New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-17
M NOT LITTER THE STREETS.

rho Denorimcnt Of Street Cleaning has now
nosscd into the hands Of the reform auliih'S'in
tion The new broom begins 10 sweep WIZ"
The notice and the police Justices nave p''"
asked to enforce strictly the laws ihan' W p''
vcnt the strcwing of refuse. and 'oi"hci "'r'"s
himself emf off $1,000 Of needless cAp'hni'"I''
and will use the money for Inc legiiiuE'' ""'N
~ his department. The new COMMISSIONER MS
q GREAT opporunty. His task Is moi easy p''
\cv York spends Il large sum Tor street 'i'""
,r., and * willing Ia be- as liberal aS OCCASION
may require provided only that II has IN ilo"'S'
r,,,,p for th, money Anybody who VIII use u
honcs,Iv and 10 good purpose Will hav" almost
unboundcd gratitude. But that gratitude hi"S'
Ia. earned Under the Tammany rule one "1l''r
altar onn,hrr undertook with flourish "l Wuh
ro,s to clean the streets. hut no on" OF them
ovcr dId II The previous records 81 SON" "i
these men gave people hope Tor h'tl'T 'hlh-S
Notwithstanding their Tammany allegiance p'''
disoppoiniment WAS invariahlc consequent"
i, is not surprising that pcopl" still fear 'hh'
the dirt of the future will bc n nurh III cyl
dencc as the dirt ~ the past
Rut the cleaning 81 the streets ~ by No means
,b only nrohlrm 10 ne solved In The selirih.
~ clcan streets II j. quit.' a. Important tlAt
,hcv should not be- made unnecessarily dlriy
~, rain and ,hn snow are uncomfortable. ana
INNS, n. made The best II when they come. \
comnctcni department will be prepared Tor 'A'
work Of thr clements keep the CUTTERS open ana
inc WAYS clear. But no amount Of diligence
will avail 10 deal with papers. fruit skins. ashes
and other rubbish II they are 10 be- thrown mi"
fla. streets as has hitherto been allowed. The
| h,bit If scattering refuse has become alarming
,v rr.yal.nt. and has been permitted To gro"
hv ,h, .,slect of Tammany 10 restrain II. The
,o,,. arr, uerfectlv ADEQUATE. forbddng under
ponaltv Of fine or Imprisonment III" throwing ~
am. Lind ~ r.r,ls. into any street. lane. alley
or other public place II rigidly enforced. one
of rho worst nuisanccs which New York cnilr'S
would be abated The disgusting sights ana
suous which are met with on every hand make
| visitors think the city inhabited by barbarans
| 4 few years ago NEWCOMERS were angry M IN
| EncIish author for calling the town long pig
| trough They might have reflected that the way
,hov ncrmitt.d their cutters to look like places
| whore swine were expected to feed must be-
rather startling 10 one accustomed TO seeing de
| concv In such matters strictly enforced.
| In This respect the real reform must he
Wrought among the citizens. Not only * public
sentiment needed to educate people in individual
/
the authorities in vigorous enforcement OF III"
law. The American good nature ana contempt
Of trIfes IS here likely 10 work much harm. III
a policeman arrests man for throwing Torn
envelope on the sidewalk. the common remark
is apt to be that he is ovcrofiicious II III" case
is carried further and fine inflicted, the offend
or NAV be thought the victim of persecution
| "Such a little thing" even though 1t he an of
fence against the common good. ilnpresses inc
average sense as not worth bothering about 80
the citizen tolcratcs the nusanccs and helps to
create sentiment against suppressIns them
He walks through Uttered streets, slips on
banana pcels. and helps 10 make his city untidy
and unhcalthful through his carclcssncss AMI
his acquicscence in the petty injuries when
Others do him and his felow-citlzens. Against
this spirit the Street-Cleaning Department may
struggle in vain. Even the gods cannot make
clean what prefers 10 be dirty