The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-10-28
MIR Lemoas Ideas on Our city's Intcrest.
No, 1,

ter. Why The Representatives of the
people are not IL; the several depart m en- I'd
OF our city are run by the caprice OF three
commissioners. their dictatlon 10 supreme;
the people who pay tho tax are utterly
ignored. All they have TO do ls pay the
tax that is levied on them or get notice
from the sheriff or constable OF sale OF
their effects. which puts them In o beggarh
position nine oases out OF ton never to
recover.
The street and Sewer Commission have
given out their ediot that their authority
extends from building line to building
line. but they go little further and build
a sewer on the street and charge for build.
ing II whether We use II or not. ts that
NOT autoorstic? 1 think go. This street
commission was founded on economical
principles to do away with tho thieving
city council. who would 10 out on the
four corners OF the street. and view 1t to
make inpro-ements. and to give the I'm.
provementB q start these loyal city
fsthers-20 in number at that time, l
think-would vo.e themselves so cents, or
" Tor the four corners OF the street. max
Ing $50 to begin the expense OF the i'm
provement they suggested. and at the end
OF The month they would have the neat
little sum OF from $40 to $50 each, beside
the dollar q night allo we'd by the city
chartar. which was SO full OF loopaoles
that these gentry were not sent TO the
whipping post like the poor chicken
thieves.
The street and sewer department went
into office with $4,000 per year, with 0
per cent. additional for the Increase of
population. The per cont must have
beon taken by this diotatoriaI comission
to mean compound, for their caprice or
diotation don't do business In email ways.
They have borrowed three quarters Of
q million of dollars to pave the streets
within the last few years. They have i'm
proved by paving around their own pro.
THAR friapdai xui
elegant fire and vitritied brick. and to
make the job more pleasant to look at
filled the joints with pitch. making 1t
more costly, and when you count the cost
OF digging out the bed OF the street and
hlling 1t up with rocks ieveliDg and roll.
Ing " oil, preparatory for the brick which
comes from the far-on state OF Ohio ut
great expense OF freight and oarting.
when II is all completed. you nave a
nice. elegant looking job, which In my
opinion. where there Is heavy hauling,
won't last over5 years. until 1t 10 worn
through. and II there ls any repairs 10 be
made when 1t ie pitched. you lose the
bricks entirely. US the pitch adheres to them
SO they cannot be clsaned aud has to be
replaced with new bricks. My Idea is q
Belgian block pavement that will last.
when put down right. 25 years. and at the
end OF that time eau be taken up and re-
laid. which will bs ae good as ever for 25
years m ore. but you will say 1t won't be
look on.and the srlstocracy would look on
IL with disfavor. while on the other hand,
II the aristooracy will be SO benevolent as
to put down this expensive short
lined pavement at their own expense.
have no objection. but on the principle
OF economy In the interest OF the poor
who In the aggregate pay more tax In
proportion than The rich, object to brick
pavsments and am In favor Of good solid
Belgian block pavements. because. first
.g oh hal H.,.- ~.
able. Second, we can get them on tho
outskirts OF our city. on the Brandywine.
Third. 1t leaves the taxes Of our city to
Its own oitizens In material and labor,
which would help 10 I'LL many a want OF
our oppressed laboripg people and their
starving children these depressed times,
BY using Belgian block for paving our
city, those that make them could get q
shaping machine that could make the
sides and enLs smooth and flt up close to.
gether as brick does. We have stone
breaker, and We could have stone shaper.
Got them ont In the rough and make any
size needed. working each eide by them
selvee, whioh wou d make them come
cheaper.
Take the Belgian block pavement on
King street. between Sixth and Front
streets, which is the best piece OF pave.
ment In our city. both for durability and
utility. Our city being hilly II gives tue
horse grip to pull his load, especially
Ill kEbbZlHk WdubutE. Ou UflDkB anu
ashptnlt they are liable to fall, whloh /
should think the S0ciety for Cruelty to
Animals ought to be Interested In what
kind Of pavement should 40 down, on
the principle that anything worth doing
10 worth doing right. on the ground OF
humanity. But this dictator som miss sion
says wo are lords of all we survey; we
own the streets and privilege OF tine city
In our own right. our word Is absolute.
You know one OF us Is payer OF streets.
IL. lts hVNr. -
way. Another says that you also know
that have prominent Office with the u.
and o., and am Interested with them In
the freight business. In order to retain
my position and hold two Offices as all
the Com missloners In town do. am in
favor of brick; and the third says nothing,
and takes his proposition out of the deal,
and Is as dumb as clam. Now, | will
repeat, is thisa peoples government or
autooratlc government? | would like the
leader to solve the question.
STREET Markets.
These street and sewer commissioners.
as l said before, have control over the
streets from building line to building line,
They give the privilege of holding what
the ordinance calls fora farmers market,
on those elegant paved streets that tho
taxpayers have spent SO much on. ana In
my opinion this old, antiquated market
has outlived Its nsefulnese. III plaza of q
farmers' market it's hucksters or SQUAT.
ters' market. filled With huckstezs and
peddlers. who all buy their stun to cell.
They have driven the farmer out and
forced him to peddle his truck by the huff
peck from house to house or haul it home
again.
Tho hucbsters buy tboir irucl, in Phila.
delphla ami bring 1t down to Madison or
King street and put up stand aud ara In
full competition with the farmer. and BY
reason of this market. the people have
got accustomed to come from all the
other portions OF tho city and patronage
them or go without food. Why not change
the market from one sslreet TO another on
alternate days, and give the people alike
advantage OF the market. II there is any?
There Is store on nearly all the corners
OF our city. Their rent 10 double that of
q private dwelling, which shows they are
heavy tax payers. Outside Of that, from
O statement made by the clerk of the
court in September. tho licenses were
about Sl33 600.
These store keepers ought to have pro.
lection; the farmer ought to either rent a
store ami sell his produce tn the people,
or sell It to the store In bulk, which would
enable the storekeeper to supply his
nelRhbors as cheap as the farmers. and
whom the farmer would take Into consld.
Grafton losing so much Of his time retail.
ing his products In the street, he would
make as much IL not more by selling to
the stores OF market houses. which are
half empty at present. not to speak of
hls expense over night at hotel for him.
self aud tenn. As II Ia now carried on IT'S
nothing but confusion. There 10 not
enough room TO do business. The stands
are on the curbstcno not against the
house side. leaving little room for the
public to go through with their baskets,
being liable to drop their marketing In
the street and have their pockets rified In
the crush. The butchers are In the same
predietment. They have no protection.
Butchers outside the limits OF our city
buy and XIII cattle and sell them In our
market TO disadvantage of our city
butchers. who pay city taxand license,
while they pay none. All these
squatters pay is what the Clerk