Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-16
worcc.,er In rhe Future.

WOrceeter in the Future.
According to the census Of last year, Worces'
Ter had a population OF Al JOY. The number Of
nolls at the same time was 1851. The proper
tiouEofpolls to thewhole population was therefore
1toss6. The number of polls this year is H.
hs7 an increase of $50. If the proportion is
maintained as last year, and we know of no
reason to suppose it materially different, the in
habitants of the city now number 44,5c9, an in
crease of 1895 like increase for each year
would make our population at the time OF the
next state census, in 1875, reach the number of
IS .2S2. This is on the supposition that the nu-
merical increase should prove to be the same each
wear. If the percentage of increase should con-
1inue at the same rate, the gain would be con-
siderably greater. Apparently, the number of
houses in process of bull ling, was never so
great as now. All parts of the city share in
this growth, which has never before been so
rapid. Before the next national cnesus we may
expect to have within the limits of the city
about eighty-iour thousand people, unless the
causes which now promote our growth shall pre-
viously cease to operate.
This rapid increase brings with it additional
RESPONSIBILITIES We have built already within
a few years many large and expensive school
houses; but it has been found difficult TO keep
pace with the demand for increased accommoda-
zion for the many hundreds of children yearly
added to our population and we shall have
many more school houses to build during the
next ten years. The growing business of the
city which provides occupation for so many
people, will require facilities which the city
must provide. Streets will need to be widened,
Strengthened and paved. There must be more
sidewalks and sewers, and in variety of ways
there will be occasion for increasing the.city ex-
penses in a proportion not much less, perhaps,
even greater for a time than its growth in
wealth and population. In view of the many
unavoidable demands for municipal expendi-
ture, and the certain enlargement of the eity's
needs commensurate with its growth, of which
we have abundant notice, it is the part of
ordinary prudence to anticipate so far as posi-
BILE the future wants of the city and make pro-
vision for them now, especially where that
which will cost great deal of money by and
by, and which then it will be impossible or ex-
tremely inconvenient to do without, can be pro-
vided now without cost or at very small ex-
pense.
One of the evils which we now feel to some
extent, and which we shall feel more and more
every year, is the irregularity of our streets.
Not so much that they are crooked as that they
are Short not continuous and so many of them
lead to nothing. They were laid out, except
the few original highways, to suit the conven-
ience or the caprice of land owners, to enable
them to put their land in the market to the best
advantage, or for some similar reason, but
without regard to their use as thoroughfares.
Consequently they have no proper relations to
each other; there is no common system; two
streets running in nearly the same direction and
not far from the same line lap over sometimes,
and sometimes stop short of meeting; the blocks
on opposite sides of street "break joint" as
q mason would say; a person who has occasion
to 60 from one side Of the city TO the opposite
must, except in one or two instances, take a sue
cession of zigzags, and this not only wastes time
and labor to very serious extent in the aggre-
gate, butts excessively perplexing to a stranger.
There are already some Of these eceentricites
which it is thought desirable TO correct at a con
siderable expense, and no doubt other change
Will uCScbSdi9 pclOiS lSuios III
same process is still going on in all parts of tn
city. Streets are laid out and built upon with
out any reference to the general symmetry 0
the street system, or even to the convenience o
the neighborhood. The errors made in this wal
to be corrected at some future time at great cost
or to remain permanently to the disfguremen
of the city and the inconvenience of its inhabi
tants, could be prevented now by the exercise o
little foresight.
In many cities persons are not permitted II
open streets on their own land, without the con
sent of the city government, and then only O
such width and in such directions as are ap
proved. 1t is not enough for the city to refuS
TO accept the street as public way. The mis-
chief is done when it is opened and built upon
1t becomes then part of the general system o
highways, and cannot be modified to suit thu
public convenience without compensation fol
the necessary destruction of expensive improve
ments. This matter clearly comes within thu
limits of reasonable municipal authority. l
our city has this authority its exercise seems
duty which we owe to our future.