Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-13
FRIDAY. ..SEPTEMBEK 10, 1885,
The Streets of Richmond.

The streets OF Hicb"oh"'
The streets Of this city. or at any rate
many of them. begin TO show the erect
Of the economy In street appropriations
forced upon us by reason of the large eN-
penditurcs made on account of the cry
Hall.
Some Of our great thoroughfares haze
good carriage-ways and poor. shabby
sidewalks. This is the case with Main
street. and TO q certain extent with Broad
street. Other streets need new roadways
and new sidewalks both. This Is the case
with Franklin and Grace streets. others
stiIl might do very well for some years
10 come with their present roadways. but
should have new sidewalks. This Is the
case with Ninth street, where II Is most
vvd By the general public.
What are we going to do about these
streets? Shall we suffer them TO get
worse and worse? Are we going to let
this valuable property of ours 60 to rack
end ruin rather than spend the money
needed 10 keep It In order? Such policy
would be very foolish indeed. Yet We
are pursuing II. and the excuse Is that
Committee all the funds that II needs
But sooner or later we shall have TO
raise this money. and in our opinion the
quicker this is done the better. There
is work to do that cannot well be post
poned longer; It is work that we
cannot escape doing. Moreover. 1t
Will have TO be paid for In
large part out of the pockets OF
the taxpayers. There is no other plan
possible to raise the bulk of the money
that we need. 1t may be that future
decisions of the Supreme Court of this
State will clearly allow us to tax abut-
ting property-owners for the cost or part
OF the cost of putting down sidewalks
but II so. We shall still have to raise
much other money.
The question is. how can we do II?
Our answer IS, In one way only-by tax.
alton. We can either make a new issue
OF bonds or we can levy a special tax for
street improvements. There have been
so many bond Issues of late years We
have to confess we incline TO the other
method. An addition could be made to
our tax rate, TO run for a short period
OF years, which would not be oppressive.
and which would yet give to the Street
Committee an income TO supplement what
81 now receives from the City Council,
and the aggregate would enable the com
mittee to pursue a general and system
attic plan of street improvement.
The financial method 10 be adopted
would better be left to financial experts,
but the other questionable main ques-
tlon-the people are competent TO pass
upon. 1t is. shall we not devise some
good. practical, sensible. businees-like
plan for putting our streets in better
condition than they are?
Ten years ago the streets of Richmond
were In good condition. Few cities OF
our riz. then had better streets than
outs. 1t is not so now. We have lost
prestige Many other cities Of our size
have better roadwSys and better side
walks than we have. So far as the side
walks of Broad and Main streets are
concerned. they are things that Richmond
ought TO be ashamed Of Those old. worn.
ragged. and jagged bricks should be
taken up. and In their place sidewalks of
granolithic material laid. Franklin and
Grace streets should be thoroughly over
hauled. or. better etill, rebuilt from house.
line TO house-lne.
We have been postponing and
pcstponing too long. Too much
time has been lost, while our prop
erty has been going from bad to worse.
We have got to act. Delay Is opposed
TO economy. We have got to spend
money. We have got TO put our hands
into our pockets 10 pay the bill. But
It viii be "A good investment. II will
enhance the value OF property. II will
make our city more pleasant to residents
and more attractive to visitors. What
stranger comes here now tina. doesn't
comment upon the roughness of the side
walks1 Where Is II that we have one
single. good, smooth, hard driveway In
the city? Indeed. some OF our suburban
roads are better than Franklin or Grace
street
Next spring. at the laying Of the cor
ner-stone OF the Davis monument. Rich
mond Will be full Of vlsitors-vsitors
gathered here from the four corners Of
this country. and from the South espe-
cially. VIII we then be able to point"
with PRIDE" TO our smooth. well-kept,
beautiful streets? No; instead Of that we
shall have 10 make excuses and explana-
tions for our streets appearance. We
stall have TO say that We would have
better streets here than we have II we
hadn't built the new City Hall. We
shall have to tell our friends, that our
street funds are not sufficient 70 give
our great thoroughfares complete over
hauling We shall have to promise them
that when they come here to the monu-
ment unveiiing they shall see better
streets. Meanwhile. let US see how we
are going TO get the money that we need.
]. takes US long time to make up our
minds, and legislation on the part OF
the General Assembly may be needed, so
bet us begin to consider this question at