Evening journal., 1922-06-20

| pipes and conduits for future use anc
developments.
Last year, "the department paved
6S blocks. totaling 92,426 square
! yards, or 4.63 miles or 10 miles oi
county road at regulation width at a
cost OF $3.50 per square yard fol-
asphalt streets and S4.94 per square
yard for vitriied paving brick. All
the work from the building OF the
sewers 10 the making OF the asphalt
for the top surface. is done by the
departments employees, and we know
we can do better work and cheaper
work than the contractors.
"Why we can do better work than
the contractors: All the employees
in charge of the work, with few ex-
ceptions, have been in the employ of
the Department for years. Their
only purpose is to get good results.
They are all citizens OF Wilmington
and most of them are taxpayers
themselves and have the city's in
terest at heart. They have no desire.
nor is there any influence brought to
bear upon them, to do other than
good work, and there is no incentive,
from a point of increased profit, to
cut down in either amount or quail
ity OF materials used. We want the
best results and we use the best
methods and the best materials.
why we can do cheaper work
than the contractors: The cost OF
the work TO the city and the taxpayer
Is the actual cost OF labor and mater
rials only. with no added charge for
office rent. extra clerk hire, cost of
bonds for guaranty, engineering
fees and usual percentage for profit.
The item OF expense for guaranty
bond alone, which is always de-
manded from the contractor means
an additional cost TO him of five
cents per square yard. or on a
FIVE year guaranty. twenty-five
cents per square yard which he
must add 10 his cost price. on
last years work this item would
have amounted to s25, ,1O6. We made
inquiry from adjacent cities, Baiti-
more. Chester and Philadelphia,
during 1921 for costs of construction
work similar to that done by our de-
partment in this city, and we found
that by doing the work ourselves.
we saved the city of Wilmington
and the abutting property owners
from sixty 10 seventy-five cents per
square yard over contract prices,
or a total of many thousands of dol
lars for the seasons work.
"Our Department, firmly con-
vinced. after a few years experience
with contractors, that u is to the best
interest of t.ie city to do the paving
work direct. has equipped itself
for this purpose. A plot of land has
been purchased at Twelfth and
Thatcher streets, upon which has
been constructed and erected one of
the most up-to-date asphalt pants
in the country. A railroad siding
has been built from the Pennsylva-
MIA Railroad tracks on Fourteenth
street into the plant, upon which de-
iiveries OF the necessary materials
in car load lots can be handled. 1t
also has a water front and when the
is made navigable for
we will be able to handle |
in barge load lots. E.e-
vators. operated by electric motors
are placed at the railroad siding fer
the unloading of the stone and sand
instead of shoveling some from the
cars by hand. Tanks for the stor-
age OF asphalt have been provided,
with pumps by which the
asphalt Is pumped direct from the
tank cars on the siding into the
storage tanks and from the storage
tanks into the mixing box. This
equipment alone saved the city S62 |
per day in the handling of asphalt |
over the old system. A stone crusher /
equipped with electric motor, is in
tailed AZ this location. and the cob !
bic stones removed from the street /
,eds to be paved and the rock from !
he sewer trenches Is crushed and /
-eused in that form in the concrete /
and for street repairs.
rhe department has at this location,
the land, railroad siding
md equipment. property valued at
$4,000.
I'VE believe it would be Of inter
st TO you to know what is required
n the way of men and material to
10 the departments work. We en-
10y throughout the season between
90 and 500 men each week, having
payroll of between $4,000 and S10,-
100 per week, which Is paid to citi-
ems OF Wilmington and expended
" them. As far as possible, all ma
erials are purchased from Whining
on dealers and this is no small
mount. To show you in what mag
Iitude and amount this material Is
eduired, the Wilmington merchants
delivered upon the work in trucks,
ar load lots of material in a num-
er sufficient to make up a train five
niles long, and in addition to that, |
he department itself unloaded 34l /
ars on its siding at the paving |
liant, or equal to a train three |
niles long, or a total of eight miles
+ freight cars for las seasons
york.
"Under the abutting paving law,
ffective January /. 1918. new street
aving must be petitioned for by the
wners Of a majority of the number
Z feet frontage on the street, and
ne-third of the cost Of the paving
assessed against the abutting prop
rty on each side. the remaining
nird and intersections being paid
Or by the city. This makes about a
O-5O proposition between the prop
rty owners and the city. It is neces-
lry that all labor and bills for ma
,rials be paid for as the work pro-
resses. This means that the de-
artment must be provided with
ioney to finance the entire project
efore the work IS done. For this
urpose The Council is called upon
} issue bonds. II the entire prop
rty assessment should be paid as
BON as the bills therefor are rem