Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-08-02
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
! LOCAL COMMENT

with the city council letting this
week the contract for paving twenty
one blocks with concrete. a most sub
stantial public Improvement is In store
for Marshalltown this season. While
the price Is more than double that OF
the last contract for similar paving.
let three years ago, the letting was
| practically without objection on the
| part of those who will be called upon
| to pay for the Improvement. This sit
uation would indicate that owners of
city property realize the benefits of
the paving, and are willing 70 pay for
II, even tho 1t is expensive. Higher
values for real estate doubtless are
| taken into consideration. and right
fully should be. A lot that shows $500
increase now over what it commanded
three years ago can afford paving that
costs more money. With the paving
the lot will be worth even more. AL
tho the present contract, at S2.74h is
big compared with Sissy. the figure of
the 1S16>paving, the price is declared
by cement men to be the lowest they
have known this season in Iowa. Con-
crete paving bids in other cities have
been running from s2.97 to SS.15. Look
lUs dl tIIt Sltudtlcu III Will
other cities the local property owners
will not feel badly, provided they re-
ceive in every particular an honest
job. and in strict accordance with spec
ifications.
To encourage residents Of unpayed
streets to desire paving in front Of
their properties. the city council should
see that paved streets are kept clean.
It Is not asking too much on the part.
of owners who are paying. or have
paid. for pavement to have that pave
ment free from the accumulation Of
refuse. On some paved streets prop
erty owners. tired Of waiting for the
city employees to do the work, have
swept the pavements themselves. and
carted away the debris. While the
work In itself is not any particular
burden, and is hardly more than a half
hours Job for an ordinary city lot. thu
property owner discs not Just relish the
idea Of paying his poll tax and also
J working 1t out.
In different parts of the city and or
several streets much used. are spots
where the pavement has worn or been
broken. and where repairs have been
made previously that cause general an
noyance and are sure to bring about
serious accident sooner or later. Some
of these spots are at turns where they
are the more dangerous because Of To-
cation. Many Of them are deep enough
| to bid for accident and subsequent
suits for damages in which the holes
themselves would be good witnesses
| for the plaintiffs. No great amount OF
material and labor would be required
to mend them and make them safe
and thus save the city expense Of set
| tlement Of damages or Of a law suit.
Beyond that they are a menace to
lives and limbs. which are or ought to
be the first Considerations.
&
The paving contract Just let affords
some interesting deductions applicable
to the paving Of the primary road
system, and gives better Idea Of what
may be expected in the cost of that
work. In a mile of concrete paving OF
| the specified width Of eighteen feet,
there are 1860 square yards, which,
at the rate paid for the city contract,
| would make $28.SS7.20. With the yard
age afforded in the primary road sys-
| tenn contract the price probably will b,
less than the city contract. But grant
ing that it would be the same, and add
| ing to 1t the cost of grading per mile,
estimated by Engineer Hickok at
! IS, 900 for this county, and adding also
| the $500 estimate for extra grading
the paving on the primary road system
would cost s34.1s7.2O per mile. or much
| lower than the $4,000 to $4,000 estt.
mate made by some opponents to tf'l
paved highway project.
| &
II the city council can devise some
means of financing the building Of a
new bridge over Linn creek. the work
had better be done. Now that the city
engineer has declared the bridge I'M
safe, the city would find itself in q
bad way in the event Of damage suits
for injuries sustained should the bridge
give way under traffic. Then, too, Is
the convenience the new bridge will az
ford to residents Of the south side. The
street car company Is obligated under
it's franchise to extend its line to the
south side when a viaduct shall have
been built over the Northwestern rail-
road tracks. This viaduct has been
built, and the street car tracks cross
1t, but they can not be laid to May
street. the point agreed upon and nam
ed in the franchise, because the bridge
over Linn creek is not suitable fol
I.heavY> traffic. The street railway COM
pany has had rails and all other ma
terial on the ground for three years
and is ready to lay the rails Just as
soon as the bridge Is built. The people
Of the south side are entitled to the
accommodation of street railway ser.
vice. and II there is any possible way
to give it to them the only barrier II