The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-16
PLANS TO KEEP DOWN DUST.
Council VIII Have Several to Consider, but
Immediate Action Is Necessary.

It Is expected that at the meeting of the Coun-
Gil tonight some steps will be taken looking to-
ward the sprinklng Of the streets. There is a
diversity of opinion as to what plan should be
adopted for the abatement of the dust nuisance,
but the public demand is urgent for some action
that the Council can no longer pass it by unno-
ticed. The water committee has had the matter
under consideration for several weeks. and it
will likely be ready to submit a report of some
kind. Several councilmen, who are not mem
bers of the committee, have been giving
the subject considerable thought, and
they will offer plans which they be-
lieve will be satisfactory. So far they
have expressed themselves, they are in favor of
the plan providing for the advertisement for bids
for sprinkling the central portion of the city. II
believe" said Councilman yesterday. that we
can have the territory between Michigan on the
north, East on the east, South on the south, and
Tennessee on the west well sprinkled for rea-
Sensible sum. There are plenty of men who own
sprinkline carts who are anxious to bid for the
work. and believe we induce the Water
Company to reduce the price of water to the con-
tractors considerably. Some arrangements will
of course have to be made for the sprink-
ling of the principal streets outside of
the territory mentioned, and think we should
require the fire department to do that part of
the work. It would not be wise to require the
department. to attsmptto sprinkle all the streets,
but l believe. with ths number of men 1t
now has. it sprinkle good many streets
without i'm pairing its efficiency. One thing is
certain, something will have to be done, and
done INN ediately. The dust nuisance has been
almost unbeArabe in previous years, but it will
be worse than aver this year, because all the
streets will be torn up and the amount of loose
earth that will be at the mercy of the wind will
increase the affection. 1t is now assured that
we will make a saving of several thousand dol
lars on the street-lighting contract. and We can
not make better disposition of some of that
money than to invest it in street sprinkling."
II do not know what plan ] am in favor or
yet said Councilman Casper. 'but the Council
must make some arrangement. If we expect to
this summer, we must at least not smother them
in dust while they are looking at the city. am
strongly opposed to requiring the fire depart
ment to do the work. 1t would endanger the
property Of the city to keep the men away from
their stations much of the time. but more
than that. the expense the city would be put to
IN keeping the hose in condition would be more
than met in buying carts, aud hiring the work
DONE Hose are very expensive, and after being
dragged over the streets a few times they would
be unfit for service at FIRE. / am inclined to
think that the best plan is to advertise for
bids for sprinkling the business portion of the
city first, and than We can see how much it is
going to cost as. and decide what to do
about the remainder Of the city. It is the bust
ness streets that arc suffering most A good
many of the residence streets ara very well
hose and do not bsiieve il Ia necessary to
think about sprinkling the entire city"
A number of people think that as soon as
practicable, q special strees-sprin king fund
should be raised by tevying ght tax. but the
proposition does not meet with favor from resi-
dents of sections of the city where they are
net troubled with dust.