The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-17
RECORDS IN IMPROVEMENT UNDER HAWKINS $1, ,50O,OOO In New Projects Are Under Way At
 Present
ALL BIRMINGHAM
 SHARES IN WORK
Majority Being Spent For Paving And Sewer
 Construction

holding the center of the stage at. city hall, the unparalleled record that is daily being hung up by the city engi- neering department is passing almost unnoticed. Yet, the records showed Saturday that $1, ,531 ,655 in improve ment porjects, are now under way and that additional contracts involving $641, ,4S0 have been authorized and will be awarded within 30 days. This ex- ceeds all previous records by more than $1, 100000 and is .$500,O00 in excess of the improvement estimates made at the beginning of the year.
 The public improvement department is under direct supervision of Commits sioner W. B. Dickson and his right hand man" is City Engineer A. J. flaw kins. Under this direction, more perma- nent improvements have been provided in the last three years than during any other like period in Birmingham's his tory. ~
 These improvements, an examination of the records show, extend from North Birmingham to Red mountain and from East Lake to Wylam. Every corner of the city is sharing in the depart luent's program, which is made up largely of paving projects and sewer extensions.
 Functions Smoothly.
 In the main, the department bases it's program on petitions for improve ments submitted by property owners. This, in the estimation of Engineer Hawkins is the main reason why the department has been functioning so smoothly.
 ''The surest way to carry out im- prOvement projects" he says. ''is to give the people what they want. In this way, there are few protests. We do not force improvements on property owners except on thoroughfares where the needs of the general public must be met" t
 Commissioner Dickson and Engineer Hawkins hold daily conferences. Hawk ins has surrounded himself with a crew of able assistants. There is no fric- tion. These are some of the reasons which Dickson believes have made re- suits possible.
 The previous high mark of improve ment projects under way at one time was $S10,000, in May, 1923. At this time the volume of contracts is more than twice that sum.
 Expenditure of $273,OOO for a san itary sewer in the downtown distrcit. is the largest of the current projects. It involves the rebuilding of the entire downtown system, which has been badly cOngested for years. and when finished. will meet the needs of the central sec tion for the next 30 years. Relief from storm waters also is being provided in conjunction with this project.
 First Avenue Project.
 Curb and gutter work, together with paving between the street car tracks on First avenue, is another large project now receiving attention. Final con tracts for this work will be let on October 10 and the board of revenue will award contracts for the remainder of the work T few days later.
 Other projects under Way or ready to be started are:
 Paving Twentieth street in Ensley at cost of $67,25O.
 Paving of Fifteenth avenue, north, between Twenty-first and Twenty-sec- Ond streets. $SS, 700.
 Paving of Fourteenth avenue and Twenty-third street, $75,6O0; paving of the Bessemer road through Central park, $44, 4,125; paving of Road Circle and Twenty-ninth street, south, S17,- 900 Fifty-fifth street and Seventh avenue, WoOdlawn, 37,65O; paving of the Pratt Birmingham road, S2,OOO, exclusive of the erection of Viaduet over the railroad tracks at this point paving of McAIillan avenue, West End, from Eighth to Eleventh street S25. GOO. and approximately 50 other projects in widely separated sections.
 Accept Low Bids.
 The principal types of paving in use are macadam, Portland cement, con crete, bithulithic, sheet asphalt and brick track paving. All contracts, Mir Hawkins said, are awarded to the low est responsible bidder.
 "All of these types of paving are permanent" Hawkins said, with the exception of macadam, which is used in sections where the property IS not val uable enough to bear the cost Of the other types. We have used much as phaltic concrete because it costs slight iy less than other types and has stood up well"
 Dickson and Hawkins are already loving plans for still greater improve ment nrogram in 1925. Their motto IS to make Birmingham the "best paved city in the south" before the present administrations term expires at the .f ,awk vAaF