New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-06
SOME truth ABOUT THE STREETS

The only objection to complaining that the
streets of New-York are in worse condition
than ever before is that such complaints are a
waste of time. Public journals, however, ought
to repeat the truth about the pavements once In
awhile for the satisfaction which clear con-
science affords if for no other reason. The
municipal authorities have taken the ground
that there is no use in expanding any con-
siderable part of the millions that are now avail
able upon pavements which some corporation
or individual will proceed to demOlsh as soon
as they are completed, and there is much to
recommend this view of the matter. But the
city officials do not do their duty by stopping
there. Since the discussion of new pavementS
began we have observed that even less con-
science than formerly has been manifested in
the work of relaying payements which had
been ripped up for private purposes. This may
seem incredible, but it is true, and city officials
make mistake if they suppose that all pretence
of enforcing the law on this subject might as
well be abandoned The streets, as we have
remarked, were never before in so shocking a
condition, but that is not equivalent to saying
that they are absolutely past injury. On the
contrary they are actually growing worse from
day to day. There never was time when they
were fit to be compared with the streets OF any
other great city of the world but at present
there is scarcely mining gulch in the Rocky
Mountains which may not be more easily and
comfortably traversed And yet not many OF
our most important thoroughfares are absolute
" impossible. Why, then, should the work oil
reducing to that condition streets through winch
stout team can still drag light load be al
lowed to go on without interruption? Pretty
much all is lost, including honor, which was
the first to 90, but there is still something LETT
worth saving.
ANYBODY who has ever watched gang OF
men pretending to carry out the stipulation Oh
the ordinance that the pavement shall be re-
placed in cas- good condition as before" must
have been either highly amused or highly IN
dignant according to his temperament and
habit of looking at things. The performance
cannot be regarded without emotion of some
sort. There are three parties to every such
cheap and nasty restoration, tie corporation at
whose behest the excavation was made, the city
authorities and the inspector who has been as
signed to oversee the job. The corporation de-
sires to have the hole filed up as economically
as possible; the city authorities are so used to
bad work and so generally Indifferent to the
treatment of public property that they leave
everything to the inspector, and the inspector
when he hasn't been seen" and told to stay
at home, is usually talking politics in the near
est gin mill The result is that among them all
the people are swindled, and the work OF max
ing a bad pavement worse is successfully ac-
complished. 1t looks well enough for day
or two and then it rapidly degenerates, Just as
the men who laid it knew 1t would and were
paid for making it, into a succession OF hlllocks
and gullies, and thenceforward renews with
fresh facilities it's familiar function of tanning
horses, breaking springs and squirting filth
upon pedestrians.
This is the whole story Of street surface re-
placement in this city, told without malice or
exaggerafi6n. Mayor Grant knows it by heart,
so does Commissioner Gilroy, and so does every
body else who isn't blind, bedridden or i'm
beetle Was any persistent attempt ever made
by those in authority to stop this sort OF busl-
ness? Never. VIII there ever be reformar-
ton in the future? Well, hardly ever. What
is the use of pretending to be hopeful and san
guine? Why not enjoy whatever solace may
may be derived from frank acknowledgment
of the facts ?