The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-06-19

Interested parties desire something to be done
which, probably, is desirable in itself, but which
is so connected with other things as forbids its
being looked at with reference to itself alone.
Parties are pressing; the city council is over
whelmed with business; the members find it
difficult to spare the necessary time from their
own affairs; and thus it too often happens that
what is designed for an improvement turns
out to be an embarrassment and an INJURY.
Pride of opinion steps in afterwards " oi'
the correction of an error, and the eSii oon'in-
ues till too late for remedy. s
In saying this we do not Wish 10 NC uiiuer-
stood as casting any blame upon our Guy au-
thorities. The fault lies IN the system Mem-
bers undoubtedly do the best they can, with
the little time and attention they can afford for
city matters, and we should be grateful for
what they actually do rather than quarrel with
them for mistakes of judgment-always pro-
vided they are ready to correct errors when
brought to their attention. 4 s.r- r.. .--.
We rejoice to see improvements being made
upon the eastern side of the city, and it is un.
questionaby the duty of our city fathers to af-
ford all possible facilities for them. But in do
ing so, they should be careful not to make
mistakes which may provo irreparable, and
sacrifice important objects and purposes to
others, if both may be secured. Convenient
access to the shore is desirable for business
purposes, but it is no less important to preserve
all that tends to make our city favored place
of residence by adding to its beauty and con-
venience. No less important is it not to engage
in mere partial schemes without we'll consider
ing the consequences to which they may lead.
Almost the whole of the east side of the Neck
is comparatively untouched. The sensible
thing to do, therefore, is, to look at it as a
whole. Fix, in the first place, street on the
shore-where it is to be and what is to be its
grade 1t need not, necessarily, be made until
the growing necessities of business require
it. The Promenade is already laid out. Let
its grade also be fixed in such manner as not
to sacrifice its great object, viz: to provide an
airy, wide and beautiful drive which is to rs-
main perpetual source of health and pleas
ure, as well as of local pride. Having determ-
ined these two points, it will be easy to de-
termine other and subordinate ones But
these should be fixed with care and SKILL upon
scientific principles, and after all our citizens
interested in them shall have had u fair OPP
portunity to consider the plans proposed. In
no other way can satisfactory conclusion be
reached, and the city be spared from future
modification and regret, well as from un-
necessary expense. .....
The idea of cutting through the Promenade
to the depth of seventeen feet for the sake of
making a straight line of easy grade from
Munjoy street to the shore seems altogether
misunderstanding not preposterous. 1t involves
cutting down the whole Promenade to the
same level at an enormous expense, or doing
ita great and permanent injury. We may
be wrong, but, at all events, the impracticabili-
" ola reasonably easy access to the shore in
any other way, should be demonstrated before
any thing which strikes SO unple asantly up
on the public mind, is done. Persons who
own land upon the shore and wish to make
improvements should be content with that
that gradual improvement which is consistent
with reasonable expenditure, and the good
of all concerned particularly with the fu-
tnre Of that portion of cur beautiful city r "a
1t is to be hoped, therefore, that time will be
allowed for careful reconsideration, before any
thing in its nature permanent, which may be
an occasion for future regret, has been DONE
1t the thirg proposed is all right, time and
careful examination will show it to be so, and
the public will be content. If it is mistake
let II be corrected before it is too late all men
are liable to error, and to acknowledge it is
creditable to any individual, whether in or out
OF office, and more often proves the possession
Of sound judgment than does the opposite
course OF adhering to decision because it has
once been made. .ugsl-f ...rdL -~.bs
The writer in your paper this morning fully
admits that hv the ,Ions Of private parties Ia
terested in what they call improvements, the
Eastern Promenade is to be destroyed Espec-
tally, he admits this, by comparing what thew
want done on the eastern slope of BIunioy,
with what has been done on the western
side!
People OF Portland! Go and look at the pic
ture! Walk OH Washington street from Con-
gress street towards the bridge, and see in the
prospect there, what the empowers" intend
to do with that now pleasant eastern side of the
hill sef I'LL 58I+ fssr--i.t.-
Taxable property" is good thing no doubt,
but so are pleasant public grounds, and malls
and promenades; and the latter none the less
because they can be enjoyed by abby the
humble, as well as by the owners of taxable
property. isItu 10 G9l347- 81 -.
The public grounds OF Boston and New York
property; but correct public sentiment posi-
lively forbids it. Here we are spending this
very year hundred thousand dollars for a
public square in the heart of the city, one
which affords no look out. Why destroy a
the same time, our best opportunity to retain
The admired view of our beautiful bay and
ocean scenes? t'
The fact is, the improvement of property, SO
as to increase taxable val uation, and the
maintenance of reserved public grounds, for
recreation, for parades and promenades should
go along tog ether, and both be under the influ-
ence OF good taste, and correct sentiment.
And both should be put on their proper pub
nc grounds. The grand difficulty in our city
is, that we have carelessly let this matter slide
into the hands of small committee, whose
operations are secret, and without sufficient
protection of the public rights and wishes
When that abominable and barbarous work of
cutting down the Western Promenade was set
about two years ago, nobody knew anything
about it, except small knot of officials, and
the private spectators, whose interests lay at
the bottom of the job The Mayor of the CITY
had not the slightest knowledge of what was
going on, till the desecrating work was half
uohc' LAC htau INC Soou SENSE ana Inc nTmn6SS |
then to interfere and put stop to it, i..1.5-
If the writer in your paper to-day land yout |
own editorial columns) would convince us |
1hat this work on the Eastern Promenade has |
regard to public interests and improvements. |
theh' In The name of all that is decent and |
just let us have it submitted to omen nublc
consideration and decided by somebody who |
Is better representative of nubl;c sa,,t;,,a,,t
than mere temporary committee of this year |
including parties actually having a nerso,oI
interest in the job. - y
The meeting of the City Council, it seams
was not held last nihgt Is the thing to he |
cuddled along in the dark? Is it to be back. |
stairs affar-a Spectators ring? Will not
the City Coucsii at least give the public
chance 30 be heard? IfI -ua..
The writer says the grade of the Eastern
promenade has never been established. What
right, then, have these parties to interfere with
1t? Who authorized them to establish II nv
destroying it? a.-
The part of Congress that agds established
three or four years ago, in a way that sayed the
Promenade-who has altered it?
Give us light! give MS a better bear;no,
Away wirh these dark lantern schemes, VIII