adequately MAIN
tanned, would prove the most econOmi-
cal and in every way more satisfac-
tory for the residence district. 1t was
found to be we'll adapted to local eli
matte conditions, as proven by the ex-
perience of Winnipeg, Man., where rs
percent of all paving is asphalt; of
Duluth, Mimi, where asphalt has al
most complete monopoly, and of Chi
cago two-thirds of whose streets are
paved with asphalt.
These three cities offered varying
conditions that might be duplicated in
Bismarck, both as to heat and cold,
and they testified that asphalt had
held up for years under these condi-
tions.
The Cost Of Paving.
Upon the letting of the contracts,
: the city commission announced that
the approximate cost for inside lots
in the residence district would be
:, 1888 for each front foot, and that the
paving might be paid for in cash,
when completed, or, if preferred, may
be paid in 20 annual installments, with
. interest at six percent. Under the lat
ter plan, the first payment will be the
heaviest, and each succeeding install
ment will show a decrease.
Through the sale of 100000 worth
, of paving bonds at heavy premium
:, the actual interest rate in district No.
is reduced to $50 percent, which is
one of the lowest rates paid by any
city in the northwest.
The Actual Figures.
So much has been said relative to
the cost of paving in the residence
district, and the cost has been figured
from SO many different angles. that
the property-holder has become con
fused.
The positive facts as to the expense
of paving, as stated by Consulting En-
gineer F ARIEL and vouched FOR by
every member of the city commission
are these:
The annual payment on eac: %
foot lot will be 1854 plus interest
: Interest does not constitute part
of the cost of paving and under nc
circumstances can it be considered as
a part of the cost of the improve
5 ment. !nasmuch as majority OF
property holders, however, will avail
themselves of the easier way of pay
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