New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-22
DEPARTMENTS OF CITY WORK

| Immediately touches the general pubic, ana
! forms. indeed the foundation and framework OF
the whole system. 1t is about nine thousand
! strong: proportonately twice as large as the
/ New-York force. Men enter 1t only on rigid eX-
animation. ascertaining their physical, mental
! and moral fitness. No pulls or Influence can
avail Consequently we find them fine set of
fellows honest. intelligent. efficient. once III.
they are governed by a combination Of evil
service and military rules. Promotion Is strictly
for merit. and all superior places are filled by
promotion. SO the force Is differed throughout
by men of approved character and long service,
! who have. by simple force of merit. risen from
the ranks A man can have nothing to gain by
being corrupt bat everything by being faithful.
and the result IS a service unsurpassed, If, in
deed eoualled In the word. Next the streets,
Of which we have heard much. The COM
| mon impression. that they are all asphalted. IL
| incorrect. Most Of them paved with stone
| blocks though better laid and smoother than We
| are accustomed to. Many are, of course, as
phalted. and many others are paved with wood;
! the latter being more in favor than the former.
Finally. about Is per cent are macadamzed, or
| teforded But however they be paved, they are
| well paved at the outset That is the first thing.
Then they are kept undisturbed not torn up
every second week for the laying OF pipes or
| what not They are also kept in repair: the mo-
ment a break or hole appears, II is mended. in
| stead Of being left until by its expansion 1t
makes the street impossible. In conclusion. they
are kept clean. This much talked-of street clean
ing is done by a force of five thousand men, with
machines equal to about three thousand more.
| Every morning between 4 and $50 o'clock the
! streets are thoroughly swept and not few or
them actually scrubbed with brushes; and the
| halt clean
| to prevent slipping. From $50 to o'clock all
garbage Is removed, and the empty receptacles
| are disinfected and put out of sight. The gar
| bage by-the-way, Is removed by contract and
| Is taken to the suburbs. for use on farms and
| gardens as fertilizer BY o'clock therefore,
| the whole city is swept and garnished. But an
| adequate force Of men is kept at work all day
| long sweeping and sprnkng the streets, and
| scrubb!ng and disinfectng the cutters The en-
tire cost of maintaining and cleaning the streets
| Is about s5,0O0,000 year.
| The systems of water supply and sewerage are
| unique. The former dates from the Revolution.
| though it's most important development is to be
credited 10 the genius of Belgrand. 1t was he
| who in 1854 adopted the system of dual supply.
Two independent sets IF mains traverse the city.
| One contains pure spring water. for drinking
| and general household uses. The other contains
| Seine water. which. while scarcely potable. s
quite satisfactory for street-sprinkling and wash
| ing sewer-fushing manufacturing purposes, etc.
| Although begun In 1854. this dual system Is not
| even yet fully In operation though the compile
| ton OF the great Avre aqueduct in 1894 brought
! il near to perfection.
| The sewer system is often spoken Of as an
| ancient thing. 1t is not. 1t dates back only to
Belgrand who devised it and got 1t practically
| adopted in 1856 II comprises vast network, not
| of mere drainpipes but Of underground streets.
| The central roadway is a huge gutter along
| which flows tie sewage. AT the sides are elc
| waited footwalks. for workmen and inspectors.
| Higher on the walls, and overhead. are the
watermains gaspipes. electric wires. pneumatic
| tubes, etc. which thus be laid. repaired. or
removed without disturbing the pavemcnts
| OF the streets above The do no, dis
charge their contents into the river; rot all Of
| them do. Instead the sewage IS conveyed
| through pipelines to 4 number Of sewage farms
| In the suburbs. There II Is treated chemically.
The solid ingredients utilized for agricultural
purposes. and the residue. in the form Of clear.
| limpid water Is turned into the river. 1t might
actually be turned into the reservoirs for drinking
water pure Is 1t. II contains scarcely
| dozen microbes to the cubic centimetre, and they
| are innocuOus ones while the city's drinking
| water contains more than sixty. and the river
| water 400 At present about 10000 600 cubic
metres Of sewage are thus disposed Of; and by
| the year 900 the amount will include the entire
discharge of all the sewers Of Paris.
| Regard is also paid 10 the aesthetic appeal
ance Of the city. The great avenues and boule.
wards have rows of trees and strips Of lawn
from end to end There are no less than 100000
trees In the streets Of the city. Nor ugly
and exaggerated buildings allowed. The height
| Of al il ed "A rca
| able compass, and the style Of architecture Is
| also regulated as to secure harmonious
| general effect The outlandsh "sky-scrapers"
! and architectural freaks which disigure many
OF our best streets could never have been erected
In Paris.
| The progress made in educatona. affairs In
recent years is indicated by the fact that while
! in 1873. of the young men examined for military
service or per cent were itera;o the pro-
portion Of iilitera;as In 1892 was less than per
cent. Indeed Paris Is admirably supplied with
municipal schools Of all grades. There are ma
ternal schoO.s"-whlch for some nexpllcable rea-
son we call kndergartens-for children under
SIX containing 60 900 scholars In common schools
attendance Is compulsory for all children between
the ages Of six and fourteen. instruction is Of
course free. Textbooks and other supplies are
also Free and hot lunches provided at
/ for all who wish them at two cents a head.
There boarding departments connected with
Of the public schools. In which wdoWers.
guardians. and others place children for
whom they cannot conveniently provide homes.
/ Every school has its gymnasium. and nearly
every one has its workshop IN which children ar.
! trained In useful ira les There Is a fine high
/ school system, which also includes industrial
! training; and /, Is thus that Paris maintains its
/ supremacy in dressmaking millinery. furniture
making, decorative art. etc. To crown ALL there
| are sixty-slx municipal Hbrsries and official
promotion and patronage Of the fine arts such al
may nowhere else be found.
+ Public charities administered by the Blu
reau Of Public Assistance. at cost OF about