The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-28
The state Of the CITY and the streets.

The thaw has now set in, and the streets are
within an ace of being impossible. Streams of
turbd liquid flow with mkroken current into
cellars, areas, and Easements; the sidewalks are,
in places, two or three inches deep in slush and
water; to cross Broadway is well nigh impossi-
ble Sleighs with long strings of powerful horses
struggle vainly to ascend Broadway through a
cOnglomerate of snow, ice slush, mud and water
wheeled vehicles are out of the question Which
ny, 20 far as the outside world is concerned
Should it rain, as it promises, we shall have the
sodden snow steaming and emitting a putrid
vapor. Should it freeze, the whole city will he
sbeeted with ice.
1t is impossible to witness the suferings of the
ladies in this pitiable weather without rejecting
on our own folly in increasing our troubles. In
this, as in everything connected with the city,
we have ourselves to blame for three-fourths of
the sufierings we endure If householders had
only obeyed the law relative to the cleansing of
ice from their sidewalks, they would now have
pleasant dry footpath to walk upon, and would
have had the further satisfaction of setting
an example Of obeying the law. But, some
from meanness, some from carelessness, not
fourth Of those who should have done this much
for the public convenience troubled their heads
upon the matter; and the consequences we see.
Again, in many Of the worst parts of the city, that
is TO say, the parts where there is most traffic
fore to mOnopolise the side path for their bales
and boXes-n many instances as much to adver-
tse their own consequence as from any other
motive. In these localities at the present time,
pedestrians can only pass by fording pool from
three to six inches deep. Yet we all suffer pa
tiently. Nobody tries to have the laws enforced
Nobody cries out against the unspeskable selfish
pess of these people, who, to save few dollars
Inconvenience whole community.
1t is forbidden TO throw ashes and garbage into
the street. Every small and poor street in the
city reeks with the odor of garbage steaming in
the snow; the side paths were strewn with ashes
by householders who found that proceeding
cheaper than having the ice removed; in the
upper part Of the city. where shame compels ODE
dieDce TO this law, the ashes carts have not been
round for several weeks, and people are in great
troubj for the want of them.
A short while hence, when the great spring
thaw comes, We shall have the old story, no
doubt, in reference to dirty streets The Com
will pretend to be spending thousands.
and to be working his fingers TO the bone; but
the streets will be cleaner for all that We shall
have to wait till some public spirited man like
Mr.. Genin goes TO work as street cleaner on the
volunteer principle, or till the sun does the work
by evaporating the moisture.
We repeat, there is not department, an Of
fee or a point Of view connected with the city
and its government that il Is not a matter Of
'hame and sorrow. In another part of this
paper We publish statement which caps the
climax Of our municipal endorsements IL
seems that Comptroller Flagg, for reasons of his
own, refuses to pay any money under the regular
tax levy passed by the Common Council and APP
proved by the Mayor No person connected
with the city government can thus expect TO be
paid until the Comptroller's resolution has been
shaken and as he is an obstinate man. he may
resist for months. We have often heard before
of this or that department being starved out by
the capicious Comptroller; but this is so far as
we know, the first time he has ever undertaken
to cut off the supplies from the whole govern
ment bodily.
From top to bottom, in word, our city ma
chine Is demolished. II wants q new edfce
altogether, on new plan, with new systems,
and new spirit Should the Legislature pass
any Of the bills we have recommended, assmila-
ting the government Of the city to that of the
confederacy, there is every reason 10 hope that
these novelties might be realized. But the
Seward wings CT Albany are so desperately beat |
on securing the pro-conulship of the city for |
some of their hungry friends in the rural dis |
tricts, that il is impossible to say what turu
things may not take.