Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-22
CLEAR THE STREETS.
War Declared Against All 0bstruc-
tions on the Sidewalks
AWNINGS MUST BE CURTAILED,
So That They Do Not Interfere With the
Public View.
LEGAL OPINIONS FROM OFFICIALS

The war on street distractions has COM
menced. the campaign being mapped out by
Chief Brown, with the hearty cooperation
and assistance of Chief Bigelow. There is
no antagonism between the Departments of
Public Safety aud Public Works.
Inspector McAleese is authority for the
statement that there will be no suits brought
against the residents of the First Police dis
trict to-day, the reports of patrolmen
on obstructions found on their beats
not being returned until this morning. In
spector McAleese in speaking of the matter
last evening said: "We don't propose to be
as severe as many persons imagine. We
propose to move slowly and cautiously.
The grocer who sets couple of baskets or
boxes close up to his store-front or on the
edge Of the sidewalk will not be interfered
with, nor will we disturb the Liberty street
commission merchants, whose business re-
quires the display Of their goods where peo-
pie can see them. They would be ruined if
we attempted to enforce the law without
any regard for reason against them; and,
moreover, the Liberty street sidewalk is
wide, and if the merchants will be careful
perfectly clear for pedestrians they will not
be molested.
JUST WHAT IS WANTED.
What we want to do is to trim up the
streets and compel the removal of what
should not be on the streets. There are
places where stuff has been lying on the side.
walks to the impediment of public travel for
six months to year, There is place on Ninth
street, for instance, street that is greatly
travelled, where on the sidewalk in front of one
house there is pile of old iron that has been
lying there to my knowledge for year. There
are plenty of other such places and they have
the pavements blocked. and the streets, too.
pile or the river, and the only reason it is not
removed is because no one has compelled the
parties to do it. Then there are merchants all
over, over the city ~ who use no Judgment, and. being
regard for the public convenience, and, simply
because they have not been interfered with,
they monopolize nearly the whole sidewalk, in
stead of only two or three feet of it. Such
people will surely hear from US. And parties
who allow wagons, boxes and other oDstruc-
tions to stand on the streets during the night
and at all times, as some do, will be compelled
to obey the law for obvious reasons.
The matter of awnings will be- treated with
consideration. If an awning clears the pave
ment by seven feet from the bottom Of the
flaps, it will not be disturbed, and we will not
object to having signs painted on awnings,
though we will not allow signs to be suspended
from awnings. The triangular end pieces on
awnings are an obstruction TO the view and are
under the law. illegal, but 1 will not say yet
whether we will compel,their removal or not.
But any kind of sign projecting over or OBJ
structing the sidewalk must go. AS have said
before, we will go slow in the First district and
will not prosecute anyone until they have been
given time to comply with the law. We will be
as reasonable and liberal as any fair-minded per-
Son can wish.'
MANY PEOPLE INTERESTED.
City Controller Morrow was consulted by a
number of persons yesterday. who wanted to
know if the flaps hanging down in front of