The morning call., 1893-03-05
LEFT in THE RAIN.
An Expensive City Machine
Going to Ruin.
1t is Allowed to Lie Idle in an
Empty Lot on City fall
Avenue.

In large lot just opposite the new City
Hall stands a relic of one of the expendI-
lures of the last Street Committee of the
Board OF Supervisors.
The relic is a bituninous-rock machine
and it cost the city exactly $1,000.
When ordered made and purchased the
members Of the Street Committee promised
that the machine was going to perform
wonders in cutting down the expenses OF
the Street Department thereby saving the
taxpayers considerable money.
Over five months have passed by since the
bituminous-rock machine was turned over
to the municipal government.
Yet since the time the local authorities
received and accepted the expensive ma
chine not wheel of 1t has been turned in
the fixing or repairing of the city's streets.
For five long months a $1,000 la labor-saVing
machine has been allowed to stand idle in
an empty lot on City Hall avenue, just
under the noses OF the officials of the
Street Department, none of whom in all
that time have ever had anv curiosity to see
how machine worked which cost the city
so much money and from which the pur-
chasers predicted so much IN the way of
benefits.
The interest of the Supervisors and the
Street Department officials seemed TO have
suuutllS SuDSutu as soon as tue DiIlS Ol ING
manufacturing contractors were paid.
After a casual view of the machine it was
accepted, the bill ordered paid ard The bi-
tuminous-rOck grinder was placed in the
empty lot mentioned. where 1t has LAIN neg
lected ever since, while the rain and dust
have done much to impair its efficiency.
Although many streets have been ordered
repaired by the Street Department since the
bituminous-rOck machine was purchased at
an expense of $1,000 yet no fire has ever
been built in tn e furnace.
For all the city officials seem to care the
big machine can rust away in the rain.
According TO the very actions Of the city
officials themselves the purchase of the ma
chine was useless one, as they have never
yet put the machine into actual Operation
Although at times. and particularly around
the period CT the last election, hundreds of
men were employed by the Street Depart
ment in repairing the streets the mach Inc
was never called into requisitiOn.
1t was such expenditures as these. not
wanted when ordered. and not used when
purchased. which helped 10 swell the tre-
mendOus deficit which the present munich
pal administration Is trying to overcome.
If the Street Committee or the StreAt De-
partment wanted to use the machine there is
plenty OF work for it TO do. In yesterdays
CALL was given al account of the wretehed
condition of the btumnOus pavement,
known rs the poultee, on Kearny street, a
condition which WAS predicted by The
OALl Rt the time tUB pavement was lalc.
But there is a thoroughfare in this city COW
cred by the poultce pavement which is in a
much worse condition than kearny street.
1t is Golden Gate avenue. There is no paved
thorOughfare IN San Francisco which is In a
more wretched condition.
Commencing a Larkin street on the way
cut toward the park, there is not block to
be found which does not sadly need repairs.
There are Tuts and ridges to be found ON
some OF the blocks, particularly at the
lower end of the street. which are posi-
lively dangerous TO vehicles. Not only ara
furrows to be met with on every block, but
large holes ran be seen where the pOultice
was thinly laid in violation of the contract
Golden Gate avenue has been placed in
its wTetehed condition by the thousands OF
heavy drays and trucks that always take
this street in preference to any other, be-
cause 1t is level aud the paving smooth and
easy for the horses.
But the heavy wagons have torn Up and
ruined the street which, of all others, should
be kept IN repairs, because it is the avenue
leading 10 the park. passed over by all Wis
itors to the city and by the thousands of
bnEgies ana carriages of those who take in
the park and Cliff House on Saturdays and
Sundays.
There would be good use for the bitum-
inous-rock machine on this street, but it is
rustlng away in an empty lot.