Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-03

! $-@-S-3-S-5-S- 3-3-5-3-3-S~t
Wheemen OF eastern cities are waging a
vigorous war on the flooding of street pave
ments by sprukling carts. The original in
tent of a sprinkling cart was to lay the dust
| on paved streets. In that respect 1t was
necessary and desirable, and hailed as a
benefactor. Its use in cities with paved
streets indicates that the authorities do not
sweep streets properly and prefer to have
the dirt rubbed in. The sprinkling cart is,
therefore, a moving sign of municipal sloth,
II streets were swept as they should be
there would be no dust for sprinkling carts
| to convert into veneer of mud. Indianapo-
| lis and Buffalo. with their miles of asphalt,
have dispensed with sprinkling carts at
| least in their business districts. The
strets are swept thoroughly and flushed,
and tho actual cost of cleanliness Is less to
merchants than when they subscribed for
sprnkling. Here in Omaha, particularly in
the fall of the year. the operations of sprink-
ling carts menace life and limb and become
a public nuisance. Asphalt pavements are
deluged with water which soon becomes a
coating of mud ALMOST as slippery as ice.
In that condition the streets are impossible
for bcyclss, dangerous to horses, and a
needless annoyance to pedestrians. Ihe
cost of watering, If converted into labor with
scraper and broom, would actually clear up
the dust and haul it away. Why not try it?
Cleanliness is reform worth striving for
Campaigning for the presidency Of the
League of American Wheelmen is already
on. President T. j. keenan, aspires to sue
ceed himself and Is hustling for support on
the platform of continued control of racing.
I, ln
isting machine but whether it will muster
the necessary number of votes remains to
be seen. 1t is said that Conway w. Sans
of Maryland will compete for the presidency.
Sans is opposed to race control. In a recent
interview he stated that the league should
yield the control of racing to the National
Cycling association, and among Ctner things
he gave his ideas about how the league
should be conducted to bring it back to its
former standard. He said
During the years 81, '9S and 80 it was my
pleasure to serve as counsel for the racing
boards of those years. No one therefore
knows better than ! do the conscientious
care and systematic work of those boards
under the able leadership of the chairman,
Mr. Albert Mott. The rights of all parties
interested in racing both the public, the
promoters and the racing men, were care
hold of the control of racing was weakened
as far back as the Baltimore assembly in
1896, when the discussion of control or not
to control first began. My own view Of it is
that the League OF American Wheemen
should entirely look after the rights and
privileges of wheelmen, because as individ-
uals they are not strong enough to protect
themselves, and the organized body Is In
position to command respect
I'VE had better make up our minds to give
up the attempt to control racing, which will
only involve us in scandals and unpleasant
relations. | feel satisfied that If we devote
ou- attention in the future to legitimate
work which will come near every wheel
man and not bother about racing, which only
concerns a few, the life of the league will
be ten times more vigorous than hitherto
and its advantages much more attractive
than we can imagine. The league
will not lose prestige abroad If it de-
clinea to bother any more with the racing
game. 1t will simply say to the foreign
racing organizations that the League Of
American Wheelmen no longer exercises any
authority over racing. You must therefore
look to the National Cycling association for
control of the sport We do not lose any
advantages in any other respect than that
and our relations with other foreign cycling
bodies other than the racing organizations
will remain just the same they now are,
with future additions"
Tho attention OF the trade end of the