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48
Daring the early part of the year 1 897 the asphalte
carriage way pavements in a portion of High Holborn
and in New Oxford Street became in exceedingly bad
repair, numerous small holes in the asphalte showing
themselves over the whole surface. The Val-de-Travers
Asphalte Paving Company, who laid the pavings,
endeavoured to the utmost to repair these holes as they
showed themselves, but the weather was so wet, raining
almost continuously day and night for several weeks,
that they were unable to do any effective work, during
which time the paving became worse and worse,
necessitating the use of ballast to fill up the holes and
render the streets safe for traffic.
The paving in New Oxford Street had then been
down for 1.3 years, and the Company, after some considerable
negociations between them and the Works
Committee of the Board, ultimately made the following
proposition, which was accepted by the Board and finally
acted upon, viz., that the existing Contract for maintenance
which would have expired in 1900, be cancelled, and that
upon the Company taking up the existing asphalte
paving and laying a new asphalte surface at its own
expense, a new Contract for maintenance for 12 years
at 2s. per yard superficial, per annum, be entered into.
This was done by the Company and the street opened to
the public traffic on 8th April last.
The paving of High Holborn was thoroughly repaired
by the Company as soon as the weather permitted, and is