Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-08-01
THE GAZETTE.
BOARD ofPublic Works.
SATURDAY. EVENING, AUGUST l.

Board of Public Works.
Resolred, That FIVE thousand OF the six thous-
ard tive hundred dollars appropriated by the
last CITY Council for repairs OF. the streets De,
and is hereby ordered to be placed to the credit
of the Board of Public Works to be used rs
part of the improvement fund.
DR.. johnson said:
M, Prcsident-The desire for the establish
1oent of a wise, economical and cautious system
t,r the gradual Improvement Of the unimproved
streets of the city was manifested for sometime
by our people, and in obedience to the interest
which they showed in the furtherance of the
projects, the City Council of 1878 passed the bill
known rs the act to torn Board o! fu6Ic
Works for the city of Alexandria" This bill
was ordered to be printed, and weeks before Its
passage the people had ample time not only to
examine its provisions but to comment on Tue
that public opinion WAS decidedly IN favor o.
its passage he necessity of such law was
based upon the cogert claim that properly reg
ulated Board OF Public Works for the develop.
ment Of our streets would not only De gre.t
boon to our citizens but could be so truga!ly
managed rs to b rendered almost set-sustaln-
ing in the course of q few yeats by saving the
great amount of money. that u.s. from time to
Time spent in plsnless and fruitless patching ana
fixing the streets, which when done amounts
nearly to nothing, and may De properly oeenieu
u useless and comfortless expenditure OF means
that should have been used to far better pur'
poses; and that with fixed plan or act, all the
difficulty, indecsion and confusion when mao
hitherto attended efforts to improve our street,
would vanish. That the City Council OF 1913
faithfully endeavored to make good the claim
upon which the necessity for the existence OF
such law MS the Board of Public WORKS act
was based, is abundantly corro5orated Dy III
examination of not only the letter OF the act, out
its spirit and legitimate import; ana SO plaln Is
the law in al its parts that not single provls-
ion of it is capable Of any other n!esnIng than
that which its language Enthusiastically expresses,
and when put in practical operation II cannot
have any other than the most pleasing ana pro-
pitous effect. unless its use be wlltully ana lg,
norantly misconstlued, misdirected or perverted
by those who may have the temporary charge OF
It's execution. The law is amply expre; seq, ana
so we'll guarded is it in its duties that frivolous
objections to the minor portions OF the act should
not be entertained and short-sghted amendments
should be rejecteda likely to render the prsctl-
all its intended good into positive evil to tho
people It needs nothing to assist it but an IN
terested care for its integrity and If 1t is enforced
with the earnestneSs OF its quiet Vlgor ana mas
putable utility, It's practical application 10 inc
work of The Improvement of our unlmproved
streets will result in not only an opening and
extension of our now mpassibe streets, but OF
general good TO the whole city. An attempt has
been made to bring the law into dlsrespect oy
misapprehension and misrepresentation OF It's
PROVISIONS, but Sucn d course Is rs pTcJuulClal w
the comfort and appearance of the city IS 1t Is
unjust to the law. Its only object Is to comolne
permanent utility with Immediate economy, and
its applicability is to unimproved streetS-not TO
improv ed streets-to put them from building
line to building line, on their final grade, to put
down side walts, pave the cutters and to leave
the more expensive and burdensome work OF
paving the carriage way to future time for I'M
provement. This alone is the ultlmate scope
of the intention of the law, and any amendment
that will carry it beyond this purEiew is a per,
version and diversion. of the object and duties of
the Board of Public Works. Let the fruit of
the law be but once developed by fair, practl-
cal operation of it, and it will demonstrate its
great superiority over other plans Tor the city
enlargement ard prosperity, and instead OF the
Board OF Public Works being an enterprise to
be dreaded and opposed, it will result In an In
stitution which viii be fostered and protected as
one of the best acts that the City Council has
ever INSURED and passed. As have said before,
the acts claim to public confidence Will be the
grea. advantage of separating the improvement
Of the unimproved streets from all other sub
jects and having ample power to devote Its at
tention to that end alone, 1t CAD move along
quietly and accomplish 80 much Zeal and SUP
stsntal good IRON year to year, that our citizens
will be amazed that they did rot long before
put the Improvement of unimproved streets IN
competent hands The additional tax of twelve
certs on the one hundred dollars worth OF real
estate will be scarcely felt and the amount thus
raised will enable the Board to have its money,
plans and workmen, and thus it can go on from
year to year in the fulfllment of its design, with
such rapidity that not few will be astonshed
to know how much good has been accomplished
with apparently 50 little means; for its virtue
resides in it's economical, easy and judciouS
management, and wherever its work will have
been made there will follow not only real COM
fort to our citizens, but an enhancement IN the
value of property which will yield annually &
revenue to the city greater than the sum neces-
sary to make a Board of Public Works sue
cess. Therefore, as the City Council at its last
session set aside six thousand five hundred dol
lars for the Improvement of the streets and tif
teen hundred dollars for cleaning the Streets
can see no just reason why five thousand of the
six thousand five hundred dollars should not be
placed to the credit Of the Board Of Public
Works, in order that it may be jndicously spent
in visible and permanent improvement Of
some one of the impossible streets; and |, there
fore, move the passage of the resolution which ;!
have the honor to offer, as by its passage will
not only insure wise and useful expenditure Of
the money so appropriated but save double
a.. II e. AZ 90