The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-06-11
WHAT STREETS F.P..ANEDi?
THE Bo4RB or PUB11ossEoRKs
PUzzEEDs

Corporation eoHnsel Ely yADeflhes what
Streets May be sprinkled-Under,the
of General Assembly--AnotherAn
To-day.
''The city cannot sprinkle top-dressed
Streets" was the startling information
conveyed to the board of public works
yesterday by the corporation counsel at
a special meeting held to consider the
specifications for the purpose of adver-
tising for bids for sprinkling the streets
council, under the act OF the slegisla-
ture.
That such a condition. of affairs ex-
listed was a surprise to the members
of the board, for they had supposed
that there was nothing to hinder the
order being carried out in the manner
directed by the specifications as SUBJ
mitted by them.
CITY Engineer Kelly remembered that
the right of the city to lay assessments
for sprlnkling, other than paved streets.
had been questioned in former years.
and that eX-Corporation Counsel c. II.
Driscoll had held that there could be no
assessment laid upon property owners
for the Sprinkling of other than "pay-
ed streets, holding that top dressed
streets did not come under that head.
Having this in his mind he submitted
the same questions to the present COR
poration counsel, William H. Ely, WHOSE
opinion is as follows:
Hon. A. c. Hendrick, Mayor:
Dear Sir-In my communication to
you of May IS gave you my opinion as
to what was included in thei words
permanent pavements.''
In regard to what is meant by s'pay-
ed streets" in the sprinkling act refer
red to in your communication, would
say, in my opinion, paved streets are
those which are covered with stone.
brick, concrete or some similar SUBJ
stance so as to give a level surface, and
does not include those streets which
are merely top dressed pr hardened
with broken stone.
Respectfully submitted, jt
WILLIAM H. ELY, \
Corporation Counsel.
The communication spread conster-
nation abroad among the members and
none spoke for few minutes.
Commissioner Bishop was the first to
recover his equanimity and said:
"Wep if we can only sprinkle State and
YA streets | do not think we had bet
ter do anything about it,
1T would be better that we sprinkle
all the cobble-stone pavements. Then
the people will get so sick of the dust
that they will get another act through
the Legislature That's the only way
out of it," said Commissioner Hoyt
At the suggestion of Commissioners
Bishop, who said that he wished more
time to look into the question for him.
self it was voted to hold another meet-
ing to-day, when it is requested that a,
full board be present so that some de-
finite action may be taken. The meet
ing will be held at 1880 o'clock this
morning.
Under this opinion there are only four
miles of pavement which can be sprin-
lSled, and those are stone, block and
cobble stone, while there are twenty
one miles of macadam and fourteen
miles of Telford pavement
Mr.. Kellys specifications provided
that the contract should be for one year,
that the superintendent of streets or
some other person 20 oe appointed by
the board to inspect the work done by
the contractor, that streets should be
sprinkled from March Is 10 November
15 and at such times and with such
frequency as the superintendent should
require, that the contract should not be
sublet except by permission OF the
board and a bond of 5000 was TO be
required for the faithful execution OF
the contract.
The members of the board would not
discuss the SituaTion last evening, say
ing that it was impossible to tell just
what will be done at the meeting to-
day. They admitted the seriousness of
the turn in affairs when everyone was
expecting that the dust nuisance was
soon to be abated and all agreed that
if possible something would be done to
afford relief.
| One thing was asserted positively
that Senator Lyman II. Johnson in the
| legislature of 1895 proposed an amend
| ment to the act striking out the word
| paved and that it passed both
branches of the general assemly.
whether the bill was afterward doc
tored or that the enrolling clerk made
the mistake will in all probability never
| be settled. But some ones error or an
others willfulness may keep the citi-
zens of this city biting dust for another
| year.
| A member of the board of public
works said yesterday in speaking of
| the recent resolutions of the two
| branches of the court of common coun-
| Gil citing it in before the street COM
mittee to give information as to the
recent award of fhe contract for the
asphalt pavements, said that every
member of that body was ready and
willing to give out all the information
! desired.
ON THE BALL FIELD.