Sixth Ward

Mr. Editor : Permit me, through the columns ot your paper, to make a statement relative to the diging of the cellar of Alderman Smith at the expense of the Sixth Ward, tmd concerning which there seems to be some misunderstanding. The facts are as follows: The Sixth ward has uo gravel except such as belongs to private individuáis, and which ordinarily must be purchased, and sínce I have been Street üommissioner it has not been bought for lesa than ten cents per load m the pit. Occasionaüy when cellars have been dug gravel has beeu obt;uned, iuid when excavations have been made on the Univereity grounds and, jmid for, but it has geueraüy been obtained from gravel pits outside the ward and hl the locahty of the M. C. R. R. The Ward must therefore uot only pay for loading and drawiug, but tor the gravel itself. Alderman Smith otfered to give the gravel to the Ward if the Ward would remove it, which offer it was deemed best. to accept and save ten cents per load to the Ward, and accordiugly 686 loads of gravel were taken out at a cost of $138. Besides, it required but about one-half the time to draw it that it would have required to take it from the gravel pit near the railroad. Team work is worth 14 per day, or forty cents per hour, and therefore one-liaif the time was saved, or twenty ceuts per hour, that is for Jour teams, eighty cents per hour, and' for each day of teu hours eight dollars. Six days were coiiBumed in the work. The savmff therefore, to the Ward, waa as follows : 686 loads of gravel, at 10c. per load; f68 60 6 days work at 8 per day, 48 00 Making ïll(i 60 saved to the Ward by accopting Alderman Smith's offer. It may have been an advantage to Aldermau Smith to have the Ward take the gravel, but it was also a sa ving to the Ward of 116 60 to take it, over what it would have cost to have obtaiued it from the gravel pit where usually purchasud. Of the advisability oí the placing of the gravel upon South University street, the Aldermen were the judges, and I fully coucurred in their opinión, and the gravel so placed was of an excellent quality, if I may bom my experience be allowed to be a judge. CHARLES ADAMS, Street Gommissiouer, 3d Supervisor District. Ann Aruor, May 10, 1875. The above statement of facts made by the Street Commissioner is true in every particular, and we fully endorse him and his action in the matter, believing and knowing that his course was for the best interest of the Sixth ZW PDKSH1 -