New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-10-19


does not in any manner accomplish the design and
object of the Contracts
The adjudication of Contracts to the lowest bidder
is neither economical nor wise. The competition
created by the public sale offs contract, caused bids
to be made often below the actual cost of the work
required to be performed In all where the con.
test is between the public and the contractor as to
which shall be the sufferer, the public is always sure
to lose. If the contract system is adhered to- then
award should be to the best and not to the lowest
bidder. Ne 5ara
The whole public is crying aloud for reform in rela
ton to our thoroughfares and it behooves the Com
mon Council to respond without further delay to the
demands of the community upon this subject
There four contracts for cleaning the streets of
the City, one for each District, viz:
First District, to j. B. Fitch for. $35 900 90
Second District, to B. Dougart, for $50. $500 90
Third District, to j. Jolls, for. ....... 1885 90
Fourth District, to J. Kaiser, for. S,s45 90
s74,52o 90
The contract for repairing all the paved
streets of the City, is with s. L. and J.
M. Forgay ......,............... 81, 500 90
be-. sl06,O20 90
This large expenditure of money should certainly
give us wellrepared and clean streets, and would,
doubtless under another system the health, and in
great measure, the prosperity of the city depends
upon the streets being kept in order and clean and,
in my opinion, that branch of the city government
should be under the immediate direction of the NUM-
cipal authority.
The inhabitants and taxpayers want clean streets,
without regard to cost the contractors want prota
BILE jobs and it is not reasonable to suppose they will
do than is absolutely required to enable them to
get their certificates and draw their pay The
condition of the streets now and heretofore is argu
ment sufficient to prove that the system of contracts
for repairing and cleaning the streets, is total
failure.
The Street Commissioner, Mr.. Guyol, is of the
opinion that it is almost impossible, if not entirely so
to have the streets 50 cleaned as to give satisfaction
Al.
the city shall have been regularly and uniformly
graded" The defect in the grades Of some of the
streets-as in Julia Streets doubtless, one of the
obstacles in the way and in such streets, it is clear
contracts there can however be no excuse satsfac-
tory to the public, which will warrant the bad condi-
ton OF many OF those streets, where the grades are
not mperfect-the contractors do not and it may be,
cannot be made to comply with the stringent condi-
tons of the specifications of their contracts, which if
executed to the letter. (and they should be under
municipal control) would give us a clean city
| Mr. Guyol suggests, and entirely concur, as does
the Surveyor in the suggestion, that the bridges at
the intersections of the streets greatly in the way
of proper and immediate draining Of the water after
heavy showers They cannot be cleared so as to
afford promptly the free passage Of the deposit and
immense quantity of water which passes down some
of the streets. che deposit washed from the road
way and all the offal which may at the time be upon
the streets, accumulate under these bridges, causing
the streets to overflow to the great inconvenience Of
|
of the city, The open cutters, as were formerly il
use Throughout the city, would materially aid in the
prompt and more perfect drainage, and would Ger
tanly have beneficial influence upon the general
| health they would the city abont $4,000 Q
year, which am informed is the cost of keeping the
wooden bridges in repair; and if constructed with
square granite blocks the cost of keeping the oper
cutters at the intersections in repair, would be very
| snail.
The round stone pavement, Gf not in every street,
in all the principal thoroughfares is in most disre
putable condition it is SO bad in many of the streets
that the genius of contractor is equal to the tasl
of repairing it--Magazine, Camp and st. Charles
streets; Poydras, Gravier, Common and Cana
streets-he great thoroGghfares of commerce in tn,
First District and many of the streets of the Secont
District require to be repaved and if there be an,
means within the reach of the Council through which
the work can be done, the interests of commerce ant
the public good the imperative duty of the authori
ties in view of the large revenue derived from the
of the streets, the consideration of economy in saving
the large annual cost of repairing or attempting t.
repair these streets, should induce your honorable
body to consider those means, and apply them O
rapidly as the public interests will admit
Much of the square block pavement requires to b.
taken up and relaid : that on Royal street, AM
Tchoupitoulas street, should command your early ant
serious attentionif neglected for much longer pc
Rod it may involve the necessity Of entire pave
ment.
desire particularly to direct your attention to til
condition Of Canal street. 1t is destined to beam
is now, to a very considerable eXtent-the grea
thoroughfare and promenade of the City of New Oh
leans. There is but one sentiment in the communit
in relation to it-and that is, that it should be a
once improved, and no longer remain eye.sore an
reproach in the heart of the City.
The Surveyor has proposed at different period
during the time he has occupied his present position
he again suggests plan which he has before sug
gested: He proposes the widening of the banquette
on each side of the street to width of rs feet-ne2
to the banquettes, roadways on each SIDE 40 feet
width, TO be paved with square bl0cks--and 40 fee
inches flagged-walk in the center, with row
trees planted on each side, This improvement h
estimates will cost about $50 go per running foot
$50 80 per running foot gu each side Of the street.
On the 9th January, 1854 Mr.. r. d. Shepher
addressed note to Valentine Herman ESQ.,, the
. an Assistant Alderman, authorizing him to 50,
THAT from two to three hundred thousand dollars
be at the disposal of the City authorities by n,
Chimp as resduary lesatee of Mr.. Touros estate ft
the purpose of improving and embcllishing Can;
street, and for establishing the Aims House named
his will, on magnificent scale'-in the same not
he remarks that the conditions he will prescribe, L
, is confident will be acceded to by the City author
ties, etc. The Council, on the 3Oth January, fe
days after the date of Mr.. Shepherds note, reerre
tne communication to q committee, to confer wit
him, and adopted resolutions expressing the hig
sense the Common Council entertained OF his Ell
larged beraty for the establishment of the City.
, On the list Of March, 1854 Mr. Shepherd addresse
. Mr. W. Alex. Gordon, Chairman of the Committee 0
l the proposed Canal street improvement, confrmin
and proposing to appropriate for the embellshmer
OF Canal street, the sum of one hundred and fit
thousand dollars, in five annual nstaments of $50
900 each, on the following conditions That tt
' name of the street shall be changed to .Touro Av
nue." That it be paved with square granite blocf
the entire breadth, from the Levee down to Cam
and Charities streets, and from thence to Caiborr
street. laid out in squares to be enclosed with ire
railing, and ornamented with trees shrubbery walk
etc. '-r ar--
|, The Common Council in March, 1854, passed res
lutions accepting the proposition, and adopting ii
) plan of Mr.. Shepherd, changing, the name Of til
, street to Touro Avenue, and authorizing the Com
troer to sell the contract for furnishing and layn
the square block pavement, and also for the railing
! tagging and improving the neutral ground. ~
wHARvEs AND LANDINGS. y7'
The Wharves and Landings of the Port belongin
60 the Corporation are comprised within the uppt
line, dividing from the Parish of Jefferson, and IL
lower line or northern limit of the City.
In 1855, the Common Council passed an ordinanc
dividing the Wharves and Landings into six section
as follows
, LIST. Section-Frem the upper OR southern limit
the City, to the upper line of Felicity Road. 81
; End. Secton-From the upper line of Felicit
D Road, to the lower line Of North Market street.
, 3rd Section--From the lower line of North Ma
lat 70 -