Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-05-17
SLIpSHOD METHODS.
HOW TAXPAYERS PUT UP FOR INDIF
FERENT SERVICE.
A Go-As-You-Please Manner of Doing
Things Street Grades and
Street Sprinkling.

No one can blame R. S. Carey for feeling
little out of sorts yesterday. He has
been told that portion OF his railroad
| track on Tenth street is little too low and
must De raised, and that his track on O
street, from Tenth to Twelfth, is too high
and must be lowered.
70 raise and lower blocks of railroad
track means no little annoyance and con.
siderable expense. Mr.. Carey put in his
tracks on the levels established by CITY En-.
gineers, but it seems that no two of them
have for years agreed in their work. It is
decidedly rough on people who have laid
sidewalks and railroad tracks as directed bv
the city's officials TO be compelled to alter
them at their own expense.
The people of this city must certainly be
of most amiable and easy-going DISPOSE.
tons, as they have submitted quietly to
more and varied impositious than anv
| other community in the State has suffered
| But they seem to like it, and 60 right
| along, decade after decade putting IN their
money with patience that is deserving of
| better reeompense than seems to be their
| lot to enjoy.
| Il is difficult to find any two streets with
the same roadway and sidewalk levels, and
| in some cases these differences exist on the
same street, and have existed for many
! years.
The taxpayers seem to have made ND
their minds that they have little to saw
! concerning the manner in which the city's
| affairs shall be conducted, and that they
have but one duty to perform-tbat of pro-
Vldlng the money necessary to keep the
municipal machinery well fabricated.
Ihey pay heavily for street sprinkHng, and
then ''slosh' through streets that are deluged
with water for portion of the day and 90
to bed at night with their threats filled
with dust. While they scrape the mud
from their shoes and the varnish from
tbeir vehicles in the vain effort TO cleanse
them, the sprinkling contractors are living
OF in the shade until the hour arrives to
| dump another sheet of water on the dusty
streets.
In other communities the people compel
their authorities 10 regulate such matters,
and to conduct the affairs of the munici.
patty on the same business principles that
Wlde-aWake citizens conduct their own
affairs. Street. prinkling contractors are
required 10 use sprinklers that win throw a
line spray, thus laying the dust thoroughly
while not creating mud, just as is done by
light shower OF rain. This work has been
done in such a shiftless manner in this city
that the officials, couple of years ago,
found 1t necessary to have the outside and
more dusty streets sprinkled at night,
which is an improvement But to be done
properly the water should be put on the
streets during the day, and at frequent in
tervais, thus preventing both mud and
dust, and at the same time reducing the
temperature of the hot summer DAYS. Is
| there any hope that reform can be brought
about in this particular?
As regard street levels, some definite
standard should be fixed that will not be
subject to change. There seems to be a
! sentiment abroad in the community favor
| able to the general improvement of the
streets and when they are once improved
ii a substantial and permanent manner
the grades should not be subject to further
changes.
Sacramentans have been cropping in the
dark for many long years, and il is about
time for them 10 make up their minds to
have little sunlight let in upon their
lives,