Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-05-25
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.

The chief duties that will devolve
upon the Board Of Public Works under
the new city charter, relate to the care
and improvement of the streets.
There is no set of rules and regula-
tons that will make good streets if the
notions and tastes Of the members Of
the Board who direct the work are not
of a high standard. Rules and regula-
tons may control expenditures and en-
force economy, but the judgment and
skill of the Board, after all, will deter
mine the character of the streets, wheth-
er they be clean or dirty, whether they
be round or flat, rough OIL smooth, and
the paving of a "Cheap john variety
or permanent and attractive in appear
ance.
Heretofore either a low standard of
taste and Judgment have ruled in the
matter of maintaining the streets, or a
lack ofmesns has prevented them being
made what they should be.
But we need a higher standard Of
taste in street Improvements. We do
not appreciate the money value to a
city of a clean, smooth, attractive
looking street, AS it enhances a mans
self-respeet to put on clean, becoming
clothes, so does il increase the pride Of
a people to have 8 p~resentable street in
front of their doors. 1t enhances the
price of every building that bounds it;
it stimulates the ambition Of residents
to put their property in condition. to
build better houses and make them ar
tistic at the same time. When a new
carpet is put on the floor it makes every
dingy thing in the room look more
dingy by contrast, and there is nothing
that will disclose the defects in a mans
building so quickly as to make u clean,
attractive street in front oft.
The city of Paris is celebrated all over
the world for its beauty, not because its
buildings are so much grander and bet
ter than other cities, but mainly because
its streets are more beautiful, more
cleanly, better graded and paved. The
people of that city look upon clean
streets as necessary to pleasure and COM
fort as palatial buildings, and they en-
terrain no excuses for dirty streets.
Public sentiment is in favor of clean
streets, and no obstacle is allowed to
stand in in the way of it. Paris pays
annually 100000 for sweeping the
streets and $1S1, 900 for the removal of
mud and rubbish. Over $1,000 is paid
annually for watering the streets, and
over $4,000 for disinfectants and other
chemicals. The city authorities paid
last December 8 $4,000 for removing the
snow from the streets. The cleaning of
streets in that city involves the idea Of
looking after hygienic conditions, and to
the water used in sprinklingOr washing
away of filth is added chloride Of lime,
sulphate of zinc, carbOlic acid,
rs the conditions require. Nothing is
done in a loose, stumbling way, but in
every department there is careful, sys-
lellallC anu LuOCOuSu NNIhs 1uC tt
suit is that for an expenditure Of Sl,O00,-
900 per annum Paris has at all seasons
clean and wholesome streets.
These facts give an idea of what can
be accomplished for a city in the direc-
ton of street improvements when pub
lie sentiment and taste is educated up
to an esthetic or proper standard. And
who will say that such n policy is not
profitable To Paris-is lot profitable to
n city which adopts it.
1t is needless for Us to add that our
city suffers more in reputation, in busi-
ness and material growth from our
stumbling manner of dealing with the
streets than the majority of our people
conceive or are willing to admit. Their
condition is never respectable, and is at
most times disgraceful-aud the latter
is their present condition. We trust
that the gentlemen composing the
Board of Public Works will realize that
in discharging this responsibility they
have not only the character of the city
at stake, but their own as well.