The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1885-03-14
A Voice from ..CItInen. ;.
LAKE CHARLES, March 5, 1885.

LAKE CHARLES, March b, 1883.
Editor Lake Charles Echo:
Ina former communication touch
ed upon what ! considered to be a
fatal mistake of our City Fathers, in
violating the laws of health, in their
manner Of working the streets. Now,
Mr.. Editor, if You will allow me space
l would like to say something in re,
gard to what consider as egregious,
if not as fatal an error, in the finan.
cial administration of the same.
My observations for the past ten
days-to say nothing of what have
witnessed for several years-proves,
conclusiVely, to my mind, land it
seems to me must be clear to every
thinking mind) that the present sys-
TEN of working our streets with
spades, wheelbarrows and carts is
inadequate and unsatisfactory, as it
results in the depletion of our treas
ury without accomplishing the object
for which the taxes are levied and the
revenues raised.
Now, Mr.. Editor, for fear that |
may be considered a croaker, willing
to complain at what is being done
without suggesting some better me-
thods for the accomplishment of these
desired ends, | will offer for considera-
ton few facts and figures.
!. This is an age of progression !;
this is the age of labor-saying imple-
ments; this is the time aOken money
must be spent in order TO make money
Or sQpe money, if you prefer the
expression; this is the time when
brains, and not brute force, will con
troll. | know that it is commendable
in our town authorities to give work
to honest laboring men on the streets,
thereby enabling them to obtain a
living through these pressing times.
Yet, you are unable to furnish but
limited number employment, and that
only for short time.
Now, Mr.. Editor, suggest, instead
of employing four or six men for two
or three months, or just as long as it
will take at $l.50 per day to each
man to exhaust the treasury, that We
purchase another mule TO work with
the one already belonging to the cor
poration. 1t is patent to every think
ing mind that one man with par OF
mules, a two-horse plow and road
scrape can do more work, at the same
expense, than any number Of men.
To be plain-two good mules will
cost $3.50, two-horse plow $l5, road
scrape not exceeding $40, making
total cost Of S275 for the outfit.
Then two men, with this team, will
work in 30 days from Pithon Gully
to railroad, north and south, aud from
the Lake to corporation limits, east
and west, at cost of 50 per day for
the men-$9O; grand total 1865.
This will employ 243 men one day,
and at the present rate of working it
will require, at the very lowest calcu-
lation, IL men to do one block per
day. Divide 243 by ~ and you will
see that with 1855 You can work 204
blocks. Now go to the town map
and count the blocks from Pithon
Gully to the railroad and you will
see at once how much yoA. lack of
working the town.
Now, again, in the expense of work
ing the streets by the use of labor
saving implements, / have counted
the cost of the fixtures, which ysu
will see are by far the largest part of
the expense, and which will not figure
in the cost of keeping up the streets
again for perhaps five yeats, at least.
Again, Mr.. Editor, with this ar
the streets WiW be W0rked;
but, as it is now, we go over GER
tain part, spend all the money, and
by the time we have collected the
taxes and are ready to work again,
the same ground has to be gone over
again, thereby causing neglect to the
suburbs of our town, which should
not be done, as the citizens so situae
ted pay their share-of the taxes and
should receive some benefits. Il don't
live in the suburbs.) The figures
have given will approximate what is
correct, and the plan / suggest is next
to q contract systematic best thing
We can do. Respectfully, CITIZEN.
How little acting there is of hu-
~, Si.4., oc,,rornJ ,v;+b tho rran ,l,; n.