New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-27
AFFAIRS IN BROOKLYN.
POINTS ABOUT PLACEMENTS.
COMMISSIONER WHITES REPORT CON
TAINs IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS.

TAINS IMPORTANT
THE PUBLIC BEING EDUCATED UP TO GOOD ROAD
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS BY TROLLEY COM
pANIEs AND THE DAMAGE THEY
CAUSE TO THE cIrYs
STREETS.
City Works COMMISSIONS Alfred T. White yes
terday gave out extracts from his annual report
10 the Mayor covering its salient features IL Is
In part as follows:
No matter in the control of this department mas
excited public interest during tne na var 3on
sections OF the city No expenditure OF money a.. ~
tracts attention so quickly and none goes as we as to
present residents look confidently for an ncrr tease
non sne Of the good pavements laid in 1885,
and urge that every dollar when can De spave
for the purpose be expended next year on repa,e-
ments. The various recommendations ior les ns
year "a ago were formulated by Corporation C0un,
into bills which were duly 10 tng and
Early in the year the efforts of the department
We're 1894 the depart
ment specification prohibited the use OF any to to
granting monopoly to the owners OF the Itah' la
lake na and M 's s onp Ons6e firm
contractors who used this product . son, Ia %
the conclusion that the specifications should be so
revised to admit other asphai,s in1U re
suit IN the competition Of this year FIVE con ay%c
tors submitted bids including prop0saS, ,Hr eyeH
uela lake asphalt. California asphalt ana iinPo,ea
rock n apn bid sH or aspha peT e yard at
time ranged from 81 IS to 81 60 The former price
Yard ,sn or tie over ' These prices for pave
ment laid under five years guarantee aho sns
s n omer Years s Was invariably and
sns has IN beWen he
has continued sharp that prices wheH IN Ie 81 -
per square yard upward. the lowest price being pa
by the same contractors who mad pr H o
similar BROOKLYN has had the benefit of the very
made in any city o ans 'ne Me
reduction of 20 per cent at least in granite.
PEOPLE WAKING UP.
The apathy which the people Of the city nave
heretofore exhibited IN their liberation OF coooie-
stone pavements is not yet wholly at an end as 'ne
illustrations quoted by the engineer OF local I'M
provements prove but demand for improved pave
ments has certainly been created. ana the Wiling
ness Of the property-owners contribute toward
their construction In most cases has been proven.
Within a few years property owners on o.ne1 @
will he compelled ask for similar improved paw
ments or their houses will be reduced IN renting
value The extent of the present demand loI sut y,
navements If maintained will prove sufIlcieht 10
taY the resources of the contractors In DOING 'he
work and doing it properly and OF 'he CITY !" ''e'
T,trided brick has been used for street pavements
for many years in other cities OF me coup1S
me P pre-, nayesnt laid namely on McDonoughs
between Marcy-ave and az adpi steady
growth in favor OF this pavement, which seems 10
me peculiarly well suited to our city Ao,.o ,aen
During the last eleven months there nave peex
laid 1852 miles Of granite pavement o2S mics oa
Belgian sOl miles of asphalt The total mileage
~ 1aved streets is thus distributed at present;
@ mics Of granite 40 miles Of se of asp halt
miles of cobbestones, ana 3oi' niies s y. Ia ~
such pavement ever laid In Brooklyn on concrete
base and with tar and grave l9hs NJ 5ayyements
has been reduced 1866 miles during the year
EXEMPTION FROM RAILROAD TRACKS.
II Is important TO preserve certain continuous
.horoughfares in all directions free from raiiroau
tracks as it is to provide on other streets ioi '''1
conveyance Of passengers over street ia""'
believe too that this should be arranged Pioip''s
~ we would keep Brooklyn attractive as city Oh
would respectfully suggest Therefore tna regs
lation be sought exempt from surface raa[ ,P
several important lghfares in various
across the city in accordance WIN soi Her wise
Sch scheme would naturally include as many as
possible of the streets on wnich lesis'a'''e 'N'p
ton has already been granted
Mr. White dwells at length upon the reia'oh ol
the corporations occupying the city streets TO the
pavement and repairs of the streets 'heE occupy
His suggestions practically all co'eIea Ill ''e
Tribune's article on Sunday last. The damage TO
pavemen,s by the telephone companies is much less,
he holds than il caused by the surface railroad
companies, for the following reasons: ,.,,,ar
obliged 10 take up the pavement to repair theT
secondsince the introduction of the trolley sys-
tenn the tracks wear out rapidly. and in many cases
the rails already need complete rene IVA hearing
through rails upon the ties frequently cause an
Four,h~The tendency Of the railroad companies
has been to raise their tracks each time that repairs
grade of the Street has been spoiled by the rise in
Inc centre The portion Of the street between sne
slope and. partly to avoid this; the trucks are
apt their wheels on one side nn IN 9ne 81 o
the track making line In the street when Is spaa
tse granite Blocks have been grooved in line two
inches deep by such use .s,. ,,a u,.
of new granite block pavemen; is shortened from
one-third 10 one-hal in any ordinary thoroushiare
Under these circumstances ! have not felt that !
could to the claim Of the fpTther
than TO relay the same stones every time tney re,
and 1s 'ne aG's ID int to- me
proper to review their obls aticns here ron.rs wss
raised by this department in 1894. which resulted IN
judicial decision that the Commss9neir OF oiy
entitled to proof that the consents of a majority
Of the f b.o 4e sows
railroad TO be built on any street
REPAIRS TO PAYMENTS.
In speaking of the important matter of franchises
the commission says:
1t is evident that the railroad FRANCHISES hereto
fore granted by the Common Council have never
been of proper form to protect even me pr9p@eIIH
of the city from damages while in the city OF PM.
adephia more than one hundred and NIFTY miles OF
streets have been repaved by the trolley GomPan,es
in return for the simple privilege OF substituting
electric for horse power. and are TO be mantalned
by such companies forever Better protection should
also be afforded the water mains of the city from
the danger OF electrolysis by which the distribution
system + now impcrllei at different points. have
recently sent to the Common Council. and annex az
an appendix TO this report, my recominendatlon as
10 the clauses to inserted in franchises which
may hereafter be granted for the protection OF the
payements and water mains OF the city. lhese
Recommend tions follow the ordinances which nave
been adopted in Philadelphia, and which have there
been accepted by the railroad companies. ana nave
proved themselves effective. The Introduction OF
such clauses in any grant Will not OF course, pre-
clude the exaction of compensation conflict with
any other requirements as the Common Council
NAV adopt In this connection may add that the