The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-05-03

| ing OF captains office at the rear OK
the present central police station.
MAYORS QUARTERLY MESSAGE.
To the Honorable Court of Common
Council:
Although during the sixteen months
we have been associated officially no
great public improvements have been
undertaken, much has been accom-
plished for the good of the city.
AT the very outset Of our official ca
reer the proposed new charter, which
afterwards became a law, demanded,
and received long and earnest consid-
GRAFTON. The committee of your hon
orable body, whose members made a
particular study of the subject, de-
serve special thanks in this connection.
l am confident that the charter, al
though making many radical changes
In our system of doing business, has
the approval of the majority of our
citizens to-day, and it will be more
and more appreciated by very great
majority of the people of New Haven
as the years go by and the benefits
sure to be derived under it are seen and
realized.
In the line of public improvements,
our first investment in street paving
authorized by the special permanent
pavement law, has been completed, and
the work is now on trial. The senti-
ment of the people seems to be quite
conservative in the matter of further
expenditure at present. The legisla-
ture authorized the issue of 100000 of
bonds for permanent pavement. Two
hundred and fifty thousand dollars of
these bonds have been sold realizing
$265,S25. The cost of the asphalt and
brick pavements already laid was $780,
412.4O being $15,0S7.40 in excess of the
amount realized.
Although the cost per yard of these
pavements is probably fresh in your
kinds, l will restate them there in con-
nection with the cost of other pave
ments laid some time ago:
Orange street, asphalt, $3.41 per
square yard.
West Chapel street aspalt, $3.50 per
square yard.
Trumbull street, asphalt, $335S per
square yard.
Ashmun street, brick, $500 per
square yard.
Wooster street, brick, s2.S4 per
square yard.
The block pavement on Temple
street, through the green, laid on sand
foundation in 1887, cost $3.50 per square
yard Many of the blocks have been
reversed as they became worn. AL
though this pavement has had reason
able attention and repairs, it's present
condition is too bad to be tolerated. The
concrete pavement on Hillhouse ave-
nue., from the railroad bridge to Sach-
EN- street, was laid about 1870 and paid
for by the property owners, the ave-
nue. being then a private street. First
cost not known. The city has expend-
ed for repairs on this pavement: In
1882, $3.50; 1883, $663S2; and in 1892
1914. In the latter case the cost was
31h cents per square yard for por-
tions repaired and top-dressed, and
Az cents for washing with tar and
sanding. The concrete pavement on
Hillhouse avenue, between Grove
street and the railroad bridge, was
laid in June, 1892; cost, one dollar per
square yard 1t now needs some re-
pairs.
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
The department of public works has
done good work during the past winter
keeping the streets and crossings clean
and endeavoring to secure compliance
with the ordinances in regard to clean
I ing snow and ice from sidewalks. There
has been much to learn, and much has
been learned. I am confident that still
better results will be secured in these
particulars next winter, People should
be made to understand that the city is
not in the business of cleaning side
walks from choice, but only as it Is
forced into it by the few people who
ignore the law to the discomfort and
danger of the many who comply with
it. In justice to the many the laws
should be thoroughly enforced.
The intention Of the new charter tc
put the work of the department of pub
lie works on business basis is being
conscientiously carried out by the Off
3ials of the department. Materials are
purchased and labor is employed on 9
basis of getting one hundred cents
worth of value for each dollar expend-
ed, leaving the dispensing of charity
to the department charged with thai
duty.
The completion of the bridge ovei
Quinnipiae river at Grand avenue is q
cause for much congratulation. We
have reason to believe that it is a gooc
bridge, and hope that the experience
connected with its building may help us
to avoid expensive and annoying delays
in the future.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
The department of education is prob.
ably as much criticised, and as unjustlJ
criticised, as any department of the
city. In 1882 sixteen years ago, the
debt of the school district was $4,000
and the annual expenditure for interest
on that debt, $1,000. At the end of the
school year of 1897 he debt of the dis.
trict was about $737,000 During that
period of sixteen years succeeding
board kept the tax rate down without
keeping the expenses down, a short
sighted policy which won the approval
. of short-sighted people, who could not
or would not look beyond the low rate
on their tax bills and see the indebted
ness piling up. From 1880 to 1897 the
increase of population of the school dis
trict was about so per cent. The in.
crease of the grand list, 26 per cent.
and increase of indebtedness, 1858 pei
cent. 1t ought to be plain to everybody
that the present board is not RESPONSE
| BILE for this vast increase of indebted