Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-09
WHEELMEN AND FOOTMEN.

| II is fortunate for the public that the
wheelmen are active in urging the I'M
nrovement of our streets. We nave
however. heard II said that they are
| moved by purely selfish interest, and
that they care nothing for roadways
generally. so long as smooth paths or
! strips are provided for them.
This does thc~i injustice. In behalf
of the whole public. they would vastly pre-
fer 10 have the entire width of the road
ways laid in asphaltum or concrete, but
seeing that they could not hope to secure
| now such an appropriation as would be
| required for this, they are only asking OF
| the City Council what is probably in the
power of the Council TO give. And we
doubt not that If the Council will be
guided by the judgment of the City En-
eineer. any gutter or strip that may now
be laid for the wheelmen may hereafter
be incorporated into and made a solid
part of "A new and improved roadway.
We only wish the owners of horses
and vehicles were as active and Jealous
in behalf of their special interests as the
wheelmen are in behalf of theirs If
they would organize and exert their in
fuence upon the City Council, we might
expect the adoption of systematic,
though gradual. plan Of roadway i'm
provement, which would revolutionize
the appearance of Richmond in the course
of a few years. And then why should
not the pedestrian population, so to
speak. use it's influence in behalf of side
walks? The pedestrians outnumber the
wheelmen and riders and drivers twenty
to one. and may do anything they have
~ mind to do in the matter of municipal
legislation. They might have had good
sidewalks years ago upon all of our prin-
cipal thoroughfares. if they had only set
about the task as vigorously as the
wheelmen have done. However, we may
expect that they will now profit by the
example of the wheelmen and begin
forthwith to manifest concern in all man
ner of street improvements.
And so we commend the exertions Of
the wheelmen in the interest of the
general public. Richmond has allowed
her streets to run down." until many
Of them are beyond repair. The time has
come for us to adopt a different policy.
We are not at standstill-worse than
that-we are retrograding in the matter
of streets! Instead of so doing, we should
be going forward.
The Dispatch is no advocate Of wild |
cat expenditures" and keeps ever in |
mind the burdens to which our tax |
payers are subject; but if we would we |
could not dodge the question of street |
improvements. Our city must make |
them or else be content to let our prin- |
cipal thoroughfares discredit us in the |
eyes Of all visitors, and discourage build |
ing enterprise upon the part of our peo-
pie Again, IL would be better for us |
TO enter upon this work gradually and |
methodcally than to dilly-dally with ii !
(as we did with the City HalD, until a
storm of popular Indignation rises and |
compes vote upon the question of ap-
propriating several hundred thousand |
dollars i'm a lump sum for street improve
ments. The question is now at a con-
trollable stage, and may be easily dealt
with, if wise counsels prevail. Let us
not permit our opportunity to slip away.