Smyrna times., 1930-09-10

This would have necessitated re-
surfacing Commerce street, de-
| touring traffic, loss of sales to
merchants, and heavy expense
to the tax payers and the town
Fortunately for Smyrna, Council
was alert and quite able to devise
ways and means of combating the
menace to Smyrna's most promin-
ent street. Bids were immediate
4 ly published for the redressing of
! Commerce street. Martin Con
struction Company of Philadel-
phia, Pa, were the successful bid
ders at price much less than
the next competitive bid. The re-
dressing of Commerce street start
ed, using liquid asphalt to bind
together the fine crushed stone
that was profusly spread over
the surface. This redressing, at a
nominal expense would protect
/ the surface of Commerce street
for several years against the in
roads of traffic. Council was
pleased with the work as it had
been carried out, for the moment
they believed that this particular
problem had been solved in a most
satisfactory manner. Councils S
mind rested in that heavenly par
adise for a few short days only
Then came complaints from var
ious merchants and residents on
Commerce street relative to the
quantity of fine crushed stone
that traffic deposited along the
cutters. Walter o. Mattiford,
who at present is in charge of
caring for the streets Of Smyrna,
was instructed, by Council, to
brush back the fine crushed stone
to the center of Commerce street.
The asphalt had not dried, the
weather had continued warm and
there was still opportunity for a
greater amount of the stone to
knit with the asphalt, thereby
adding materially to the redress
ing the street. Complaints con-
tinued to pour in to Council re-
garding the condition of Com
merce street. The people of
Smyrna did not want to wait I'M
til Council deemed it advisable to
brush the excess stone off Per-
haps they understood the paving
business better than Council. At
least it would appear so. How
ever, they did not know that
Martin Construction Company
had placed an excess amount of
crushed stone on the surface of
Commerce street purposely. The
stone placed on Commerce street
was % per cent in excess of the
amount called for on the contract.
This was given to the town free
of all charge. The intent of Mar
tin Construction Company was to
give Commerce street such a re-
dressing as would speak well for
the firm. Perhaps they were
looking forward into the future.
Rather commendable of them.
Nevertheless, Council was forced.
through public opinion, to or
der all excess stone removed from
Commerce street. The public ig-
norance undoubtedly detracted
from the actual value the town of
Smyrna could have derived from
redressing Commerce street had
Council, who was familiar with
the work, been allowed to carry
on unmolested. 1t is the Smyrna .
Town Councils desire to inform
the public at large, that the pres
ent trenches, ruts aud depression
in streets of Smyrna are
there because the Dover Gas
Light Company have failed to re-
move them as per promised
schedule, they are not there due
10 Councils neglect. The Dover
Gas Light Company agreed, at
he time gas was brought to
Smyrna, to see that the streets
we're put back in their present
good condition. Smyrna has the
pest, the most improved streets
IF any town of it's size in Della
ware. Council intends that they
will remain in that class. The
lext time Council wants to resur-
ace street, why not let Council,
through their contracting com
,any do so. Smyrna will be the