The New York herald., 1869-03-26
street Distractions.

During the past two years we have repeat
edly called attention to the nuisances arising
from the encumbrance of the sidewalks and
roadways Of our public thoroughfares by build
ers and others in the execution of private con-
tracts. These evils were especially noticeable
in Fifth, Madison, Lexington and others Of the
fashionable avenues and streets of the city,
and the result of our exposures of them is that
the nuisances have been to a great extent
abated on some of the streets. We called the
attention of the public officers whose duty 1t is
to protect the rights of the people in the mat
ter, and when they at last moved in the en-
forcement of the law they found their authority
ample and the law full and comprehensive.
This clearly proves that the evils are to great
extent the result of ineficiency and dilatori-
ness on the part Of the Street Commissioner,
and he has not yet finished the work he began
under our suggestion. AT the present time
dozen distractions of the most dangerous char
acter are to be found on Fifth avenue, north
of Fortieth street, one of them in particular
being the unprotected opening OF sewer cut.
In another column will be found . report of
the principal encroachments and nuisances on
the avenue by builders and contractors, which
shows that from Fortieth street to Fifty-third
street there Is, on an average, one obstruction
to every block Of houses Planks, mortar,
lime, bricks and huge masses Of stone lie in
huge piles or heaps, in many cases incom-
moding traffic to such an extent that two
vehicles abreast cannot pass these locations.
It is well known, Of course, that there is
always q certain class of people in the COM
munity who are averse to doing anything
except such matters as they are compelled by
circumstances to perform, and we suppose that
the contractors in the instances above referred
to belong to that class. Many well paid public
officials are afflicted with similar indisposi-
ton to shoulder their responsibilities and do
their duty, and among these may be ranked
our Street Commissioner. The majority Of
the people, however, have enacted laws and
adopted ordinances for the regulation Of this
class Of persons, and expect these laws enforced.
Why, then, after public reproach has been
laid bare, is it that many who are culpable
having conformed to the requirements Of
these laws a few persistent and barefaced
contractors and property owners are per-
mitted to follow the same offensive
course that was prohibited as to others
If two or three contractors have a right to
cucumber public street, all contractors have
the like privilege, and if all contractors have
such authority, then it is clear that the. COM
munity who live upon and most frequent those
thoroughfares have no rights which the con-
tractors are bound to respect.
A few days since, acting under rare i'm
pulse of zeal, the Street Commissioner
marshalled brigade of men, paraded up
Broadway, and seized and removed half
dozen flag poles, on the ground that they were
Constructions" But that spasm of virtue
subsided after such an arduous days duty,
and meantime the great highways of the
metropolis are allowed to remain in q condition
of barricade, to the great inconvenience of the
public and to the jeopardy Of life and limb.