The Portland daily press., 1867-10-07
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subjects; in fact he has all Italy to deal with "
1t remains to be seen what he will do with it,
or it with him. Gh75sra 1850 III 81
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oai Our Northeast Water Front. nf
Mr.. Editor:-"Private individuals did MOI
grade the streets, with one exception, ON the
west side of Munjoy. The city did that work
andfound the dirt, resulting from the heavy ex-
cavations, worth thousands of dollars for use in
street construction elsewhere. Wilmot street
only, was put through by private party, who
went to the expense Of doing the work himself
to open his property, and found it paid aoeH.
The construction oGagood streets upon the
higher slope of Munjoy made the property
accessible, so that scores of acres have become
covered with houses. Whether the houses
are located on made ground, natural surface,
or graded surface is entirely immaterial to the
question at issue. The point is, the streets
constructed through heavy cuttings, opened
up the property, and have paid the city many
fold for its outlay l'i't g. i'rf'D7 500
What is now proposed is Chat the city in like
manner give agood roadway to the Northeast
front and make it accessible. In constructing
that roadway considerable excavation is neces-
sary. Now every particle of the excavated
material is wanted by the city for the making
Of East Commercial street below. The city
takes the dirt from one point and by that
means makes good street, deposits it in an
other and by that means makes another good
street. Thus by one operation it does itself a
double advantage. The case is precisely ana
lagous to Commercial street. The city took
dirt from one point and thereby made West
Commercial street inpart; deposited the dirt
in another and made Commercial street. The
construction of Commercial street opened up
property. previously next to worthless, and
gave it vast value. Thus the whole territory
from York street to lOw-water line, and from
High street to Smiths wharf. inclusive, before
it was opened up by Commercial street, sold
tor 81, 500; it is now worth 100000
Take the other case of the development of
properly by the building of streets making it
accessible. The Boyd lot, on Munjoy, extend
ing from Congress to Fore, and from Water
will to Munjoy streets, eighteen acres in ALL be-
fore streets were laid out upon it, paid tax of
$lS. The parties owning the property gave the
land Tor the purpose, and induced the city to
grade Atlantic street at the expense of $3.50
and st. Lawrence street at the expense of 500.
The property now paysat least IS, OO0.n taxes
Further, two cross streets on this lot were
needed. The parties owning gave the land to
the city, and asked for the making of the
streets. The city refused. The lots sold off,
In four years the city was compelled to lay out
one of the streets, and pay $500 for one of the
lots absorbed. The other street also becoming
iimperatively necessary, the city, having once
refused the gift of way, had to pay $500 for a
mere passage-way not half wide enough for a
good street. It is wretched policy for towns to
attempt to pinch in the matter of suitable and
traversable avenues to property. '' i'.s
Let the city go forward and finish the grad
ing of Congress street. Six or seven different
parties are waiting for this means of access to
lnaugurate and continue large improvements
on the northeast front. The excavation on
Congress street will be really paid for by. the
building Of East Commercial street Noramp
can give suitable access involving as it would
a zig-zag eight-hundred feet long bearing in
one direction, and then eight-hundred feet
bearing in the otner direction. The cut on
Congress street will not destroy the prospect
from the Promenade, nor will ramp preserve
it, for, as | have before shown, the prospect
depends upon the non-use of the adjoining lots
for house building purposes. .1o 4a ,ti
In so far as the northeast slope of the hill
shall require to be lowered at points not on the
streets, of course private parties will do this
and not the city. It has been suggested that
the filling in of flats from material thus ac-
quired will be likely to prove a ruinous enter
prise. Let us look at the facts. Thirty acres
have been filed in on the Dump" acres that
before the filling were practically worth moth
ing. 1t cost from four and half to seven cents
foot to do the filling. The property is now
worth from 20 to 80 cents a foot. In thirty
acres are 1,306S00 square feet which at an av-
erage price of 80 cents per foot are worth $780,
GAO! Howlong will it take to impoverish pri-
yate parties or cities who do business on these
termsS Dump" on the northeast front
would be worth ten times as much as on Back
Cove 8t..' 30 o., f1La7 NelilFfjs Cd 80 500.
I am charged with inordinate zeal for "pri-
yate" interests. How much more dispassion-
ately one who has mo inconsiderable" proper
ty on Munjoy 'both above and below high wa
ter mark" can look at and discuss the ques-
tions involved, and with how much closer eye
to the public interest, than can who own no
say. Is it worth while for one who confessed
Iy holds the position of capitalist and large
landowner, to slur at the humble beginnings
ON the northeast front, a nd at him who speaks
a word in their favor, as the advocate of
lumber-yard?" Is it worth while for one hold
ing such position to attempt to cast odium
upon projected enterprise, by the implied de-
claration that it will cost $50 900 when $4,000
would be much nearer correct? (25,OOO cubic
yards at AZ cents per yard)
As regards the Commission, reiterate my
Judgment that any attempt to lay out the
whole Hill now, with reference to the possible
demands of the future, will be.futile as expen-
siVe; that the one thing now needed is direct
s ahu suitably graded roadway to the northeast
Iront ana this we have already well under |
WY Ihi,I !he best course is to finish that grad
ing, marx its effect, zee how it serves the pur-
pose, ana tnen IN two three years we shall
DO in position to make LARGER improvements
intelligently and judiciousiy. NeyertbeInss |
as said before, il the city government faaIs, |
really incapable of discovering what its Sn';as |
are, or unable to face the responsibility attach
ed to the performance of its duties, il NAV
perhaps be necessary to have recourse to an |
outside commission. The people doubtless
would greatly prefer to see the business done by
those whom they elected to do il.
80 81 4,f..4I-j. fr4 WARD SIX. = |