The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-03

I entirely rebuilt In one case the street
| has been built three times, and the fnsl
| payments for the cost will not be made
| earlier than 1924
The objection offered to the third
method is that small property holders
| will have TO pay the costs, and, IL IN
| claimed, that they cannot afford 10 do So
| While the first part OF this statement
may, in some instances, be true, there
| are also at the present time many petit
| tiuns from large real estate holders, who
| ask the city TO build tho streets 10 enable
| tlem To place building lots on the market
at en- hanced value, and though 10 might
| be no moro than Just TO build the streets.
| already received, out OF the general taxes
| yet there Is no better time than the pres
| ent to change the method. II it Is To he
| changed, and receive no more streets until
F, authority IL obtained TO assess the cost OF
| building them ID the abutting owners.
| l do not think, moreover, that the hard
| ship would bs so great as Ia anticipated
Were we To stop builui3g streets very
| soon IL might not be fair To compel abut-
ting owners TO pay for the few remaining
streets which would then be received
| But there are probably many more streets
ahead Of us TO be built than arc behind
| Us. already completed, and one payment
made on the cost of "A single street would
| be smaller than the sCm total Of contribu-
| tions demanded for successive years tow
ard cost of the many streets ana boule-
| wards which Will hereafter be built. The
change, too. If made, should BIO m made
| onlv upon such terms and conditions as
will make the payments so easy that no
hardship will be felt. This could ne ac-
| complished by giving at first long terms
for payments, aud in this way, the third
| method suggested, could DO made boon
rather than burden TO the small land
! holder, relieving him once fer all from
contributing toward the development Of
other PEOPLE & land.
The occupation of portions Of the pub
! ic streets and sidewalks adjoining build
| inRs esrecially in the close building dis
trict for private use, should bs called to
your atten ton. It Das become 90 fire.
quent as to seriously interfere with the
use OF such streets and sidewalks for pub
' lie purposes. In return for the conver-
| sion Of valuable public property to pri-
vats occupation and use. the city should
receive al adequate yearly income, based,
/ would suggest, upon a fair percentage
OF the Ass ssed valuation of the property
SO converted. The right To make such as
sessment should be obtained from the
State Legislature, and would tend 10 re-
strict somewhat the Increasing demand
for such private occupation, anu return TO
the public a fair com ponsation for such
use OF Its property.
The clean condition In which the streets
OF our city are kept, and the cost of main.
tanning them In that condition, | nm
told Will compare fayorahly with that of
any other city in the United States The
results might be more satisfactory III the
ordinances regarding the throwing of
waste paper Into the streets and sweeping
rubbish from the stores were more eener-
nlly enforced Some well.diIected efforts
on the part cf few publio-spirited citi-
zens To aid the department in its effcrts
TO keep the streets clear Of broken glass
and other rubbish has met with such sue
cess thut IL is believed that more thought
fuluess on the part of the citizens them
selves I'm refraining from throwing rub
bsh I'm the streets, and III ore stringent
enforcement oi the laws provided Tor such
offences. would result in IA more tidy ap-
pearsnce OF the streets. and make them
safer for horses and bicycles.
In connection with this subject of high
ways, it seems proper for me TO call y ur
attention to street lighting and the cost
thereof.
The cost during the last year of street
lighting was as follows:
For electric nght ht.................. 23l, ,Oih
For gasole ne ........................ VI, 300
The cost OF lighting our streets has IN
creased Verv rapidly In the last few years,
until now the cost cf electric lighting,
alone Il greater than the entire yearly
appropriation for maintaining, cleaning
and rerairtnR oil OF our streets. Tue cost
OF gas has decreased since 1888, from
SCI. l4l. 90 TO S2i 900, but the cost of cleo
ic light has increased from S37 9I5 81 Go
S23l, ,0i5, making net increase OF
SlA2, 027 30 Ii is true that our streets are
very well lighted, but u is also apparent
THAI we are paying too much for tins
Item OF electric lights. There is very lit
tie doubt that this city could make its
own light for not much more than half
Of what IL is paying now. The fact that so
mauy private business houses navs Teen
-. l..t.. 81. 4.
electric light, anu saving money thereby
although small consumers, ought TO con.
vince tbs Council that the City OF Provi
dence, which u such large consumer,
could save great doai or money every
year by owning its own plant In max
ing this suggestion, i am fully aware Of
the clause IN the act concerning the Mar
rogausett Electric Lighting Company,
imposed mt the January session OF tho
General Assembly. 1892. with regard to tho
purchase Ot PORTIONS oi its plant, whom
ever the city shall determine 70 make its
own electric light but DO not CON
slider that a. Presents any insurmOuntable
obstacle tO the city having its own plant
at re 4sunable terms. j. therefore, adj
wise the appointment OF a joint special
committee TO inquire into the advisable
ity OF the city purchasing and main
tanning its own plant for the purpose ot
lighting by electricity its streets and pub
lie buildings
SEWERS.
A portion OF the Moshassuck division
of the sewerage system comprised In the
ex ,ensiOn or Canal street ana Park street
is now being built The committee on
land for improved sewerage l. negotiating
for th, right ot say for the rest Of the
d!Vision, the construction or which Will
afford drainage for the northern portion
ut the city located In the second and
third wards Rights uf way for the main
trunk sewer have been obtained for tie
northwestern section of the city, and "
is anticipated that tie sewer will bs built
during tho present year. sewage pumps
n the Ernest street station are in survice.
and ail Tho sawaun arrpuffuu n small