The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-03-29


There is no department in the government of
city, excepting perhaps that of education,
which requires so large an outlay of money,
and in which incompetency, or neglect, affects
people sooner than that of streets and side
walks; and none in which the executive Off
GERS are really held to stricter accountability
by the popular voice. We submit that the streets
of Portland are fair subject for criticism, and
we propose to speak of this matter briefly. The
science of road-making has not been attentiyeIy
studied; or there has been great want of sys-
tenn by our city government. We have tried to
remedy defects by frequent changes in office,
causing half tried plan to be upset and another,
no better, perhaps substituted. The chief fault
appears to be the lack of basis of operations
founded on scientific principles. Grades have
been changed to suit the whims of men in au-
thority: temporary patching up" has been
adopted through mistaken notions of economy;
and streets that were well enough, and would
last for years. have been broken up in view of
some fanced improvement, which proved to be
no improvement while streets that needed
money and labor have been almost neglected
So there has been sort of general looseness
that is bitterly complained of.
The great fire of 1866 almost destroyed the
streets in the burnt district. The people bore
the trouble as they did their pecuniary losses,
with equinimity, trusting to time and judici-
GUS use of the means at our command to pro-
duce an improvement over the former condi-
ton of things. But the temporizing process
has been continued and we are no better off,
in any part of the city, than we were before
Then the Water Company came and tore up
the streets to lay their pipes. The certainty of
a supply of pure water was a compensation for
a temporary inconvenience, and people were
patient. But the Water Company neglected to
put the streets in their former condition, as
they were required to under the license given
by the city; and what wonder, therefore, that
after two or three years of waiting, without
any change of policy, that the people are scold-
ing? The other day the County Attorney gave
warning that unless one of our streets was i'm
mediately put in repair, prosecution would
follow. There are plenty of opportunities for
such hints. Few of our streets are credit to
a city of $1,000 inhabitants There is scarcely
one of our largest and most-used thorOughfares
but has grievous defects, which make transpor-
tation over them uncomfortable if not danger
GUS. The principal cross-streets leading from
water to water, such as Pearl, Franklin, &C.,
are indictable. The longitudinal streets, be-
low Congress, slope with the natural inclina-
ton of the ground, and the houses and lots ON
the lower side receive large part of the sur.
face water Our sidewalks are too low In a
majority of the streets where walks are laid,
they are not SO high as the center of the street,
and with unpaved cutters the consequence is
wet and filthy sidewalks in the spring and fall
and after every heavy summer rain. And the
people of Portland have within the last five
years, expended nearly $780, 900 and got this
condition of the streets in return.
We have heard it said that there is plan
on paper-for our street department to be gov
erned by-founded on the government survey
of the city. This appears to be the initial
point in the matter of improvement Let the
grades be established and made infexible. The
suggestion of the Street Commissioner in his
last report is also judicious in onr Judgment
that all the cross-streets should have paved
cutters; and it is suggested also by skllful
engineers that the streets which run length
wise of the city should be cut to levels and
have paved cutters also. An ordinance now in
force requires that at least oneffth of the money
appropriated every year shall be expended in
paving. 1t would be better if this sum should
be increased, and those streets that are used
most should be made permanent as soon as
possible; and others in their turn, and so in the
course of a few years our streets will be credit
to us, and be kept in repair at comparatively
little expense. Material for making good
roads is cheap and abundant-cobble stones for
locations where heavy teaming is done, granite
blocks, stone chips, &c., for the broader ave-
nues. Nothing makes better road than broken
stone covered with couple of inches of coarse
gravel; and we have ridden over such in the
spring of the year that were firm and hard,
that had stood for number of years and prov
ed the cheapest of a number of experiments.
We are beginning new year, and the Street
Committee are about to enter upon their work
We hope their duties will be well-studed, and
that we shall soon rise out of the filth of dirty
and dangerous streets to a plane of respecta-
bility.
Clear the Track.