The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-28
Forum Of The People
Value of Brick-Paving for Heavy Traffic

To the Editor of The Age-Herald
 I read with interest your timely and force full editorial in Sundays paper on the award ing of contracts by the board of revenue for paving of First avenue. The great pity is that the officials, both county and state, do not seem to appreciate the points you make about permanency, and ultimate cost, in awarding of contracts for roads.
 They make the price bid or what is called the first cost, the sole criterion in awarding the contracts; whereas the maintenance over period of five, ten and twenty years should be taken into consideration.
 We are issuing bonds payable in twenty years, and even longer, for the purpose of building highways, yet we are using types of construction that will be practically en- tirely worn out before the bonds mature | We do not have to theorize about this mat ter, for we have the experience right before us in Birmingham...-In spite of the loss of many thousands ofsiollars for the bituminous surface on First avenue, in the short time that has elapsed since the World War, con- tract is awarded for another bituminous sur- face on a roadway, that will have to carry the heaviest traffic in the county, with thin ner base than required for metallic pave ments. 4as2s.slq,.ss t3.
 On South Twentieth street asfew ears Aga the Junior Chamber of Commerce floated lot of bonds for resurfacing with a bitumi- nous surface. It has been patched several times in the short period since it was put down, and in some places today the bitumi- nous surface on this street has entirely worn out. Nearly twenty-five years ago a brick pavement was laid on the same street in South Highlands, which is still in compara- lively excellent condition, notwithstanding so little has been expended in its maintenance during all these years.
 On North VtyantV-first Strnaf from First avenue to Eighth avenue is brick pavement that was laid twenty-two years ago, and such parts of this street as have not been cut into 1 (with the accompanying laxity of replace ment) show less than a quarter of an inch wear, and has cost the city practically noth ing for maintenance during this long period
 The city recognizes the superior durability of brick as a paving material, because it re- quires car tracks and gutters to be paved with brick on streets where the roadway is paved with bituminOus surface, it being well es- tablished that the bituminous surface will not stand the oscillation in the car tracks, and will rot from action of water in the gutters.
 In the state of Ohio, which is the center of the paving brick industry of America, we find many thousands of miles of brick streets and highways In Cuyahoga county, of which Cleveland is the county seat, there are over 1,200 miles of the finest brick highways in the world.
 Sixty per cent. of the paving brick pro- duced in the South are manufactured in lief ferson county, Alabama, yet it seems impossi- ble to get q brick highway built in Alabama. These industries which represent over a mil lion dollars of invested capital, and disburse about the same amount annually in pay rolls, and purchase of supplies and materials from Alabama jobers, are compelled to find mar ket for their product in the more appreciative neighboring states of Georgia, Florida and Mississippi. They pay large amounts in taxes and the state and county should see that sample brick road is built, in order that our people may judge it's merits in comparison with others. Home industry is entitled to a fair deal. In conclusion, permit me to say I do not own dollar of interest in any paving brick plant, and have not been connected with the paving industry for many years, but think I know something about the proper types of road construction to meet traffic conditions JOHN W. SHELBY.
 Birmingham, Ala, August 25, 1924.
 CoIOred Masons Appreciate Publicity To the Editor of The Age-Herald: am writing to express the sincere thanks of the delegates to the recent meeting, Ala bama State Grand Lodge, A. F. & A. M., colored, for the liberal space allowed the pro- 
 your great paper. l am expressing my per sonal thanks also,
 Assuring you that we have been greatly helped by your great and enterprising jour nal, w. T. WOOD,
 Grand Master.
 Birmingham, Ala, August 26, 1924,
 Thinks There Must Be Some Good To the Editor of The Age e-Herald
 l have been n regular subscriber of your paper since 1882 without q break I like the paper, as you see. But you have some Gne on your staff of writers that needs a real good dose of liver medicine. To an outsider 1t would seem that Jefferson county and the city of Birmingham have 2 lot of men On your board of revenue, both tho old and new ones, and nlso your city commission, that are not only Incompetent but q lot of raEcals. Birmingham is certainly getting q black eye through your paper to those of us On the out side, 0t least, l wonder if these are really such bad men as you picture them. l, for one, believe if you would look for 1t you would see some good in them and help your city and county to grow and prosper more than