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SUGGESTIONS RELATING TO PAVING.

TO THE HONORABLE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS:

Without assuming the appearance of instructing the Commission,
we make the following suggestions, that we think will enable persons
proposing to pave to intelligently consider the qualities, cost, etc.
of the different kinds of paving that may be offered.

Several kinds of pavement are open to property owners.
Vitrified brick, rock asphalt, bitulithic, sheet asphalt, wood
blocks, and others, with varying specifications as to foundation;
some of Portland cement concrete, and some of crushed rock, or other
base. Companies specially constructing one of the above types of
paving are busily engaged in soliciting signers to petitions addressed
to the Commission, asking not only that the street in question be paved,
but that it be paved with the particular sort or type of pavement
advocated and built by the company soliciting.

Hithero it has been the customary practice of the City
to advertise for bids on all kinds of paving, giving the propery
owners the opportunity to discover how much each kind or type will
cost before deciding which to adopt. This practice certainly seems to
be the intelligent method to pursue, instead of having some company
urging its particular type of paving and attempting to procure con-
tracts for paving with its special material.

We belive the property owners should be given an opportunity
to intelligently select the type of paving they wish, after they
analyze its cost and take into consideration its wearing qualities,
and are fully acquainted with the type and the methods of construction
offered by the respective companies. This is true especially in view
of the fact that 40% of property owners are without
voice in the matter, the other 60% controlling.