The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-25
Accident to NapOleOnR Roberge
Opens Up Vital Question
Of Much Interest.
Carelessness May Cost This City
Quite a Large Amount of
Money in Damages.
NO DANGER LIGHT TO MARK PLACE
Citizens Dissatisfied With Manner in Which
the Highway Department Has Been Run
No Use For Natives-Notes.

The accident which happened Tuesday
night to Napoleon Roberge opens an old
question, and one which is OF vital inn
portance to the public at large. During
the past year considerable dissatisfaction
has existed among the taxpayers concern
ing the condition of the highways. These
complaints are not confined to any one
particular locality, but they come from
all sections of the city. The matter of
caring for the highways, and the general
supervision of the work, is in the hands
of the Board of Public Works. 1t is not
fair, however, to lay the whole blame
upon the members of this board, because
in most instances the City Council is
responsible.
In the first place the power of ordering
these improvements rests solely with the
City Council, and they are directly re-
sponsible to the people. On the other
hand there are many things connected
with the department over which they have
sole control, and when, under these condi-
tions, accidents occur and they ought to
be brought to an account. In this partic-
ular instance, according to reports, there
was an imperfection in the highways
which never ought to have existed, and IL
existing, warnings ought to have been
placed in such manner that citizens
would be aware of the fact.
In this particular instance it seems that
some one has been guilty of gross negli-
gence, and the result of this negligence
will be that the city will, in all probability,
be called upon to pay heavy bill of dam
ages, as the result of somebody's careless
ness. The highways in the western dis
trict are in deplorable condition, and they
stand as living example of somebody's
incompetency. II the proper method had
been taken to better the condition of these
thoroughfares Thousands of dollars might
have been saved to the taxpayers. In
stances Of short-sightedness could be seen
during the heavy freshets last spring and
early summer, when large portions Of the
highways In the vicinity of Dexter street
were swept into sayles' swamp.
Hundreds of loads of sand and gravel
were carried away at loss of great
many thousands of dollars. This state
ment may look trifie rash to some but 1t
is fact nevertheless and can be substan
tiated. For instance, during the early part
of the summer there were quite number
of heavy rain storms, and each storm car
ried away large portions of the highways.
After each storm men and horses were put
to work and hundreds of loads of soft
gravel were placed upon the roads which
were inundated by the storms. The work
was done in such manner, however, that
the next storm acted in the same manner.
carrying away in like manner the result of
hundreds of dollars worth of labor. If,
on the contrary, the work had been done
in the proper manner after the first storm,
there would have been no cause for this
continual output of the taxpayers money.
Hardly person in the city is satisfied
with the way the department has been
carried on during the past year. particu-
larly, in regards to the manner of hiring
help. Americans born and brought up in
this country, and those of Irish extraction,
had no license to apply for position on
the highways. In order to secure posi-
tion one had to speak French and claim
Canada for a birthplace. 1t made no diff
ference whether or not the applicant was
real estate owner the preference was given
to the French Canadians. Instances have
been noticed during the past year where
taxpayers have been compelled to stand on
the corner in idleness while the French
Canadians OF one or two weeks residence
in the city could find employment on the
highways.