Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-11-16

NAttnntlc squadron when g they were
here as our guests the way her prin-
cipal, streets are kept in excellent con-
dition. and paved In the latest and
most improved way. and on the way
that they are having Duke street made
a perfectly lovely crazySquilt {paved,
respectively, with yitri1ed brick, oys-
ter shells, cobble stones and belgian
block), and now the officials are con-
sidering whether or not to add asphalt
to the list. Bridge street, the entrance
to our beautiful residential section,
Client, is In perfect order, not an un-
even spot on its surface ,(?).
Our fire department has long since
out-Srown the needs OF the city, II 1t
had not, our officials would order more
apparatus. and 1t Is awful waste of
money to keep so many {OL municipal
fire-boats to protect our shipping.
Norfolk stands pre-eminently alone
on the pinnacle Of the Temple of Fame
when 1t comes to water supply. She has
supply of water that cannot be
equnled even in the Desert of Sahara.
There is more water here than there
is III Pungo. But our water officials say
that we must use 1t very carefully, that
we must keep n tally on all that we
use.
There ought to be a water dispensary
here, and every citizen ought to he fur
nished with n certain number OF tick
cts. which would be good in exchange
ut the dispcnsary for. SO much water.
These. tickets should represent the
amount of water each citizen Is allow
ed to use for one year. If q citizen
should use all OF his tickets before the
year Is out, then he shuld be made to
do without water for the unexpired
time. There Is. nothing like having a
sytem.
II the Divine Power had intended
Norfolk to use water scarcely st would
have deprived her OF Ell the natural
advantages that she has to supply her
with water. She is situated in Il section
where there is plenty OF rain, plenty of
lakes and plenty OF water. Consequent
ly, Norfolk citizens should have perfect
right to use all the water they want
to- Opinions Of the officials to the con-
trary Notwithstanding.
1t appears that the officials think
that Norfolk has money to throw away,
that she is Il very wealthy city, that
she has little or no debt, and that their
services are so valuable to the city
that their salaries should all be raised
Il also appears that they will spend a
large sum of her money on water
metres. These metres cost about 81 to
manufacture, but the officials want to
show our sister cities throughout the
country that money Is no object TO a
wealthy city like Norfolk. and they are
going to have Norfolk pay S14, or
whereabouts, each for them
Norfolk also has a fine park. This
park cost her thousands upon thou
sands of dollars. IT was made for the
benefit Of people, to be place where
they could so and be free from the tur-
mol OF the city, where the youngsters
could romp and play in perfect safety.
But the officials consider that 1t would
be better (for Norfolk, of course) II an
electric railway company were granted
franchise to run trolley cars through
the park. The press md public are kept
in the dark rs to the reasons why this
franchise should be granted, because
the committee holds its meetings be-
hind closed doors, in secret. The pco-
PIE are supposed to know nothing and
to have no right to know anything,
especially concerning the way their
servants are performing the duties. OF
their respective offices. But the people
do know that certain hands have q
grasp OH the rops that pulls" that
those hands are pulling for all they are
worth (of course. ever for the interest
OF Norfolk and always against the in
terests of trusts and corporations.
There is going to be an election In
Norfolk next May. Then the people will
reward their servants who have work
cd so hard, so diligently. so assiduously
for the interest of Norfolk, by re-clect-
Ing (?) them all.
ONE OF THE PEOPLE.