The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-01
How Shall We Clean the Streets %
New York?

NOW
The street cleaning abuse has long BEEN
one of the most scandslous features of the
New York city government. The taxpayers
have been compelled to pay in the neighbor-
hood of million dollars year for the ex-
pense of the Street Cleaning Bureau, and
every year the condition of the streets has
grown worse than the preceding year and the
business has been more and more shamefully
neglected We have been going downward
on sliding scale until at last incompetency
seems to have reached its lowest depth, and
after winter of inaction the summer is COM
ing upon rs to find our streets reekiug with
filth and pregnant with disease and death. Il
was bad enough during the winter and early
spring to be compelled to submit to the in.
convenience and annoyance of interrupted
travel and almost impossible sidewalks while
officials who squander the public money were
scarcely making pretence of doing more than
distribute the patronage of the department
among ard politicians and country legislators.
But now the incapacity and neglect of tho
bureau are more serious matter, for they
threaten the public health. The city is more
filthy now than it has ever before been Of
this season Of the year, and without re-
form in the bureau or q change of system ID
is not likely to improve.
There is no doubt great difficulty in keep
ing New York clean. The wretched condition
Of some of the streets, full of holes that
gather and retain the slush and filth, is ono
serious obstruction to the work. With com
mon sense and common honesty we ought Il
be able 10 accomplish something with an out
lay Of million dollars year, or nearly two
thousand seven hundred and forty dollars
day all the year round, Sundays included.
But 1t is very certain that we get but littls
more return for the money than il
realized in the support of a large
army of political bummers. So many plans
have been tried and failed that the people
have about made up their minds to favor al
entire new departure. This feeling has led ts
the suggestion of the entire adjustment of
Street Cleaning Department as it now exists.
and the passage of a law compelling the
owners OF property to keep the streets and
roads clean, each owner being respon-
sible for the condition of the sidewalk and
half the roadway in front of his house
and lot. The argument in favor Of the plan
is that the tax tor million dollars is collected
Of the property owners or taxpayers now and
is thrown away, the streets scarcely being
cleaned at all !; that the expense Of cleaning
BY each individual sner would be no heavier,
and probably not nearly SO heavy as the tar
he has to pay, while the work would be
done and the streets kept clean. When
property owner was compelled, under
heavy penalties, 10 keep his own share of
street clean the money he paid out for that pur.
pose would be spent on the work, and the peopls
would have the benefit. While the tax hs
pays goes into the hands Of incapable or nm
reliable officials the money is diverted from
its legitimate purposes, becomes political
fund and the work is not done at all. There
may be practical difficulties to be overcome
in making the proposed system work; but
would seem almost as easy for households
to clean the sidewalk and half the road il
front Of his house and lot as it is to remov,
the garbage and ashes from the interior of his
house daily for the purpose Of having it carted
away. The carrying away of the street dirt
would be done by contractors, who would re-
alze profit out Of the loads and could make
their own arrangements, if necessary, with
the householdcrs in the several localities.
This system OF making the property owners on
householders do the street cleaning work
themselves and bear the expense, enforcing
the observance Of the law by heavy penalties
for neglect, would not, in the end, cost thu
taxpayer as much as he now pays for street
cleaning and might at last insure US clean
streets.
pERCOMA INTEL