The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-06-01
Street Approximations and Car Tracks


In your issue Of May 21st there was COM
munication upon "City Expenditures" As
bearing upon the appropriation for streets,
not yet decided, attention is called to some
facts and figures. There was paid from the
city treasury during the five winter"
months, from Dec. 1, 80. to May 1, '9i, on
account Of the street department, over S24,-
Cos. In the same months In winter 1928,
sl0,934 was paid. The same months of 'S3 4,
$3.50. Thus the average of the two last
named tve-month periods was S10.450. The
excess in the stated five months Of '901 above
this average amounts to over $4,000; which
approximately represents what the city paid
Tor snow removal last winte more than it
was paying few yeafs ago. The fact was
patent to everybody last winter that oni the
streets having car tracks snow was energet-
ically removed, but there could be no sense
or reason for the city to do more of this on
those streets last winter than in former years.
doubtless 1t was Of some public conve-
nience, but the inconvenience which was
remedied was mainly attributable to the de-
termination OF the street railroad to keep on
wheels, thus causing valleys In the street.
Ii 1t be to the advantage Of the railroad to
Keep on wheels the duty Is to the railroad,
not to the city, to take care Of the snow
alongside down to safe level, beyond what
the city does on any much-travelled street.
whatsoever the city does towards sharing
that duty goes into the dividend account Of a
private eorporation-evidently an unjusti-
fable expenditure. Ten thousand dollars at
least should nave been saved to the city in
last winters street account.
In the PRESS OF May 28th an intlmation Is
given that In the near future the street rail-
road will be extended through Portland
street to Union Station.
The adoption of the electric power will ne
cessitate on car lines extraordinary vigilance
- sa a ~ a
Is the city to be In some way whipped in9
The time Is ripe for the city government to
make a stand. 1t has the right, and 1t Is its
duty, In all things to protect the public
against unusual dangers to life and limb In
troduced by special kinds and methods of
business carried on by individuals or c0rpo-
rations; to forbid when necessary; to per-
init only upon proper conditions which will
guard against such dangers, and against all
expenses and levies upon taxpayers at large
bility where 1t belongs. g.
The removal Of the snow upon the princi-
pal streets of the city is great public con-
yenience and In some Of those streets 1t may
fairly be said to be public necessity Under
the present arrangement large part of the
expense Of this public convenience and ne
cessity is paid by the horse railroad company.
Ii the railroad company should cease to
clear out the tracks In the winter the whole
burden Of expense Of removing the snow
would fall upon the city and instead of the
expense being less to the city, we are inclined
to think that 1t would be more. To compare
the cost oil removing snow one year with the
cost OF It's removal another year, Is mislead
Ing unless 1t is shown that about the
same amount of snow fell in both the years
In which comparison is made. Last winter
the expenditure was large because there was
large amount Of snow. The year before ii
was small because there was very little snow.
The city government cannot regulate the
cost OF the removal Of snow for the very good
reason that 1t cannot regulate the amount
that descends from the clouds.l