CO129-421 - Governor Sir May - 1915 [3-4] — Page 51

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Enclosure 1.

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19 APR 15

i

Hon. Colonial Secretary,

Provision is made in the 1915 Estimates under the

heading P.V.E. 19 "Paving of Main Road" of a sum of $60,000. This

sum represents the first instalment of an amount of $763,400 to be

●xpended on improving the surfaces of the main thoroughfares of

the City of Victoria.

2.

It was originally proposed to adopt a surface of compressed asphalte laid on a concrete foundation, this being considered the best form of paving as yet invented to withstand the wear of heavy traffic.

3.

Since, however, the framing of the 1915 Estimates,

circumstances have arisen which necessitate very considerable

reductions in the proposed expenditure and in consequence the

Vote P.W.E. 19 has been reduced to $30,000.

4.

The compressed asphalte paving is a speciality of the "Val de Travers Company and it was the intention of this Department to obtain a quotation from that Company for laying their paving in this City. This is now, however, out of the question owing to the reduction in the expenditure, as it would not pay the Company to send labour and materials to Hongkong for

so small a contract.

5.

It is, therefore, necessary to adopt some other

and cheaper form of paving from which the best results can be obtained for the expenditure involved.

6.

Recent experience in England has show that a paving of what is known as "Asphaltım" or "Asphaltic Macadam" laid on a concrete foundation is nearly, though not quite, as durable as Compressed Asphalte and has the advantage of being rather less then half the price. If this form of paving were adopted, for an expenditure of 830,000 the same area of new surface could be laid as was originally intended with an expenditure of $60,000.

The Standard Oil Company, whose expert in road paving was recently in the Colony and is returning later in the

year after completing a tour in India, is prepared to Jay,

asphaltum

7.