The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1895-03-28
A SPLENDID REPORT.
The Street Commissioner Doings For a
Year All Told

Council ofthe city Of He,sosna
GENTLEMEN: u present herewith for
your consideration my first annual re-
port Of the street department OF the
city OF Kenosha.
The city of Kenosha is nothing but a
business corporation. 1t is like other
large corporations doing business
amounting to ninety-one thousand
(91, 000) dollars annually, employing
laborers, skilled and otherwise, to do
the work of the municipality, dealing
out to the people, through its several
departments protection to life and
property, through a police department,
a fire department, light department;
educating their children through it's
free public schools the best in the
state); caring for the poor and unfor
tunate; keeping its streets in condition
for public travel; and many other
things for the comfort and welfare Of
its inhabitants.
For these things the people are
charged by taxation and are made to
pay the bills, and it is the duty of the
city, through it's departments, to rem
der an equivalent for every dollar paid
into the treasury. 1t is simply bust
nesr transaction, and the different de-
partments should be conducted solely
on business principles.
The functions Of street commissioner
are Of vital Importance, and their faith
full and wise performance touches the
best interests of the whole community.
His official acts should be we'll sus-
taiEed by the mayor and council. He
should be left, as far as possible, freeto
do his own work in his own way, sub
jecU to the approval of the city engineer.
He should be subject to one restraint,
and one only He should know that if
he does not perform his duties proper
ly, he will lose his position. Public
sentiment should always be indulgent
and patient with him, for he comes in
almost daily conflict with individual
citizens Of all classes, who have to feel
the pressure of his requirements, and
his tact will be severely tested.
Cleaning Streets.
Clean streets are essential to public
comfort and health, and it should be
the aim Of all citizens as carefully to
avoid the creating of dirt and filth out
doors, as they do indoors. One of our
great present difficulties is due to the
custom Of encumbering the street de-
partment with a vast amount of work
that should be done by the people
themselves. Nothing should be thrown
into the streets, that can, even at some
cost and Inconvenience, be disposed Of
on the premises or hauled to the public
dump, such as paper, rags, dead grass,
straw, bottles and more especially ashes.
Above all should the people be eau
toned against littering the walks with
scraps OF paper, orange peel, banana
skins, and such stuff in disregard of the
fundamental principle that the easiest
way to keep clean is not to make foul.
The task of keeping streets clean is a
formidable one under the most favor
able circumstances. The production of
garbage, ashes, waste paper, rubbish,
manure, and the manifold offscourings
of life and industry never stops, and
thus collection and removal must never
stop. The only effective-the only
economical way to clean city is to
clean it constantly. 1t is proper under
these known circumstances that moth
ing be thrown on the streets that can
be kept off them.
1t is eminently case where the one
man-poWer can be used to the best ad
vantage, for there must be fixed pol
icy, as far removed as possible from the
uncertainty and compromises of an ac-
ton that is controlled by several minds.
Street work should be controlled by one
mind, which under properly established
regulations should have an absolute and
unquestioned control of the whole
business.
Side Walks.
The sidewalks are susceptible of
better treatment than is commonly ac-
corded to them, the proper care of
which, in my opinion, is the most i'm
portant duty of the street commission
er Sidewalks should be constantly
uppermost in the mind of the street
commissioner, and he should give that
branch his individual attention. Care
lessness on his part will inevitably re-
suit in accident, the natural cOnse-
quence of which is judgment against
the city. My practice has been to give
ton and repair them at once. have
ignored the usual practice of serving a
three day notice TO repair defective
walks, but have caused them to be re-
paired at the city's expense (Which has
been slight for the reason that the
service of a notice shows actual knowl-
edge on the part of the city of the de-
fective condition of a certain sidewalk,
i and if an accident occurs after the ser